Woman holding a smartphone with linkedin logoWithin the legal industry, the business process improvement goals of corporate law departments are generally understood. Concepts such as collaboration, innovation, cost optimization and mechanization are amongst the pots of gold sitting at the end of the proverbial rainbow. Specific objectives such as automating common legal tasks, defining and maximizing the value derived by legal spend, using advanced technology to efficiently process and glean key elements from documents, and implementing both outside counsel and vendor management programs are just a few of the process improvement goals typically resident within an organization's internal legal function.

But how do you get started? What works well and what does not? And how should one prioritize improvement projects? That's not always so easy to wrap your arms around.

For generations, one approach for new ideas has been connecting with thought leaders to discuss and exchange ideas. Long ago, industry leaders exchanged ideas in the grand meeting rooms or laboratories of venues like Hyde Park, the Edison House or public town halls. More recently, business leaders tend to gather at industry association conferences or rely on advice from experts at professional consulting firms. Human interaction was, of course, a familiar refrain in these types of exchanges.