Taming Legal Data Chaos:
A Guide to Effortless Governance with Microsoft Purview
If wrangling your company’s governance feels like herding cats, you’re not alone. Between client confidentiality, compliance requirements, and the ever-growing mountain of data, it can feel like chaos is the default setting. Enter Microsoft Purview: your new bff for bringing order to the madness.
actually sticks. We’ll cover how Purview can simplify retention, classification, and compliance risks so that your legal team can focus on what actually matters: serving clients and staying head of risk. Think of it as governance made easy, with tools that speak your legal language.
Cliff Notes Version
First, map out what data you have and where it lives (think OneDrive, SharePoint, and Exchange). Next, decide what rules and guardrails you need—don’t forget to get everyone on board before you hit “go.”
Once you’ve got a plan, set up retention policies to help clear out the digital clutter and keep only what matters. Then, use Purview’s clever classification tools to spot sensitive info, label it, and protect it automatically, no more manual tagging headaches!
Finally, beef things up with Data Loss Prevention, which stops confidential data from slipping out, whether in the cloud or on someone’s laptop. The result? Your firm has a secure, well-organized information environment that keeps everyone compliant and productive. Purview doesn’t just make governance easier: it makes it a strategic win for your entire business!
These steps will help knowledge management and governance professionals turn data chaos into a controlled, compliant environment that supports collaboration and reduces risk.
Read Here Next: A Fast, Actionable Plan!
Step 0: Create a plan
Information Governance is a process. IG is not something that you start, build, test, and deploy, and then declare success. No, it is organic in nature and responsive to changes in how users across your firm are trying to protect work and data.
To that end, the first step of successfully using Microsoft Purview as a part of your portfolio of controls is to create a plan.
Data Reconnaissance:
You need to understand what data you have, or are planning to have, in Microsoft 365 repositories like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business. OneDrive can be difficult for many firms to embrace, as it is often simply seen as another unstructured location where users can dump ‘stuff.’
Identifying Controls:
You need to decide what controls your firm wants to implement across repositories. Many firms start by considering what controls they already have established against other data repositories and look to carry those controls forward to Microsoft 365. Additional controls might be identified as a part of compliance within regulatory frameworks, and still others might be internally developed by the firm based on real-world experiences in trying to manage user actions.
Formalizing the Plan:
Create the output of this exercise and create a list of controls that are intended to be implemented as part of this first tranche. Each proposed control should have a narrative behind it that defines exactly what behavior is intended to be controlled, as well as the mechanism by which that control will be implemented. Success comes in two ways: in what the control should do and what it should not do. This should be clearly defined at the onset of the IG planning process, so that there is firm-wide agreement on the efficacy of any given control.
With this plan in-hand, it is critical to get the buy-in of the firm before implementing anything. I have personally seen many initiatives go sideways when those in charge of firm governance and security put well-intentioned guard rails up without the approval of the teams they are trying to protect. For larger firms, a successful plan is proposed by a dedicated Information Governance team, agreed to by General Counsel and/or a Technology Committee, and implemented by Information Technology. Smaller firms may have overlapping roles between IG and IT, and those in that situation require discipline to play two separate roles in this process. This foundation of approval sets the tone for all good Information Governance and Security protocols to come.
Full Plan!
Step 1: Retention
Retention policies provide firms with a structured approach to managing information from creation to disposal. Think of them as guardrails that help maintain compliance, reduce risk, and support knowledge management goals. By defining how long certain types of data should be kept, and what happens when that time expires, firms can avoid the pitfalls of both over-retention and premature deletion.
Why does this matter? Retention policies help align data practices with regulatory requirements, acceptable industry practices, and internal governance standards. They also promote efficiency. When outdated or irrelevant content is automatically removed, employees spend less time sifting through clutter and more time focusing on valuable information.
But retention policies aren’t just about risk mitigation; they’re about creating a culture of intentionality around data. Instead of letting information accumulate indefinitely, firms can define lifecycles that reflect business priorities. For example, the final copies of legal work product might need to be retained for seven years after a matter has closed, while internal drafts could be deleted after one. These decisions, guided by governance principles, ensure that data serves its purpose without becoming a liability.
Microsoft Purview makes this process manageable by offering tools to apply retention policies consistently across platforms like SharePoint, Exchange, and Teams. This means governance isn’t confined to a single system: it spans the entire Microsoft estate, providing confidence that policies are enforced wherever data lives.
Retention policies are not just technical requirements: they enable strategic objectives. They help organizations maintain compliance, boost productivity, and manage knowledge effectively amid rapid data growth. Adopting these policies turns information overload into organized data that supports operations and governance.
