Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Efficiency definition

What does Efficiency mean? Efficiency, in legal practice, means delivering the same or better outcome with fewer resources (time, money, people), or increasing outputs from the same inputs. It is a descriptive term used across public law, procurement, regulation and litigation rather than a single statutory concept, though it features in Best Value and audit frameworks that emphasise the “three Es”: economy, efficiency and effectiveness. In England and Wales the Local Government Act 1999 imposes a Best Value duty; Scotland has the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003; Northern Ireland has the Local Government (Best Value) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. In Ireland, the Public Spending...

Measuring In‑House Legal Performance: Building SMART KPIs, Gathering Data, Addressing Challenges and Aligning the Legal Function with Business Strategy

Published by a LexisNexis In-house Advisor expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note examines the importance and impact of gauging the quality of in-house legal teams. It outlines common pitfalls and shares practical lessons drawn from introducing such measures into the business. In the past, lawyers might have felt that showing their ‘value’ to the organisation was not something they needed to do, yet it is now widely recognised that employing assessment frameworks within the legal team is inevitable. Metrics enable Chief Legal Officers (CLOs) to review and enhance the performance of their legal teams and, ultimately, manage them more effectively.

Why build and use metrics?

In today’s commercial environment, performance efficiency is paramount. Metrics provide CLOs with tools to:

assess and improve lawyers’ performance
clearly evidence the department’s value to the business
usher in change
reduce costs

For example, measurement and matter tracking can uncover areas where a legal team is repeatedly asked the same questions by the wider business. By spotting these patterns, the legal team can take proactive steps, such as training employees on the topic or producing a manual for everyday guidance...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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