GLS Shares Key Lessons at TechLaw.Fest 2024: Safely Embracing Legal Tech for In-House Legal Teams

5 mins • 14 Oct 24

Introduction

In today's rapidly evolving legal landscape, in-house legal teams face mounting pressure to manage increasing workloads with limited resources. The promise of legal technology seems like the perfect solution, offering the ability to automate routine tasks, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance overall productivity. However, as our Group Managing Director, Matthew Glynn, shared at TechLaw.Fest 2024, this promise has yet to fully deliver.

Our sharing titled, “Embracing Legal Tech Safely: Lessons from APAC’s Leading In-House Legal Team Performance Support Provider”, outlined a clear message: while legal tech holds immense potential, it often misses the mark because many organisations rush into large-scale implementations without laying the proper groundwork. To embrace legal tech safely and successfully, in-house legal teams must adopt a thoughtful, strategic approach to avoid the pitfalls of overcomplicated, poorly executed legal tech deployments.

The Legal Tech Report Card: Where We Are Today

Legal technology certainly has the potential to be a game changer. However, when we examine its current impact across the legal industry, the results are underwhelming. Most legal tech initiatives fall short of their promise, with failed implementations and underused tools contributing to the problem. So, where do we go from here? It’s clear that a new approach is required, one that aligns legal tech adoption with the real-world challenges in-house teams face.

Why In-House Legal Teams Struggle with Tech Adoption

In-house legal teams face an inherently complex environment where improvement is challenging due to a range of factors:

◼️Role perception: Legal is still largely viewed as a cost centre rather than a value generator.

◼️Decision-making: No seat at the table.

◼️Tech ignorance: Legal professionals often lack tech expertise, leading to over-reliance on IT teams.

◼️Capacity issues: Many teams are already operating at capacity, leaving little room for transformative initiatives.

◼️Competing priorities: Legal's needs often get overshadowed by other internal initiatives.

These realities make it easy to see why many legal tech solutions fall flat. So, how can in-house teams avoid the common pitfalls and embrace legal tech safely? Below, we outline nine critical steps to guide your journey.

9 Essential Steps for Safe Legal Tech Adoption

1) Redefine Your Relationship with Legal Technology
Start by expanding your definition of legal tech. It’s not just about major CLMS-type implementations. Legal tech is any tool that improves productivity outcomes per unit of effort - whether it’s a simple checklist or a sophisticated AI solution. This broader view makes tech more accessible, helping your team secure quick wins early on.

2) Always Begin with Low Tech
High-tech solutions often fail because low-tech foundations weren’t set in place first. If your processes aren’t done well offline, they won’t magically work online. Begin with low-tech tools such as checklists, templates, and clause banks. These low-risk, high-impact solutions will build momentum for more advanced tech down the line.

3) Adopt a Slow and Steady Implementation Strategy
Legal teams need to avoid the temptation of rushing into and through large tech projects. Instead, focus on small, manageable steps - each of which can be safely unwound if needed. The key is to progress through a “pass and proceed” method, ensuring each phase is successful before moving forward.

4) Stop Buying Based on Features
Legal tech providers often promise the world with feature-rich solutions, but this can lead to failure. Focus on diagnosing your team’s specific needs and sourcing tech that aligns with those requirements. Imposing an external view of how your department should work is a fast track to disappointment.

5) Prioritise Compatibility with Mainstream Solutions
Opt for tech solutions that integrate seamlessly with your existing platforms. Avoid proprietary systems that are expensive, difficult to maintain and may not evolve with your department’s needs. Stick to mainstream, app-based solutions that are easy to deploy and adopt.

6) Take Ownership of Legal Tech Initiatives
Legal cannot demand, relegate or concede ownership to IT – it must share it. Your legal team understands its needs better than anyone else so do not allow procurement / finance / IT to source your solution by themselves.

7) Avoid Big Bang Implementations
High-tech implementations fail 90% of the time, especially when deployed too early in a transformation journey. You must defer all plans for a major tech implementation until at least year 2. Avoid “end-to-end” solutions as well - they don’t exist.

8) Be Sensible About Cloud Solutions
Many legal tech solutions are cloud-based, which can cause concern within legal departments. However, companies like Amazon and Microsoft take security seriously. Cloud solutions can be just as secure - if not more so - than on-premise systems. Evaluate the risks sensibly and choose the right option for your organisation.

9) Position Legal Tech as a Mainstream Business Proposal
Legal tech shouldn’t be viewed as just another request from the legal department. Frame it as a business-enabling, cost-saving proposal that aligns with broader organisational goals. If a tech solution doesn’t offer clear business value, it’s not the right fit for your team.

Conclusion: Embrace Legal Tech the Right Way

Legal tech promises to transform how in-house legal teams work, but only if it’s adopted in a thoughtful, structured manner. Rushing into high-tech solutions without laying the right foundations guarantees failure. Instead, legal teams should redefine their relationship with tech, starting with low-risk, low-tech solutions that gradually build momentum. By focusing on the steps outlined above, your legal department can safely embrace legal tech and enjoy the benefits it has to offer.