Step 2: Classification
If retention policies provide structure to the lifecycle of data, classification gives that data meaning. In a world where information flows freely across systems and devices, knowing what you have is just as important as knowing how long to keep it. Microsoft Purview offers powerful tools to help firms classify data intelligently, ensuring that sensitive information is protected and managed appropriately.
At the heart of this capability are Sensitive Information Types. These are predefined patterns, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or health record identifiers, that Purview can detect automatically. By identifying these elements within documents, emails, and messages, firms can apply governance controls without relying on manual tagging. This reduces human error and ensures that critical data doesn’t slip through the cracks.
But classification doesn’t stop at patterns. Purview also introduces Trainable Classifiers, which use machine learning to recognize content based on context rather than fixed formats. For example, a classifier can learn what a “resume” looks like in your firm, even if the word “resume” never appears in the document. This flexibility allows businesses to tailor classification to their unique knowledge of assets, making governance more relevant and effective.
Once data is classified, the next step is Information Protection labels. These labels build on classification by applying policies that control how data is handled, whether it’s encrypted, marked as confidential, or restricted from external sharing. Labels can be applied automatically based on classification results, creating a seamless bridge between identifying sensitive content and enforcing protection measures.
While Information Protection Labels sound like an excellent defense against data exfiltration, they come with a catch. The protection they confer can only be used by software and platforms created by Microsoft. When data is opened by Microsoft Office apps or resides on Microsoft 365, the protected files can be accessed seamlessly as permissions allow. However, when documents are attempted to be opened by non-MS applications (Google Office, various metadata cleaners) or stored on platforms that are not made by Microsoft (iManage, NetDocs), they become black boxes. As most law firms are highly dependent on software packages that are made by other vendors, significant consideration must be given to the effects of using Information Protection labelled documents and the context in which those files will be stored and used.
Why does this matter for knowledge management and governance? Because classification transforms raw data into actionable knowledge. It enables firms to understand their information landscape, prioritize protection for high-risk content, and ensure compliance without stifling collaboration. Combined with retention policies, classification and labeling form a holistic framework for managing data responsibly throughout its lifecycle.
In short, Microsoft Purview doesn’t just help you keep data organized—it helps you keep it safe, meaningful, and aligned with your governance strategy. By leveraging Sensitive Information Types, Trainable Classifiers, and Information Protection labels, firms can move beyond reactive compliance and embrace proactive stewardship of their most valuable asset: information.
Step 3: Data Loss Prevention
While retention policies and classification help organize and protect information, there’s another critical piece of the governance puzzle: Data Loss Prevention (DLP). DLP is all about stopping sensitive data from leaving your firm in ways that could lead to compliance violations, reputational damage, or financial loss.
Microsoft Purview brings DLP capabilities directly into the core of Microsoft 365 services—such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Teams. These policies monitor and control how data is shared, whether through email, chat, or document collaboration. For example, if someone tries to email a spreadsheet containing credit card numbers outside the firm, a DLP policy can block the action or prompt the user with a warning. This proactive approach helps employees make informed decisions while reducing the risk of accidental exposure.
But governance doesn’t stop at the cloud. All law firms handle sensitive data on user’s endpoints – desktops and mobile devices – where risks like copying files to USB drives or printing confidential documents can occur. This is where Defender for Endpoint extends DLP to the device level. By integrating with Purview, Defender for Endpoint enforces the same DLP principles locally, monitoring activities such as file transfers, printing, and even screen captures. This ensures that sensitive information remains protected, whether it’s in the cloud or on a physical device.
The beauty of Microsoft’s DLP framework lies in its consistency. Policies can be applied across services and endpoints, creating a unified approach to data protection. Combined with classification and labeling, DLP becomes a powerful safeguard that not only identifies sensitive content but actively prevents it from leaving secure boundaries.
For knowledge management and governance professionals, this means peace of mind. You’re not just relying on employees to “do the right thing”—you’re embedding intelligent controls that guide behavior and enforce compliance without disrupting productivity. In a world where data moves faster than ever, DLP ensures that your firm stays one step ahead of risk.
Purview or Bust:
Information Governance is essential for firms that want to protect their data, meet compliance obligations, and enable efficient collaboration. By leveraging Microsoft Purview’s capabilities for planning, retention, classification, and data loss prevention, firms can begin to create a governance framework that is proactive rather than reactive. The result is a controlled, secure, and purposeful information environment that supports both business goals and regulatory requirements. Start with a clear plan, gain firm-wide buy-in, and let Purview help you turn governance from a challenge into a strategic advantage.
More Information
Catch Kraft Kennedy General Counsel, Michael Kraft, and more of our Subject Matter Experts at M365 Purview for Law Firm, an interactive Webinar aiming to create a forum for Actionable Intelligence, collaborative learning, and arming attendees with useful information.
