Today we’re introducing you to Emily See, Legal Operations Manager at Procore, who will be featured in our monthly newsletter, Legal Matters, in a new advice column called “Ask Emily.” Have a burning question about legal ops for Emily? Email community@ironcladapp.com.
Introduction
Emily grew up on a very rustic property in the mountains of Southern California before running off to Boston for school. She realized California wasn’t all that bad, so she returned as soon as she could. She will always have a place in her heart for hiking, vintage cardigan sweaters, raising chickens, and unreliable Italian automobiles.
Hi, Emily! You are a gifted writer and provided legal editing and legal writing services prior to Procore. Can you tell us a bit about your career path?
I spent 15 years as an editor before I realized that I really loved contracts more than anything in the world. One of my clients was an attorney who originally hired me to work on webcopy, but eventually started sending me contracts to proofread. I’ve been doing work in the legal field ever since.
Do you have any career advice for people looking to enter the Legal Operations field?
Hone your spreadsheet skills. One thing I love about Legal Ops is that it is so cross-functional, but the need to collect, synthesize, and analyze data applies across the board.
What was the state of legal operations at Procore when you first started?
We were in the nascent stage in almost every area. We had a basic system for records management, but had next-to-no metrics or benchmarking, and our knowledge assets lived exclusively in people’s heads.
What has been your favorite win or project so far?
It’s going to sound like you’ve paid me to say this, but getting self-service legal workflows set up in Ironclad has been a huge win for us. Allowing people throughout the company to pull their own NDAs and other agreements without having to wait for Legal has saved me so much time, and our stakeholders don’t loathe working with Legal because they know they’ll be able to get what they need quickly.
Who inspires you?
I am very lucky to work with a group of incredibly smart, talented women. Sharing our successes, brainstorming ways to break through challenges, and knowing I have their support keeps me motivated and inspired.
Where would we find you outside of work?
I’m a great knitter and a terrible surfer, so I’m probably on a tropical beach knitting a sweater while waiting for the waves to get appropriately small.
What’s the last book you read?
A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting by Kenneth Adams.
Really.
About Procore
Procore is a leading provider of cloud-based applications for construction. Procore connects people, applications, and devices through a unified platform to help construction professionals manage risk and build quality projects—safely, on time, and within budget. Procore has a diversified business model with products for Project Management, Construction Financials, Quality & Safety, and Field Productivity. Headquartered in Carpinteria, California, with offices around the globe, Procore is used to manage billions of dollars in annual construction volume.
Have a burning question about legal ops for Emily? Email community@ironcladapp.com.
Ironclad is not a law firm, and this post does not constitute or contain legal advice. To evaluate the accuracy, sufficiency, or reliability of the ideas and guidance reflected here, or the applicability of these materials to your business, you should consult with a licensed attorney. Use of and access to any of the resources contained within Ironclad’s site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the user and Ironclad.
