New Practical Law In-house resource, Standard document, In-house legal department mission statement
Defining, publicising and following a mission statement and its guiding principles are an effective way for an in-house legal department to ensure that its members and external constituents, such as the organisation's board of directors, management, employees and external law firms, understand and support:
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The department's purpose.
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The process the department follows to achieve that purpose.
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The standards each department member must observe in performing their responsibilities.
Legal departments that establish and pursue a purpose aligned to their assigned responsibilities are more likely to successfully support their organisations than departments that do not clearly define their purpose.
For more in-house resources which discuss similar themes, see Practical Law Australia's In-house training centre.