Transforming Legal Departments: The Role of Open-Source Legal Operations

L;DR: The open-source movement transformed the software industry. Platforms like Coursera, edX, YouTube, and Medium revolutionized education. This information democratization is now reaching business processes, such as the Legal Operations movement in the legal industry. Transforming legal departments into business units requires knowledge sharing and collaboration across all professional fields, empowering a new generation of professionals. As a token of contribution, I'd like to start by explaining one metric or KPI a week.

DYI Project

Have you ever tried to create something entirely new, without any prior experience?

A few years ago, while browsing the internet, I saw one of those beautiful resin coffee tables and decided I wanted one. After spending hours on YouTube, I had a pretty good idea of what I needed and what had to be done. So, I made a trip to Ganahl Lumber, bought a small live edge wood piece, and some other materials. My son tagged along, and we spent a few evenings at the Urban Workshop (cool place!), and in a couple of weeks, we made one! It was small, but it looked pretty good in our living room.

Compared to the amazing tables and wood crafts out there, ours was amateurish. But it gave me a special feeling; like the sky is the limit. With YouTube, time, and resources, you can learn to build pretty much anything. Just a few decades ago, doing something like this would have taken much longer. You’d have needed to attend classes or find someone to teach you. The knowledge and know-how were in the hands of a few who guarded their skills like secret recipes.

This shift in how we access and share knowledge has transformed countless fields. I see two main reasons for this change:

1) Open-Source Software Movement

The open-source software movement became more popular in the 90s when major software, like Netscape, made their source code available for download. Later projects, like Wikipedia, started with the idea that no central organization should control editing. Anyone could contribute to this online encyclopedia. A detailed discussion of open-source and its contributions deserves its own article, but to me, the key impact was that programmers like me could view source codes, learn, get ideas, and, if we wanted, modify and contribute to the project. It promotes a culture of sharing and collaboration, encouraging a continuous exchange of information and ideas, and offering collective benefits.

Microsoft serves as a prime example. Once a company that tightly controlled its code and zealously protected its intellectual property, their leadership changed their mindset and culture over the past decade, embracing open source. This shift has helped them stay competitive and innovative. Maybe Apple will be next! Let’s see...

2) Content Sharing Platforms

Around the same time, in the late 90s, blogs were born, followed by platforms like Medium and YouTube. With high-speed internet becoming available, sharing multimedia information became easier than ever. It was a revolution! Now anyone could publish and access information on virtually any topic, not just in text and pictures, but also in videos. Besides making content free for the public, these platforms also facilitate community engagement and feedback, where users can ask questions, share their experiences, and offer improvements.

This isn’t a new trend. For example, back in early 1900s, when radio broadcasting became accessible to everyone, many people started their own radio channels.

New Education Model

Adding interactive experience and long format videos, now remote learning has become doable, and people started also to like to learn at their own pace, on their own terms. It started to transform traditional academic institutions, leading to a rise in online courses, many of which are offered for free on platforms like: ?

• Coursera offers courses from institutions like Stanford, Yale, and many more, covering topics from computer science to personal development.
• edX, founded by Harvard and MIT, has a similar model, providing courses and MicroMasters programs from leading universities and institutions.

The impact of these platforms is profound, democratizing education, making it possible for anyone with an internet connection to gain new skills and knowledge.

Creditable and Curated Contents

Creating free content is easy, but it has also led to mass production of a lot of low-quality information, often referred to as information pollution. Something that happened during the radio broadcasting area as well.

In the case of YouTube, even with AI assistance, it can still be challenging for people to find truly valuable content. Learners are looking for well-researched, thoughtfully presented material that stands out amid the vast amount of available information. This demand creates a feedback loop where creators are incentivized to produce even better content, fostering a vibrant and active learning community. As a result, we see an ever-increasing array of detailed tutorials, in-depth analyses, and comprehensive guides online, further enhancing the learning experience for everyone.

Take the Andrew Huberman Lab podcast, for example. It has become the #1 health podcast in the world, with more than 5 million subscribers. I remember listening to his second podcast about three years ago, where he discussed neuroscience in great detail. The depth of knowledge he shares has attracted millions of listeners, including myself, who seek science-backed explanations of how the body and mind work. Huberman takes really complex ideas and breaks them down into practical advice, so that the reader finds it not only easy to understand but also enjoyable.

We now value open knowledge and peer-to-peer learning more than ever, with information freely shared and accessible to all. This approach speeds up learning, broadens perspectives, and sharpens our problem-solving and creative skills.

Open-Source Legal Operations Movement

We've seen that this philosophy takes root across various domains, but it is very interesting to find its strong impact even in some of the most specialized areas. This change can be seen in the legal profession as well. Following a larger trend, the legal market has drastically changed over the last two decades, from being reactive cost centers to becoming proactive strategic business units. It is driven by collaboration - a community-driven effort where knowledge, best practices, and innovative strategies are shared openly.

The idea of open knowledge will continue to extend into other areas, including specialized knowledge in professional circles like business processes. In the legal industry, knowledge-sharing and collaboration have significantly transformed legal operations. Information that was once confined to a small circle of professionals and consultants is now becoming increasingly accessible to those entering the legal field, empowering a new generation of legal professionals.

Inspiration for Writing 'Legal Operations KPIs' Book

Having worked for decades with many professionals in the legal industry to design and implement KPIs in legal departments, with the help of my team and industry experts, I decided to write a reference manual. But not just a list of metrics and KPIs; rather, going deeper by defining each metric, including charts, data sources, filters, limitations, influences, benchmarks, and more.

As each company may prioritize or use each KPI differently, I wasn’t sure what the reaction to the detailed content would be. However, my hope was to ignite dialogue and exchange of information among people interested in the subject.

It’s incredibly rewarding to hear feedback from readers all over the world who have used the Legal Operations KPIs book and community website: https://LegalOpsKPIs.com. They share how the detail explanations, stories, and tips in the book have helped them shape and refine their metrics and KPIs. Some just simply got inspired with fresh ideas for their legal operations. My team and I are happy to hear how knowledge sharing can make a difference.

What’s next: One Metric a Week

Who doesn’t enjoy an appetizer now and then? I’ve been asked, and I think it’s a great idea to dive into one metric or KPI a week in a short, digestible format. Consider these posts like KPI snacks—bite-sized articles to spark your interest and whet your appetite for knowledge.

I must confess, one of the best parts about these posts will be the feedback I get from the readers. Whether it's praise or constructive criticism, I truly value it. Your feedback and contributions will help to move toward open sourcing Legal Operations KPIs.

So please, drop a comment, question, like, share, or tag someone who might benefit from these KPIs posts. Let’s embrace this movement of open knowledge and drive excellence in legal operations together.