PARTICIPATE IN THE 2021 SURVEY

Register to participate in the 2021 HBR Law Department Survey.

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PURCHASE THE 2020 SURVEY

The 2020 HBR Law Department Survey is now available for purchase.

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Below are just a few of the 500+ data points from the latest cycle of our annual Law Department Survey, the leading source of benchmarking data for in-house teams to assess and measure performance. How does your law department compare?

84 %

anticipate increased legal demand despite COVID-19 challenges

91%

have taken steps to reduce outside counsel spending in the past year

44 %

anticipate an increase in legal staffing within the next year

49 %

ranked diversity as a top priority when selecting outside counsel compared to 35% in 2019

News + Insights

December 2020

Pandemic Pushes Corporate Law Department Upgrades, Study Finds

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December 2020

Pandemic Pushes Corporate Law Department Upgrades, Study Finds

The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating a transformation of corporate law departments, from technology use to staffing levels. Nearly 75% of departments significantly or moderately increased adoption of legal technology compared to last year, according to an HBR Consulting analysis.

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December 2020

In-House Units Say Legal Needs Rise As Budgets Tighten

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December 2020

In-House Units Say Legal Needs Rise As Budgets Tighten

With the COVID-19 pandemic having an unprecedented impact on the legal industry, the vast majority of corporate law departments are eyeing an increase in their legal needs over the next year while simultaneously controlling their budgets.

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December 2020

‘Law Departments Have to Act’ on Cost Savings After COVID Inspired New Efficiencies

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December 2020

‘Law Departments Have to Act’ on Cost Savings After COVID Inspired New Efficiencies

HBR Consulting's Law Department Survey found in-house leaders are considering the long-term cost savings available to them.

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December 2021

A Tenth of Law Departments Expect Lawyer Job Cuts, But More Plan on Hiring

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December 2021

A Tenth of Law Departments Expect Lawyer Job Cuts, But More Plan on Hiring

A survey of more than 150 law departments found most plan to slash their budgets because of the coronavirus pandemic, but just 10% expect to lay off lawyers, according to a report released by HBR Consulting. Thirty-seven percent of respondents, surveyed between spring and autumn 2020, said they actually expect to add more in-house counsel this year.

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The value of data-driven decisions has never been more important to the legal function. By leveraging the insights and metrics in the HBR Survey, we at NetApp have been able to tell a story with numbers to drive our strategic direction and alignment with the business. We think it’s the most comprehensive and most impactful law department Survey available, and have used it for years to help inform and validate our law department strategy.

Connie Brenton, Chief of Staff and Senior Director of Legal Operations, NetApp