{"id":123129,"date":"2025-06-16T14:06:44","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T22:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/06\/16\/why-every-in-house-lawyer-should-hear-what-tanisha-minev-has-to-say-about-legal-ops\/"},"modified":"2025-06-16T14:06:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T22:06:44","slug":"why-every-in-house-lawyer-should-hear-what-tanisha-minev-has-to-say-about-legal-ops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/06\/16\/why-every-in-house-lawyer-should-hear-what-tanisha-minev-has-to-say-about-legal-ops\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Every In-House Lawyer Should Hear What Tanisha Minev Has To Say About Legal Ops"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019re in-house, overwhelmed, and wondering if there\u2019s a smarter way to support the business without burning out, make time for Tanisha Minev<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a recent episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self<\/a>, Tanisha \u2014 in-house legal counsel and co-author of \u201cLegal Operations in the Age of AI and Data\u201d \u2014 offers one of the most grounded, actionable perspectives on legal operations you\u2019ll hear this year. Her advice is rooted in lived experience, not theory, and it\u2019s especially timely for teams navigating fast growth, high expectations, and increasing pressure to do more with less.<\/p>\n

Watch the full interview here: <\/p>\n

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Legal Ops Isn\u2019t A Product. It\u2019s A Mindset.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tanisha\u2019s entry into legal ops wasn\u2019t planned. Early in her career, she kept running into the same inefficiencies, especially around routine contracts like NDAs and MSAs. Without waiting for new headcount or technology, she started simplifying and standardizing what she could.<\/p>\n

At Yoco, legal requests were flying in through email, Slack, and hallway conversations. Her solution? A lightweight intake system using tools the business already used. No expensive platform. No consultants. Just clarity and intentional process design.<\/p>\n

This theme runs throughout her approach: fix what\u2019s broken before scaling. Legal operations isn\u2019t about buying tech \u2014 it\u2019s about solving real problems, sustainably.<\/p>\n

Contracts Might Be Slowing You Down, More Than You Think<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of Tanisha\u2019s sharpest insights: your contracts may be the most expensive part of your sales cycle \u2014 and not because of outside counsel bills.<\/p>\n

She points to the hidden cost of inefficient contract workflows. When teams re-review the same NDAs or DPAs without clear fallback positions or templated guidance, it leads to bottlenecks, decision fatigue, and sales delays. The solution isn\u2019t just automation \u2014 it\u2019s standardization and visibility. <\/p>\n

Tanisha warns against jumping into CLM or workflow automation too early. Without a solid baseline \u2014 data about deal types, turnaround times, and friction points \u2014 you risk optimizing noise instead of solving the real issues.<\/p>\n

You Don\u2019t Need A CLM. You Need Clarity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The drive to \u201cfix\u201d contracts often leads teams to invest in software before they\u2019ve defined the problem. Tanisha advocates for a different approach: start by tracking what matters most. What kinds of contracts are coming in? What\u2019s slowing down review? What\u2019s negotiable \u2014 and what isn\u2019t?<\/p>\n

By building this internal map, teams can identify where to standardize, when to escalate, and how to support the business with fewer bottlenecks.<\/p>\n

Clarity Builds Trust<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tanisha doesn\u2019t just talk about efficiency; she ties it directly to trust. When legal is overwhelmed, it\u2019s hard to be proactive. But when the team operates with clarity \u2014 about intake, about playbooks, about fallback terms \u2014 it builds confidence across the business.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t require a transformation. Often, it starts with small changes: clarifying an NDA playbook, publishing standard terms, or making a contract template self-service. These steps compound over time, allowing legal to focus on higher-impact work.<\/p>\n

Start Small, Improve Something<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tanisha closes the episode with a simple challenge: \u201cPick one thing and make it better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s intake, contracts, or collaboration with Sales, the path to a smarter legal function isn\u2019t necessarily more tech \u2014 it\u2019s more intention.<\/p>\n

Her insights are a valuable reminder: legal operations isn\u2019t about tools. It\u2019s about trust, clarity, and continuous improvement.<\/p>\n

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Olga V. Mack<\/a>\u00a0is the CEO of\u00a0TermScout<\/a>, an AI-powered contract certification platform that accelerates revenue and eliminates friction by certifying contracts as fair, balanced, and market-ready. A\u00a0Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics<\/a>, and the Generative AI Editor at law.MIT, she is a visionary executive reshaping how we law\u2014how legal systems are built, experienced, and trusted. Olga\u00a0teaches at Berkeley Law<\/a>, lectures widely, and advises companies of all sizes, as well as boards and institutions. An award-winning general counsel turned builder, she also leads early-stage ventures including\u00a0Virtual Gabby (Better Parenting Plan)<\/a>,\u00a0Product Law Hub<\/a>,\u00a0ESI Flow<\/a>, and\u00a0Notes to My (Legal) Self<\/a>, each rethinking the practice and business of law through technology, data, and human-centered design. She has authored\u00a0The Rise of Product Lawyers<\/a>,\u00a0Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data<\/a>,\u00a0Blockchain Value<\/a>, and\u00a0Get on Board<\/a>, with\u00a0Visual IQ for Lawyers\u00a0(ABA) forthcoming. Her work reimagines people\u2019s relationship with law\u2014making it more accessible, inclusive, data-driven, and aligned with how the world actually works. Follow her on\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0and X @olgavmack.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The post Why Every In-House Lawyer Should Hear What Tanisha Minev Has To Say About Legal Ops<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re in-house, overwhelmed, and wondering if there\u2019s a smarter way to support the business without burning out, make time for Tanisha Minev<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a recent episode of Notes to My (Legal) Self<\/a>, Tanisha \u2014 in-house legal counsel and co-author of \u201cLegal Operations in the Age of AI and Data\u201d \u2014 offers one of the most grounded, actionable perspectives on legal operations you\u2019ll hear this year. Her advice is rooted in lived experience, not theory, and it\u2019s especially timely for teams navigating fast growth, high expectations, and increasing pressure to do more with less.<\/p>\n

Watch the full interview here: <\/p>\n