Wondering how to translate legal work into business value – without boring the board or losing nuance? Look not further..

Board meetings are fast-paced, high-stakes affairs, and when it’s time for you to report on legal, you’ve got mere minutes to make an impact. Legal risks may not scream "headline material," but that doesn’t mean your contributions are any less important. So, how do you show that legal is doing more than just firefighting? How do you talk about risk, compliance, and commercial support in a way that resonates with finance, operations, and the CEO?

The key is picking the right KPIs. Here’s how to choose metrics that matter and speak the board’s language.

Legal KPIs are hard, but essential

Legal is everywhere but often hard to quantify. It’s preventive, reactive, strategic, and sometimes invisible until something goes wrong. But if you can’t measure it, you can’t explain it – and if you can’t explain it, your legal team risks being seen as a cost centre, not a value driver.

The right KPIs help you:

• Show alignment with business goals
• Flag risks early (without scaremongering)
• Make the case for more headcount, budget, or tech
• Demonstrate legal’s commercial impact

So, what should you measure?

Focus on KPIs that highlight the legal teams role in enabling the business, managing risk, and driving efficiency. Here are five types of KPIs that tend to resonate with the Board:

1. Revenue enablement

What it shows: How legal supports sales, partnerships, and product launches.

• Contracts closed: e.g. value or volume of deals supported
• Turnaround time: average time from legal request to signature
• Bottlenecks avoided: e.g. legal blockers resolved before launch

Why it works: Sales and finance care about revenue. Show how legal helps unlock it.

2. Risk reduction

What it shows: Where legal has helped avoid or manage risk.

• Issues caught early: e.g. number of red-flag clauses resolved before signing
• Breaches or claims avoided: qualitative, but powerful when tied to real examples
• Policy compliance: e.g. % of teams trained on key risk areas

Why it works: It frames legal as proactive, not reactive, and underscores your commercial judgment.

3. Efficiency & process

What it shows: How legal is improving speed, service, and systems.

• Time to contract: end-to-end cycle time
• Volume of self-serve usage: e.g. NDAs signed without legal review
• Cost per matter: especially useful if you’re using external counsel or fixed-fee support

Why it works: Operations and finance love efficiency. You’re showing scale without headcount bloat.

4. Strategic alignment

What it shows: How legal is contributing to wider business goals.

• Legal input into key projects: e.g. product launch, restructure, market entry
• ESG or regulatory milestones hit: e.g. policies updated, reporting frameworks in place
• Cross-functional initiatives: where legal has led or partnered with other teams

Why it works: It positions legal as a business partner, not just a service desk.

5. Resourcing & capacity

What it shows: What legal is handling – and what it needs to keep up.

• Legal matters opened vs. closed
• External spend vs. internal capacity
• High-risk vs. low-risk workload split

Why it works: It supports your case for more budget or resources, grounded in data, not drama.

Three reporting tips that matter

1. Less is more: Stick to 3-5 core KPIs and make them visual. A quick chart beats a wordy slide.
2. Add a narrative: Metrics are the ‘what’. You still need the ‘so what’. Use context and examples to make the numbers resonate.
3. Be consistent: Track the same KPIs over time. This builds credibility and helps you spot trends.

Your job isn’t just to report risk – it’s to frame value

The best board reports from legal don’t just say “here’s what we’re worried about.” They say:

• Here’s what we’re enabling
• Here’s what we’re protecting
• Here’s what’s around the corner

That’s where good KPIs come in – not to reduce legal to a dashboard, but to tell a clear, commercial story that aligns with your company’s goals and aspirations.