Relationship-building and AI fluency key to closing visibility gap, new report shows

2026-04-06 · Source: Thomson Reuters Institute · Field: Legal & Regulatory — Legal Technology (LegalTech), Corporate Law & Business Legal Services, Compliance & Risk Management · Depth: Intermediate, short

Summary

The 2026 State of the Corporate Law Department Report by the Thomson Reuters Institute, based on over 2,300 interviews with corporate general counsel, reveals a significant visibility gap between legal departments and the C-Suite. While 86% of GCs believe their department contributes strategically, only 17% of C-Suite executives agree, with 42% perceiving little to no contribution. To bridge this gap, the report emphasizes three key areas for GCs: strengthening internal relationships through both formal and informal methods, shifting communication from task-based to business outcome-focused language, and advancing legal teams from basic AI literacy to true AI fluency. The report also highlights that staffing and resource constraints remain a top barrier for nearly half of GCs.

Key takeaway

For General Counsel aiming to elevate their department's strategic perception within the C-Suite, you must proactively cultivate robust internal relationships and articulate legal contributions in terms of tangible business outcomes. Furthermore, prioritize advancing your team's AI capabilities beyond basic literacy to genuine fluency, ensuring legal functions are seen as proactive partners rather than mere task executors. This strategic shift is crucial for closing the persistent visibility gap.

Key insights

A significant C-Suite visibility gap for legal departments stems from poor communication and underdeveloped AI fluency.

Principles

• Internal relationship-building is critical for risk spotting.
• Communicate legal value in business outcome terms.
• AI fluency is distinct from AI literacy.

Method

GCs should audit internal dialogue using a five-dimensional framework, reframe legal contributions as business outcomes, and implement a six-layer model for AI fluency covering learning, empowerment, ownership, accountability, usage, and expectations.

In practice

• Run structured weekly sessions with business departments.
• Reframe legal goals to "find the fastest and most compliant way."
• Encourage open access to AI tools to build momentum.

Topics

• C-Suite Visibility Gap
• General Counsel Strategy
• Internal Relationship Building
• Business Outcome Communication
• AI Fluency

Best for: Executive, Legal Professional, Consultant

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Thomson Reuters Institute.