It’s no secret that Google Inc. works hard to be innovative, and its modernity also extends to its in-house legal operations. The ops end of the law department is headed by Mary O’Carroll, who founded the role of head of legal operations, technology and strategy in 2008. Her portfolio includes helping chief legal officer David Drummond and his team of in-house lawyers adapt to technology and strategize as it expands rapidly.
With her initial legal infrastructure projects well underway and only requiring maintenance, the Association of Corporate Counsel recently interviewed O’Carroll for its ACC Docket. Here are some of her words of wisdom, focusing on operational excellence for legal departments:
- Focus on the End User: “Just because you build it, doesn’t mean they will use it,” she says. When implementing systems for the legal department to use, her team applies Google’s general philosophy of focusing on the end user, with a lot of emphasis on user experience and interface.
- Prioritize: It’s not about building Swiss Army knives, says O’Carroll—i.e., a tool “so robust that it could answer every question, be extremely customizable and still be easy to use.” Instead, she suggests looking at the “must-haves” for tools that will enhance communication and collaboration among in-house lawyers.
- Long Term vs. Short Term: “Adapting quickly to the changing legal industry and ecosystem is the hallmark of a truly innovative legal department,” says O’Carroll. She notes the trick is to plan for the future and think of long-term needs, while considering current designs and processes.
