EP 09: Legal Is Broken. Here's How Legal Ops Fixes It

from Beacon Voices · host Beacon Voices

What does it take to turn legal into a strategic business driver?In this episode, Oyango Snell, President & CEO of CLOC, shares his journey from law firms and public policy to leading the legal ops movement. He explains how discovering legal operations changed his approach—helping legal teams move from a “department of no” to a function that drives efficiency, alignment, and business impact.The conversation covers the growing role of legal ops, gaps in legal education, and how AI is reshaping the profession—along with what legal teams must do to stay relevant.Topics  Introduction 00:00 Early life, upbringing in Chicago, and inspiration to pursue law: 00:56 Law school journey: rejections, persistence, and transfer to Ohio State University 06:00 Law school experience and focus on securing a job early: 08:09 Entering law firm life: expectations vs reality and early learning curve: 10:37 Transition to in-house and building legal ops function: 14:22 Journey to CLOC and leadership motivation: 18:50 Why legal operations matters: bridging law and business impact: 21:10 Gaps in legal education and the need for tech + AI integration: 23:59 AI in legal: ethical considerations, risks, and governance: 28:09 Future of Legal Operations & the Profession: 33:30 Standardization & Challenges in Legal Ops: 37:55 Evolution of Legal Ops Talent & Skill Gaps: 41:41Legal Ops Documentary & Industry Storytelling: 45:24Connect with us:  Oyango Snell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oyango-a-snell-esq-cae/  Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/  SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 14, 2026

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EP 09: Legal Is Broken. Here's How Legal Ops Fixes It

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This episode was published on May 14, 2026.

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