In the first part of this series, What were the top legal operations trends in 2025?, I reflected on the defining themes of the past year. We explored how legal operations teams grew into strategic partners, built stronger vendor relationships, and harnessed the power of peer collaboration to navigate a landscape of rising costs and intense pressure. The lessons from 2025 have been invaluable, teaching us resilience and strategic adaptation. Now, it’s time to look forward to 2026.
Over the next year, legal operations won’t just evolve; it will accelerate. With artificial intelligence maturing, actionable data at our fingertips, and new delivery models gaining traction, teams have the tools to move beyond incremental progress. For years, the goal of proactive, data-driven leadership felt aspirational. In 2026, it will become achievable and will be the moment for legal departments to fast-forward in ways that seemed out of reach before. This guide explores the trends, technologies, and strategies that will shape the year ahead, providing practical steps to drive innovation and performance.
How will AI impact legal ops in 2026?
In 2026, artificial intelligence will become a more practical and indispensable tool for legal operations. AI-powered tools have already matured from simple search tasks to more complex contributions, such as providing accurate forecasts on matter costs and outcomes. Next year, expect broader adoption of tools that can sift through massive volumes of matter data to extract critical insights, automate invoice review with anomaly detection, and even deploy agentic AI to assist in rate negotiations. These innovations will enable legal ops teams to optimize spend, improve decision-making, and operate with a level of precision that was previously out of reach.
As legal departments realize they need to leverage AI or be left behind, the adoption of AI will accelerate with more use cases proving successful and internal approval processes maturing. Confidence—both from users and across the industry—will grow, shifting AI from a buzzword to a standard practice woven into everyday operations. What once felt experimental will become expected.
Another key trend is the continued blurring of lines between law firms, legal service providers (LSPs), and in-house teams. Legal operations will sit at the center of this new ecosystem, acting as an orchestra conductor to integrate these diverse resources for maximum efficiency. 2026 will not be the year of shifting work from law firms to LSPs but will be the year of shifting lower-risk, repeatable in-house tasks to LSPs in order to pull more strategic work (historically given to law firms) in-house.
How can legal operations leverage data for success?
For legal operations, data is the key to unlocking new levels of efficiency and demonstrating value. In 2026, the focus will shift from simply collecting data to making it actionable across three key areas:
- Benchmarking: Use industry-wide data to assess whether your department's costs, cycle times, and staffing models are in line with your peers.
- Performance metrics: Implement performance scorecards to share with your key law firms. This transparency builds trust and creates a clear, objective feedback loop that empowers firms to deliver better value.
- Predictive analytics: Leverage your own historical data to forecast matter costs and timelines with greater accuracy, using AI-powered platforms to identify patterns and predict outcomes.
What are the top strategies for innovation?
Innovation in legal ops is not just about adopting new technology; it’s about fostering a mindset of continuous improvement. While not as technologically focused as the use of AI, one of the most impactful innovation strategies for 2026 involves engaging law firm pricing professionals earlier and more directly. Conversations will expand to include law firm innovation professionals and in-house technology teams.
Historically, pricing discussions have been routed through relationship partners who may lack deep expertise in financial modeling. By building direct lines of communication with pricing experts at your key firms, you can co-create innovative fee structures that align incentives and drive mutual value. This framework allows in-house attorneys to focus on substantive legal work and preserve their collaborative day-to-day relationships with outside counsel. Meanwhile, the ops team handles the necessary but difficult conversations about rates, invoices, and guideline enforcement. This structure protects vital partnerships while ensuring fiscal discipline.
From lessons to action in 2026
2026 will not be about incremental progress; it will be about acceleration. The lessons of 2025 become the launchpad for bold, data-driven action. Legal operations will move from learning to leading, stepping fully into its role as a strategic architect, leveraging advanced analytics, AI-driven intelligence, and smarter delivery models to shape business outcomes. The complexity of the legal and economic landscape won’t disappear, but the ability to navigate it has never been greater. Challenges remain, yet the tools to meet them are stronger than ever. In 2026, legal ops is positioned to not just respond, but to redefine how legal services create value.
If you missed it, be sure to read What were the top legal operations trends in 2025? for a full reflection on the foundational lessons that have prepared us for this future.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How can my team start using predictive analytics?
A: Begin by centralizing and cleaning your own historical matter data. Then, you can leverage AI-powered legal tech platforms that analyze this data to identify patterns and forecast costs for new matters.
Q: Is AI replacing legal operations professionals?
A: No, AI is augmenting their capabilities. It automates repetitive tasks and provides predictive insights, allowing legal ops professionals to focus on more strategic, high-value work.
Q: How do I initiate conversations with law firm pricing experts?
A: A straightforward first step is to request an introductory meeting with the pricing director at one of your key firms to discuss collaborative opportunities and innovative fee structures.
