In-House Counsel

3 Focus Areas For Successful In-House Legal Tech Implementations

Successfully implementing legal technology requires careful attention to addressing project management, change management, and adoption challenges.

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legal-tech-tips-law-office-managers-1000×500Where is the disconnect between the apparent enthusiasm for using the latest legal technology tools and the lack of adoption in the field? 

Almost half (47%) of in-house legal professionals surveyed said the ability to adopt new technology is the most critical nonlegal skill for the next generation of in-house professionals — at a rate over three times higher than any other skill listed in the Association of Corporate Counsel’s 2023 State of Corporate Litigation Report.

However, due to poor implementation processes, many new legal-tech tools fail to gain traction in legal departments. In a recent report, 77% of in-house professionals said they had experienced a failure in tech implementation. 

How can you make legal technology implementations more successful? Concentrate on three main focus areas: project management, change management, and adoption challenges. Here’s how it looks and why it helps:

Focus On Legal-Tech Project Management For A Clear Plan

Legal tech implementation projects require careful planning and execution. Without a clear strategy and timeline, projects can quickly become derailed. Designate one project manager to oversee the implementation process from start to finish. Your project manager’s responsibilities are to create a thorough and detailed project plan, identify key milestones and deadlines, and ensure all stakeholders are informed and engaged throughout.

Effective Change Management Underlies Every Successful Legal Tech Implementation

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Some people resist change like cats resist baths. Others embrace change with the enthusiasm of dogs greeting their owners at the front door. When you roll out new technology, you will discover your employees’ comfort levels with change.

For change to go over well, employees must feel prepared to accept it. Long before your formal implementation begins, ensure you involve employees in the process. You may opt to: 

  • Solicit feedback on the technology’s design and functionality before choosing a final product.
  • Communicate the new technology’s expected benefits in terms of how employees’ daily work lives will improve.
  • Provide initial in-person training and 24/7 access to training materials such as how-to videos and guides.

Garner reports that when employees primarily own implementation planning, change success increases by 24% and improves the odds of an initiative being well-received and sustainable. Building employees’ understanding helps increase their confidence to overcome resistance at its source.

Address Adoption Challenges Early In The Process

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Monitor user adoption rates to spot and address any issues promptly. Despite your best intentions and preparations, it’s possible that employees will not use the new technology as intended — or at all. That’s one reason it’s crucial to involve those who use new technology tools in the implementation process from the start. Ways to solve adoption challenges include: 

  • Solicit feedback from users about how the technology is and isn’t working for them.
  • Provide ongoing training opportunities and continuous IT support. 
  • Create incentives for employees to use new technology tools. 
  • Celebrate successes along the way.

Successfully implementing legal technology requires careful attention to project management, change management, and adoption challenges. By addressing these areas head-on and involving employees in the entire implementation process, you increase your chances of success and can fully benefit from adopting the latest legal technologies.

Do you have any additional tips or tricks to share? 

What do you do to simplify the implementation process?

How do you prepare your team for new technology?

Olga MackOlga V. Mack is the VP at LexisNexis and CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat, Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security, and  Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities. She is working on Visual IQ for Lawyers, her next book (ABA 2023). You can follow Olga on Twitter @olgavmack.

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