Checklist: Building a law firm IG program & data council

Information Governance (IG) is no longer a back-office function—it’s a strategic imperative. In today’s legal landscape, firms are expected to manage client information with the same precision and care that they bring to the practice of law itself. A strong IG program brings order to complexity and balances innovation with defensibility. It enables firms to reduce risk, meet client and regulatory demands, and operate more efficiently, while protecting one of their most valuable assets—information.

An effective IG framework aligns people, processes, and technology across the firm to ensure information is secure, accessible, and appropriately retained or disposed of throughout its lifecycle. Whether you sit in IT, Risk, Compliance, or Legal Operations, IG touches your world every day. The following checklist provides a practical roadmap for building and sustaining a mature IG program that delivers measurable value, safeguards the firm, and earns client trust in an era when information both presents opportunities and demands obligations are met.