This article was created from a webinar hosted by LawVu in which David Lancelot, CLO and EVP Advocacy at LawVu, and Paul Gillan, Practice Group Leader and Chief Legal Counsel at Johns Hopkins Health System, discussed the intricacies of  navigating the leadership of legal departments in healthcare and the role legal technology plays in this. 

Unlike many industries, the healthcare sector is driven by purpose, with patient outcomes and community wellbeing taking precedence over quarterly profits. But even in a purpose-driven environment, operational efficiency and strategic alignment remain paramount to achieving those goals.

For in-house legal teams in healthcare, this mission creates a unique challenge. How do you meet complex regulatory demands, manage tight budgets, and still actively support your organization’s mission? The answer, according to Paul Gillan, Chief Legal Counsel for Managed Care and Population Health at Johns Hopkins Health System, lies in data-driven leadership.

Gillan, along with David Lancelot, CLO and EVP of Advocacy at LawVu, shared their perspectives during a recent webinar on legal leadership in healthcare. What emerged is a compelling blueprint for how in-house legal teams can leverage metrics, technology, and operational alignment to transform their practices – not just for efficiency, but for strategic impact.

The shift to a purpose-driven legal department

“Successful legal leaders are those who genuinely align themselves with the business’s mission,” Gillan explained. At the core of his argument is the necessity for legal to be embedded within the organization, both in mindset and function. This goes beyond simply providing legal support; it involves proactive participation in driving business outcomes, all while keeping the mission front and center.

“The purpose-driven legal department really is part of the business and needs to think of itself as part of the business,” he said. “The business mission, the business vision, the business strategy – they all feed the legal department’s sense of itself within the business. Successful legal leaders will be the ones who understand that and are able to create a story where they demonstrate their value to the business in advancing the business purpose. That goes hand in glove with the business leaders with legal skills scenario. It really is paramount.

“If you don’t understand the language of the business and understand how the business is operating, you’re not going to be able to communicate effectively with even your own business leaders.”

Data brings healthcare’s mission to life

Because healthcare is mission-driven at its core, the industry is uniquely positioned for legal transformation through data-driven leadership; the focus isn’t merely on bottom-line profits but on delivering high-quality care and solutions to patients and communities. Gillan underscores that “being mission-driven comes with its own preloaded narratives, like putting the patient first”. Yet, this charitable mindset often translates to doing more with fewer resources.

Data can fill this gap. It empowers legal teams to do more than justify their budget; it gives them the ability to tell powerful stories about the value they bring. For example, metrics like contract turnaround time or the volume of legal requests processed can create visibility into legal operations, enhancing transparency with internal stakeholders. By shifting the narrative from effort-focused metrics (e.g. hours worked) to impact-focused storytelling (e.g. contracts processed or risks mitigated), legal teams can further align with healthcare’s mission.

Gillan said: “In healthcare, we’re always being asked to do more with less, especially as we contend with external budget pressures. Without data, all we have are opinions. But data allows us to tell compelling stories about what we’re doing and how it supports the business.” 

Gillian’s team provides a simple but impactful example. Previously, their legal intake process for reviewing documentation was paper-based and chaotic, making it impossible to track productivity. Moving the process onto a technology platform not only created efficiencies but also generated valuable data. The team could suddenly measure turnaround times, identify workload distribution, and, crucially, share these insights with their business users. This data didn’t just optimize internal processes; it created an opportunity to engage with stakeholders and align more closely with the organization’s overall goals.

Both Gillan and Lancelot emphasized the importance of data in transforming legal functions from back-office cost centers to strategic enablers of the broader business. Metrics such as contract throughput, matter volume, and legal resource allocation are no longer just nice-to-have operational insights; they form the backbone of data-driven leadership.

Lancelot framed it like this: “By gathering and analyzing data over time, legal leaders can identify trends, optimize processes, and provide transparency to the wider organization.”

One example from Gillan’s own team illustrated the value of such transparency. By tracking volume and velocity of legal requests, his team was able to show business users where bottlenecks were occurring – not through anecdotal discussions, but with hard numbers.

“The first time I reported on the sheer volume of requests we were handling, eyes were opened across the business,” Gillan recalled. “They started to understand that their individual priorities were part of a much larger picture.”

Yet, effective use of data isn’t just about tracking what has already happened. Lancelot said that capturing structured legal data lays the foundation for predictive intelligence, allowing in-house legal teams to forecast and proactively mitigate risks before they escalate.

Overcoming resistance to technology adoption

For many in-house legal functions, even the idea of becoming data-driven can feel daunting. Gillan and Lancelot acknowledge that resistance – from both lawyers and leadership – is common. Gillan candidly shared that his first attempt to implement a matter management system early in his career was an “abject failure”.

“It wasn’t because we didn’t need the tool or because it didn’t work,” Gillan said. “Resistance came down to misaligned processes and a lack of readiness.”

According to Lancelot, overcoming this resistance is rooted in clarity of purpose and effective change management. “Lawyers can be sceptical of technology, especially if it feels like a surveillance tool. You need to frame technology adoption around its potential to empower the team, reduce administrative burdens, and unlock strategic value.”

Gillan advised starting with a clear understanding of your business strategy and aligning your legal objectives to support that strategy. “Once your team understands the ‘why’, it becomes easier to rally them around new tools and processes.”

Practical tips for acquiring legal tech in healthcare

For in-house legal teams ready to start their data-driven transformation, Gillan offered three practical tips for acquiring technology tools effectively:

1. Acknowledge there’s no end state

“Once you start this process, it becomes iterative,” Gillan said. “You’re constantly feeding data back into your processes to refine and improve them. Don’t expect to implement a solution and declare victory.”

1. Engage business users as stakeholders

“Metrics like how many requests come through a portal versus email aren’t just for the legal department,” he explained. “These conversations make business users co-owners of the process, fostering collaboration across teams.”

1. Don’t be afraid to fail

Gillan stressed that not every tool or process will work perfectly right away. “Failing means learning. Each attempt inches you closer to a solution that aligns with your needs and objectives.”

A call for bold leadership

The rapid transformation of in-house legal functions isn’t a trend; it’s a necessity. For industries like healthcare, where organizational goals go far beyond profits, legal metrics and data-driven leadership offer an opportunity to align legal efforts with the broader mission while driving operational efficiency. From reactive gatekeepers to proactive enablers, the modern legal function is increasingly defined by its ability to drive value through data and strategy.

The road isn’t without challenges. Building the scalable “engine room” of a data-first legal team requires sustained effort, buy-in from stakeholders, and thoughtful implementation of technology. Bold legal leadership, backed by data, is the key to unlocking the potential of the modern in-house legal team.

For healthcare legal teams, this shift isn’t optional. It’s essential for advancing the mission while navigating the complexities of the current landscape.

Want to learn more about legal technology in healthcare?

If you are keen to elevate your in-house legal department, start by exploring tools like LawVu and connect with other like-minded organizations and leaders in healthcare who are shaping the future of legal leadership.