Are your legal insights getting lost in translation? That’s a question Julie Honor, General Counsel at a fast-growing tech company, found herself grappling with early in her in-house career. Despite delivering sound legal advice, she often noticed that her points weren’t landing with the same clarity—or urgency—as her peers in product or finance. It wasn’t because legal wasn’t important. It was because legal wasn’t speaking the same language. And that language, she discovered, was data in-house lawyers’ practice.
Her journey from traditional counsel to data-savvy business partner highlights a shift in how data in-house lawyers’ practice has evolved. Legal is no longer just a back-office function; data is positioning it as a key driver of business value.
Watch the full conversation with Julie Honor here:
How Data Bridges the Gap Between Legal and Business in In-House Lawyers’ Practice
When Julie joined a digital marketing agency, she quickly realized that business teams didn’t care much about legal theory—they wanted numbers, trends, and insights tied to business outcomes. This realization changed how she communicated legal work. Instead of just saying, “We’re overwhelmed with contracts,” she shared data on contract volumes, average turnaround times, and workload distribution. By doing so, she transformed legal from a reactive function to a measurable, proactive one.
The shift was subtle but powerful: data in-house lawyers’ practice made her message clearer and more actionable, allowing legal to take its place as a strategic partner.
Tailoring the Message for the Audience
One of the biggest lessons Julie learned was that not all data speaks the same way to every audience. A CEO wants to see how legal metrics tie to revenue or customer satisfaction. A board wants to understand risk exposure and strategic alignment. And a product team? They’re likely looking for ways to move faster without breaking things.
Julie found success by starting with a simple question: what are they trying to solve for? If the concern was deal velocity, she brought in data on contract negotiation cycles and identified where delays were happening. If the topic was compliance, she presented trend lines on clause deviations and how they mapped to potential risks. This wasn’t about flashy dashboards—it was about relevance to the business and data in-house lawyers’ practice.
She realized that data in-house lawyers’ practice doesn’t speak for itself. It needs an interpreter. And as in-house counsel, you’re in a perfect position to play that role.
Making Data Work Across Teams: Enhancing In-House Lawyers’ Practice
One of the most powerful outcomes of Julie’s data in-house lawyers’ practice journey came from sharing it. When she began making legal metrics visible to other departments, something interesting happened: people started taking ownership. A stakeholder who saw that contracts were getting stuck in their queue didn’t need a nudge—they reached out to collaborate on a fix.
Julie also moved beyond surface-level metrics like “number of contracts reviewed” and began tracking the complexity of legal work. That meant considering not just the volume but the intensity of tasks—whether a document required nuanced negotiation or had implications across multiple jurisdictions. That deeper understanding helped her allocate resources more effectively and advocate for her team with clarity.
Creating a Culture That Understands the Value of Data
Julie doesn’t just use data herself—she’s working to build a legal team that embraces it. During hiring, she looks for people who can translate complex legal issues into business-aligned messaging. Technical skill is a must, but so is the ability to speak with non-legal stakeholders in a way that earns trust and moves things forward.
She’s also intentional about fostering a culture where data in-house lawyers’ practice is part of everyday decision-making. It’s not just a reporting tool—it’s a way of working. And when the legal team operates this way, their impact expands far beyond contracts and compliance. They become true partners in driving the business forward.
So, what’s the takeaway?
Julie’s experience shows that in-house lawyers don’t need to become data experts—but they do need to become data communicators. When legal insights are backed by relevant metrics and delivered in the right context, they stop being background noise and start shaping strategy.
If you’ve ever felt like legal’s voice wasn’t being heard, maybe it’s time to change the way it’s being spoken. And data in-house lawyers’ practice, as Julie has learned, is one of the most powerful tools we have to do just that.
Watch the full conversation here: Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 2, Episode 13(ft. Julie Honor)
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