2026 State of the Corporate Law Department Report

There’s a concerning gap between General Counsel and their bosses — 86% of GCs believe their department contributes significantly to company goals. Only 17% of the C-suite agrees, according to research from the Thomson Reuters Institute.

Read the new 2026 State of the Corporate Law Department report to learn how GCs are responding to that gap, the promise of AI transformation, and a challenging global business and legal environment.

Informed by interviews with thousands of professionals worldwide, including legal leaders, C-suite executives, and compliance professionals, the report found:

• Up to 42% of C-suite respondents say legal contributes “little or not at all” to organizational objectives
• Staffing is the top in-house pain-point, as pressures continue to mount
• Communication and integration into business operations is also a major area of concern
• Successful departments are increasingly choosing a more proactive risk approach
• Up-to-date metrics, and the ability to quickly report on department activities to skeptical business leaders, is quickly becoming table stakes

Download your copy of the report below or open the pdf in the window to the right.