Mission-Driven Legal Ops: What Legal Teams Can Learn from St. Jude

Guest NotesLaResa Young has spent nearly two decades at St. Jude, beginning as a contract management specialist and helping grow the legal team from four people to nearly 30. Her work focuses on building intentional legal operations functions, improving processes, supporting mission-critical legal work, and aligning operational decisions with organizational values.Key TakeawaysProcess has to come before technology. Buying tools without a clear process leads to wasted funds and failed adoption.Legal tech procurement should be intentional. LaResha emphasizes strong scoping documents, structured demos, and clear guidance for vendors.Highly regulated organizations need tailored solutions. Generic demos don’t work when contract types, workflows, and compliance requirements are highly specific.Vendor accountability matters. St. Jude tests whether vendors actually listen and can align to real organizational needs.Mission and values should shape legal ops decisions. LaResha frames procurement and implementation through the hospital’s core values, especially stewardship.Legal ops can be measured by impact, not just dollars. Faster contracting can directly affect care delivery, equipment access, and provider onboarding.AI should drive upskilling, not panic. Rather than assuming AI will eliminate entry-level work, LaResha argues organizations should retrain and elevate talent.Conference learning should be shared internally. She models how legal ops leaders can bring insights back to their teams in practical ways.