During tight economic times, all university departments must justify their existence in a measurable way, and legal departments are no different. However, legal departments at academic institutions, both large and small, often find it difficult to adopt the financial and other controls that are necessary to manage spending and results, as well as control risk.
In many academic institutions, the problem of managing legal spending is often complicated by the fact that there are multiple lawyers and non-lawyers managing legal work sprinkled throughout the organisation, including areas such as athletics, human resources, medical facilities, and technology transfer. It is not uncommon for a new GC to take months to figure out what was spent by the institution on legal work during the most recent year, without being fully confident that it has all been found. And academic legal departments may be chronically understaffed, further contributing to the lack of financial and management controls.
This whitepaper outlines key ways that your legal department can successfully manage its’ work to comply with legal requirements, manage risk, and minimise legal costs, while also demonstrating the value that your department provides to your institution.
