CLOC Introduces Industry-First Legal Operations Certification

CLOC, the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, has introduced a groundbreaking certification for legal operations professionals. The new CLOC Legal Operations Certified Professional (LOCP) credential marks the first rigorous, independently validated standard for the legal operations profession, providing a benchmark for talent assessment and recognition.

Founded in 2015, CLOC has been instrumental in shaping the legal operations profession and its foundational framework, known as the CLOC Core 12. This credential is designed to measure the real-world judgment and analytical ability of experienced legal operations practitioners. The certification is aimed at established professionals with three or more years of experience, who hold functional ownership and lead cross-functional strategy.

Oyango Snell, President and CEO of CLOC, emphasized the importance of this certification.

The LOCP credential is built around scenario-based assessment, requiring candidates to demonstrate the ability to issue-spot operational gaps, apply the CLOC Core 12 in practice, work within ethical and regulatory frameworks, including the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility, and account for the impact of AI transformation across the legal department.

The certification process involves a multi-phase job task analysis and validation survey, standard-setting, and item-development process. CLOC has engaged a certification and assessment consulting firm alongside a psychometric partner to ensure the credential meets the standard set by established professional credentials and is empirically grounded in what legal operations professionals do.

CLOC has formed a Certification Advisory Committee of legal operations leaders and subject matter experts to define the initial minimum competency standards and guide exam content. The committee includes prominent figures such as Carl Morrison, Catherine Alman MacDonagh, Nitin Batra, Thomas Pokladowski, Wendy Rubas, Jack Thompson, Akshay Verma, and Daniel Yi.

The first cohort of legal operations professionals will complete the CLOC LOCP credential and be recognized at the CLOC Global Institute in May 2027 at the Aria in Las Vegas. This certification reflects the kind of disciplined, consistent governance that CLOC's Board is committed to, ensuring the certification remains non-biased and industry-recognized.

With over 6,500 members internationally, CLOC is the leading global membership organization dedicated to transforming the business and practice of law. The organization provides a global platform for legal operations professionals to connect, share best practices, and drive innovation across the legal ecosystem.