If you’re an in-house lawyer, chances are you’ve felt the pressure to prove your value. Not just to your team or GC, but to the wider business. The tricky bit? Unlike private practice, there’s no hourly rate or neat fee summary to point to. Just a constant expectation to “add value.”

And no - being flat-out busy doesn’t cut it.

Here’s how to move beyond firefighting and start showing your true impact as a strategic partner to the business.

Let’s retire “I’m just really busy”

In private practice, value is measured by the hour. In-house, it’s not that simple. Time spent isn’t the same as value delivered and being overloaded isn’t a badge of honour. In fact, it might be a warning sign that you’re working hard, but not smart.

The real measure of value? Alignment with what the business actually needs.

Shift your focus from “doing legal work” to solving business problems

Legal teams that operate in a vacuum risk becoming glorified helplines - reliable, responsive, and completely disconnected from what really matters.

To prove your value, start with your stakeholders. Identify the key decision-makers in your business and ask a bold question: What’s keeping you up at night? The goal is to understand their priorities, whether that’s a delayed project, a looming regulatory issue,or a commercial risk flying under the radar.

Once you’re clear on what they care about, you can align your work accordingly and show up where it counts.

Deal with low-value work(without being the “no” team)

Saying no to work that doesn’t move the needle isn’t about gatekeeping, it’s about protecting your team’s focus and making space for what really matters.

But here’s the trick: don’t guess what to push back on. Use data.

Time tracking (yes, really) is a smart way to understand where your effort is going. Not to micromanage but to get a clear picture of what’s draining your time. Then, go back to your stakeholders and ask: Is this where you want us to focus?

Often, the answer is no. That’s your cue to find smarter ways to handle those asks, like templated responses, FAQs, paralegal support, or even simple tech solutions. The result? More headspace for strategic work and a legal team that’s no longer stuck in the weeds.

Measure what matters (even if it’s imperfect)

Lawyers often avoid metrics because they feel messy or imprecise. But in a business context, some data is better than none and tracking the right things can transform how the legal function is perceived.

Here are four categories worth focusing on:

• People – Wellbeing, engagement, and whether your team has what they need to thrive.
• Stakeholders – Feedback from business leaders on the quality, relevance, and impact of your support.
• Processes – How work flows through your team, what’s being prioritised, and what’s falling through the cracks.
• Financials – Examples of cost avoidance,  savings from settlements, and reduced external spend.

One practical tip? Build a relationship with your finance team. They can help you assign tangible value to outcomes - whether it’s 20% of a litigation saving or an efficiency gain from a new tool. It doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful.

Don’t assume people know your potential

Legal is often seen as the last stop, a sign-off, a risk-check, a necessary hurdle. That perception won’t change unless you challenge it.

Speak up. Offer to join early-stage project meetings or sit in on strategic planning sessions. Show that you’re not just there to say no, you’re there to help make things happen, faster and smarter.

Once stakeholders see you in that light, the value conversation shifts. You’re no longer overhead - you’re an enabler.

Start with a conversation

If you’re serious about proving your value, start by talking to the people who matter most. Ask what they need. Ask how you can support them better. And ask where they see legal making the biggest difference.

With the right insights, clear priorities, and a willingness to let go of the work that doesn’t serve your purpose, you can start showing your worth in a way that really sticks.