March 13, 2026
In this episode of Counsel to Counsel, Steve Seckler speaks with legal operations consultant Jeff Kruse about the growing importance of legal operations and its connection to the future of legal practice. Jeff shares his career journey from product liability partner at a law firm, to Chief Litigation Officer at Boston Scientific, and ultimately to founding his own legal operations consulting practice. Along the way, he discovered a passion for improving systems, processes, and technology to help legal professionals work more efficiently and effectively.
The conversation explores what legal operations actually encompasses, from technology implementation and project management to budgeting, process improvement, litigation support, and strategic planning. Jeff explains how advances in artificial intelligence are accelerating change across the legal industry and why legal operations professionals are becoming increasingly important in helping law firms and corporate legal departments evaluate new technologies, manage risk, and adapt to evolving ways of delivering legal services.
Jeff also discusses his philosophy of “trickle-up improvementomics,” the idea that improving the daily work of support staff and legal professionals can create benefits throughout an organization. Drawing on his experience as both a mediator and consultant, he highlights the challenges of managing change, overcoming resistance, and helping organizations navigate the temporary disruptions that often accompany process improvements. For lawyers considering alternatives to traditional practice, Jeff offers an encouraging reminder that many legal skills, including problem solving, project management, communication, and conflict resolution, transfer naturally into emerging fields such as legal operations.