Technology is creating opportunities for law firms to be more productive, profitable, and ultimately fulfilling – fundamentally changing how lawyers work for the better.
Yet, advocating for technology adoption and AI in the legal industry is an uphill battle. From billable hours and the partner model to fears about AI’s impact on intellectual work, making the case for change can be tough.
Concerns centre around whether AI could not only replace repetitive work, but also more intellectually challenging work which has taken years of expertise and experience to cultivate.
And there’s a big gap between awareness and actually taking action – with 88% of law firms in the UK recognising AI’s potential, but just 25% actually using the technology regularly, according to research from Thomson Reuters.
That’s why it’s all the more important for leaders to get ahead of change – understanding what’s possible and more intentionally carving a path forward for what law should look like.
But this takes commitment and consistency from all leadership levels. Let’s explore the barriers advocates must overcome to secure support from leaders – as well as how technology is already changing law firms – to help you make the case for change in your organisation.
Barriers to adoption
We highlight six common barriers to technology adoption in law firms in the Change Casebook. Here’s three key ones holding organisations back:
Past project failures
Many firms will have experienced unsuccessful small scale digital projects implemented for a specific client or case – whether that’s because they may have been siloed, based on outdated technology or poorly adopted.
Change fatigue can be a massive hurdle for adopting new technologies. Especially when businesses have previously struggled through ineffective technology implementations.
The tech investment model
The financial structures that exist in many law firms means senior stakeholders are often required to commit a substantial, personal, financial stake to new technology projects – increasing the barrier to entry. The partnership model doesn’t mitigate towards mid- to long-term financial capital expenditure investment.
Tech is often seen as a cost-centre, not a value creator. Changing this perspective opens the door to technology adoption that enhances current performance and future-proofs the business.
Size
Tech advocates at larger firms – while benefiting from extensive resources and expertise – often contend with increased bureaucracy, complex governance, and a higher degree of risk aversion.
Meanwhile, smaller firms can be more agile, making and implementing strategic decisions at pace. But, they may face greater difficulty in securing funding for technology investments and acquiring the necessary expertise for effective implementation.
How can technology help?
Overcoming barriers to technology adoption holds huge potential for lawyers and organisations. And one example we’re seeing have great success in firms today is the use of advanced analytics to support data-driven decision making.
Business-level data can reveal important trends, but without analytics it can be time-consuming to process information – at which point, it may well be outdated.
By quickly transforming raw data into actionable insights, it’s possible to identify ways to improve the performance and profitability of the firm.
With these insights, leadership teams can track metrics such as client satisfaction, engagement levels, and billing trends. And this can inform strategic decisions – enabling firms to proactively adjust services to meet client needs, identify growth opportunities, and optimise operational efficiencies.
But this is just one example. We’ve included several use cases already helping law firms stay ahead of the curve – from accessing comprehensive client-centric data to setting the groundwork for AI and continuous evolution – in the Change Casebook to shed light on the true potential tech adoption holds for the industry.
Making the case: Tech and AI in the legal industry
Many people can agree on the need for technology adoption at some point. But it’s usually easier to kick the process into the mid- to long-term: putting off investment until it’s crucial.
But clients are setting higher expectations. And retaining and attracting top talent is becoming increasingly dependent on employee experience – which often means having the right tools so work can be completed intuitively and flexibly.
Law tech is advancing at a new pace, set by AI. Even the longest standing firms face the risk of disruption from newer, more agile competition taking advantage of technology. Delay could lead to irrelevance, fast.
Our Change Casebook is full of use cases already proving effective in law firms today. It’s designed to help you make a clear case for change in your organisation – including the advances that will best serve your firms’ clients and its employees.
Get your copy of the Change Casebook and understand your path to implementation today.
