Law Technology Today From the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
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There is no question that technology has changed the way lawyers work, shaped how law firms operate and affected organizational culture. The business of law is more complex and competitive than ever, and it will only continue to evolve as alternative service providers gain ground, pricing structures change and client expectations shift.
To get you prepared, our team at HighQ would like to offer eight tips to thrive in the evolving legal landscape.
Tip 1) Pitch with a personalized portal
Take your legal pitch to the next level by using a personalized client portal to begin building a partnership. To make the best first impression possible, build the portal based on the needs of the client and incorporate their brand colors and company logo. Show the client that you are invested in understanding their business, delivering a solution tailored to their needs and committed to developing a long-term partnership. During the pitch, walk the client through how your firm will collaborate on documents in real time, deliver work more efficiently and offer transparency using this centralized platform. From advice and insight to budget and spend, using your client portal in your legal pitch demonstrates your commitment to delivering an amazing client experience.
– Joanne Woolford Kenyon, Strategic Account Manager
Tip 2) Automate legal project management
Clients are demanding a more transparent view of how their legal matters are being managed. They want to know (and see proof) that their matters are being handled efficiently and protected against risk. Legal project management (LPM) practices are helping to meet that demand, but simply having an LPM focus is no longer a differentiator. Leading firms are taking the efficiency and productivity offered by LPM to the next level with automation. Automation eliminates manual steps by using triggers to instantly create task lists, templates, alerts, workflows and more. This makes your services more cost-effective and uses fewer resources, increasing profitability no matter the fee arrangement.
– Jason Reid, Solutions Consultant
Tip 3) Upgrade to the cloud
It’s time to pack up your information and move it to the cloud. If lingering concerns about the security of the cloud are holding you back, take another look. With cloud-based solutions, you get the benefit of all of the latest, greatest security technology, a veteran security team, easier regulatory compliance and quick scaling without additional infrastructure costs. And that’s just the security benefits. Cloud solutions make your law firm more agile, flexible and adaptable—exactly what you need to deliver what your clients are demanding.
– Luke Kopmeyer, Client Success Consultant
Tip 4): Dig into data
Use data analytics to provide valuable insight and create stickier relationships with clients. Collect, measure and analyze the data and metrics around your client’s matters and legal spend as well as the law firm’s overall efficiency and performance. Look for trends, offer opportunities for optimization and arm the client with business insights. Equipped with this information, your client and the corporate legal team are well positioned to demonstrate their value. Make the client look like a hero to their business and help them meet their goals to deepen their confidence and build their loyalty.
– Kate Jasaitis, Client Success Consultant
Tip 5) Create online products and services
The expertise in your firm is valuable, but are you putting it to use to win new business, create revenue streams and deliver more value to your clients? Use your unique knowledge to build online products and services like portfolio management, digital contract playbooks, compliance guides and trackers, auto-generated legal documents and comparison toolkits. These custom services empower your clients, strengthen your relationships and build the firm’s reputation for innovation.
– Reinald Ykema Westerhuis, Lead Solutions Consultant
Tip 6) Integrate and centralize your legal technology
If you’re not integrating your legal technology, you’re leaving value on the table. No single piece of technology is able to solve every problem (and probably never will). As a result, your firm most likely uses a variety of document management, productivity, CRM, digital rights management and AI solutions on a day-to-day basis. The challenge which arises with unintegrated technology is that eventually, knowledge becomes siloed and scattered throughout your technology stack, reducing productivity and impeding transparency. Explore how each of your solutions can integrate and pursue a more streamlined platform to create a modern digital workplace for the firm.
– Anita Campbell, Senior Consultant, Client Success
Tip 7) Communicate with data visualization
A picture is worth a thousand words and data visualization is worth a thousand deals. Cheesy? Well, yeah—but the point stands. While most law firms are now embracing the power of data and taking steps to capture key information, understanding what all of it means can be slightly more challenging. With data visualization, you can quickly communicate the key insights to clients with colorful, engaging charts and graphs. Once they see and understand the big picture, you can drill down to offer more information instantly. Data visualization can drive home the value of your firm in your legal pitch, help guide lawyers and staff in their day-to-day activities as well as help the firm identify trends and predict outcomes.
– Donovan Alexander, Senior Solutions Consultant
Tip 8) Remember the relationship
Don’t just rely on the tech, build human relationships. Without a strong foundation of trust, understanding and open communication, adopting new technology is simply a shot in the dark. You must start by focusing on the people whose problems you’re trying to solve (both lawyers and clients) and the culture within the organization. It’s important to consider big picture questions: What are the biggest challenges our lawyers and clients are facing? How can the firm act to better understand and support their goals? Is technology the answer? After these questions have been answered, you can then begin to design solutions with both the customer and the lawyer in mind.
