Feeling a little more optimistic lately? You’re not alone. A recent survey of in-house legal departments shows that most—70 percent—think 2014 has been an overall improvement from 2013.

The legal department operations survey conducted by LexisNexis provides evidence of cautious optimism, which is a big change from where many corporate counsel were just a few years ago in the wake of the financial crisis. However, despite the improved outlook, legal departments still face challenges as they try to build efficiency and better support corporate clients.