If you’ve ever handed a contract to someone outside the legal department and watched them squint in confusion, you’re not alone. Legal documents are notoriously hard to read—and in high-pressure business environments, that confusion can cost time, create risk, and delay results. This is exactly where legal design for in-house teams can make a real difference.
Rather than starting from legal tradition, legal design starts with the user. It puts people first—clarity over complexity, usability over formality. For corporate legal departments, this approach isn’t just refreshing; it’s efficient, strategic, and forward-thinking.
How Legal Design for In-House Teams Works in Practice
Legal design isn’t about decoration—it’s about functionality. It asks: Who will use this contract? What will they need to understand? Where are they most likely to get stuck? And then it helps legal teams answer those questions with smarter structure, clearer language, and more intuitive processes.
Marty Finestone, a legal designer and in-house lawyer turned consultant, is helping teams implement these ideas every day. Through his consultancy, Legal Adjacency, Marty works with corporate legal departments to simplify contracts, optimize workflows, and build legal operations around the people who rely on them. In short, he helps teams reduce friction and build trust across the business.
Watch the full conversation with Marty Finestone here:
Legal Design as a Tool for Leadership and Innovation
For in-house lawyers, adopting legal design for in-house teams isn’t just about making life easier for your colleagues. It’s a way to lead more effectively. When your legal department communicates clearly, responds faster, and delivers advice that’s easy to act on, you’re no longer the department of “no”—you’re a strategic partner.
Legal design also paves the way for smarter use of legal tech and more thoughtful process design. It supports everything from contract automation to better knowledge management. In a time when legal departments are being asked to do more with less, that kind of clarity and efficiency is a powerful advantage.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Legal Design in Corporate Teams
The legal industry is evolving—and so is what’s expected of in-house teams. Leaders who embrace innovation now will shape how legal departments operate in the years ahead. If you’re focused on growing your legal team’s impact, driving better business outcomes, or even advancing your own legal career, legal design for in-house teams is worth your attention.
Start small. Redesign one document with the user in mind. Ask better questions about what people really need from your contracts or advice. You might be surprised by how much smoother everything runs—and how much more valued your team becomes.
Have you already tried using legal design in your in-house practice? I’d love to hear how it’s working (or where it’s been tricky). Let’s keep this conversation going—because the legal world is changing, and it’s people like you who are helping to lead the way.
Watch the full conversation here: Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 2, Episode 20(ft. Marty Finestone)
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At Notes to My (Legal) Self®, we’re dedicated to helping in-house legal professionals develop the skills, insights, and strategies needed to thrive in today’s evolving legal landscape. From leadership development to legal operations optimization and emerging technology, we provide the tools to help you stay ahead.
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