Mary O'Carroll: Legal ops at turning point amid surging demand
Mary O'Carroll highlights legal ops as reaching an inflection point after 20 years of maturation.
Why it matters: Legal ops now drive efficiency and tech adoption across legal departments. Leaders and vendors should track this transformation to seize evolving opportunities in a sector facing heightened demand but limited resources.
- Mary O'Carroll says legal ops is entering a new growth phase after decades of evolution.
- 63% of legal departments report rising regulatory compliance demands; 58% cite cybersecurity.
- 85% of legal departments now have dedicated AI oversight or resources.
- Only 37% expect increased outside counsel spending, down sharply from last year.
Legal operations is emerging from its support role to become a linchpin of strategic decision-making in law departments nationwide. Mary O'Carroll, a major voice in the field, describes the sector as being at a true inflection point—twenty years after its informal beginnings.
- Recent industry data show 63% of legal departments face heightened regulatory pressure, and 58% face cybersecurity demands. Despite this, resource increases remain limited.
- "Going back to the beginning of time, the hardest part of this job has been change management," O'Carroll notes, underscoring persistent hurdles even as strategies evolve.
- Oyango Snell, CLOC's President & CEO, states that legal operations have become the "strategic lever" enabling departments to deliver more with financial discipline, technology, and governance—without matching increases in people or spending.
Reflecting this shift, 85% of legal departments now report dedicated AI oversight or resources as part of a decisive move toward enterprise-level tech governance. At the same time, outside counsel budgets tighten, with just 37% expecting spending to rise—down from 58% last year.
Lauren Chung of Harbor observes: "Organizations respond to sustained demand and constrained budgets by investing in smarter models, stronger AI governance, and more disciplined financial management." The 2025 Legal Department Operations Index found 81% of teams now have at least one dedicated legal ops role, highlighting rapid adoption of this function.
By the numbers:
- 63% — legal departments reporting increased regulatory compliance demand
- 85% — legal departments with dedicated AI oversight or resources
- 37% — expect an increase in outside counsel spending, down from 58% last year