Overview
Why, what and how to get started?
As we step into 2025, the legal industry stands at a pivotal juncture—a phoenix moment for law firms that calls for a comprehensive reset. It is not enough to focus on putting together an AI adoption plan or consolidating the legal tech/application stack. We are talking about a rethink of what comes next for how Legal Services are practiced.
Bridging the worlds of law firm strategy and product development, I have witnessed 18 months of intense innovation across the market. Software suppliers racing to harness AI and law firms levelling up their tech adoption roadmap.
Unlike the digital transformation challenge of the pandemic, we don’t have the urgency bias of business continuity, instead a transformation catalyst that goes to the heart of how law is practiced. AI presents opportunities, challenge and risk that cannot be met by tendering for new software and rethinking operational practices alone. Most importantly the future of how law is practiced, should not be left to software providers alone to define the solution. 2025 is an opportunity for a reset that sparks invention by law firms that have deep client and market knowledge essential to creating human (rather than AI) centric solutions.
Vision and Strategy
Rethinking must begin by re-evaluating core vision and strategy. In a market so frothy with investment into AI applications to deliver B2C direct services, this involves a deep dive into market and client insights to understand the problems that need to be solved.
Firms should ask themselves:
What do clients genuinely require of us based on how they can and will access AI before they reach our doors”, and “how can these needs shape the core strategic direction of our practice?”
This introspection is crucial for aligning services with client expectations and market demands. As consumers, AI empowers us to do less to know more across all areas of our personal and professional lives. Law firms that reinvent their services to compliment the new demands of consumers are likely to be out in front.
A reset enables firms to test ROI expected on current strategic projects that improve the efficiently of how current legal services are delivered not just today but tomorrow.
If what we do changes, it follows that how we do it needs to change. The tactical delivery of current strategy underway: to streamline service delivery, to rethink pricing, to renew brand or marketing maybe even to enter new markets, may no longer align with the vision post reset. The 2025 reset requires firms to rethink the “what” not just the “how” and define the vision that earns them a place in the new Legal Services marketplace.
Practical steps:
- Run a product services workshop that creates a map of: The problems your clients need you to solve, mapping out the tools your client has at their disposal.
- Have fun designing how you would deliver your services to meet those needs, in a manner that will delight your clients, be ambitious and bold!
- Draft a vision for a practice that provides the solutions you identified.
- Test your current strategy and if it does not deliver directly against the vision, change it.
Technology as an Enabler
When I describe a phoenix moment for law firms, I conjure up a vision of a majestic red bird taking flight out of the ashes of legacy tech and antiquated practices, which have long been on fire. A bit dramatic perhaps and just to be clear I am not suggesting setting the practice on fire!
Without doubt the larger and older the practice, the harder it is to change, leaving super agile new entrants to the market without any fire to put out, no data and software debts to solve, with a freedom to invent new ways to practice. But a greenfield is not without challenges and so transforming a practice building on an existing client base, brand trust, huge data and market insights is a pretty strong foundation. This takes us to our next rethink, the opportunity to build an ecosystem to deliver against the vision reset.
Technology can be a huge enabler here rather than being viewed as an operational burden, shouldered by the IT team. From the creation of data lakes and workflows to maximise the integration of AI, SaaS solutions that provide beautiful user experience, intelligent document/case management and exceptional client experience portals, the world is your oyster in how your tech can deliver against your vision. Designing the roadmap for what and when and how can be as liberating and fun as the vision piece, (yes, I did say fun you can test me on this!).
Practical steps:
- Workshop what your ideal tech ecosystem will deliver, not being constrained by your current tech stack or workflows, remember we are future proofing a design that delivers against vision, not tactical iterative adaption where possible. Not sure where to get started?collaborate with an expert technology partner who can fill any gaps and add context.
- Focus on the problems to solve not the solutions, there are too many tender documents that are a tick box exercise of transferring current practice to a new application.
- Score the problems from most important to least important to solve. Is it a true enabler to your practice vision?
- Draft a technology plan with a roadmap which is as agile as possible. Every part of your design should solve a to clear problem statement. If you are tendering for a new CMS why? Why does a new CMS deliver against your new strategic vision? Whatever you do, rethink what is required and use your experience to shape a new solution.
- Identify low hanging fruit – Legal tech roadmaps can be notoriously long and waterfall in delivery, 18 months of work at a time before any value is delivered and the ROI too far into the future, what can you do to change that?
Talent Development: Thriving in a New Landscape
If you want to succeed with your reset, developing talent to thrive amidst new challenges and opportunities is a cornerstone of the legal reset. This involves continuous learning and adaptation, equipping legal professionals with the skills needed to navigate the complexities of AI and technology.
Practical training can bring the fun back to new skills such as AI prompt workshops and hackathons to build prompt libraries in a collaborative environment.
By fostering an environment of growth and innovation, firms can ensure their teams are prepared to meet future challenges head-on.
Investing in a team that embodies trust, collaboration, and autonomy is essential. Distributed leadership across the practice should be encouraged, allowing team members to thrive at problem-solving and contribute to the firm’s vision and the delivery of strategy against it. This approach not only fosters a culture of innovation but also ensures that the strategic direction is informed by diverse perspectives and expertise.
Practical steps:
- No committees please, ideate with all members of your team. User groups, departmental workshops, whatever your style is, get your team closest to your client’s and the market informing your vision and strategy. Brining in expert people transformation consultants can be a game changer here.
- The people who put their hands up first with the loudest voices are not always the most informed. Investing in the voice of your business will reap the quickest returns who isn’t heard that needs to be?
- Don’t let vision and strategy become a top-down command, keep your team invested throughout your planning and delivery process. Give them opportunities to update on what is working, what is not and new ideas.
- If you must change your strategy, communicate why, showing that accepting failure with the ability to pivot is the sign of a strong business.
- Celebrate every single success you can think of! From the workshop completion to the tactical delivery of project milestones which your team contributed to. Make this the reset thought out and delivered by your entire business as stakeholders.
A Straight Line from Vision to Roadmap
The 2025 legal reset is about redefining vision and strategy. It is an exciting opportunity to remove the urgency bias of recent years that has driven transformation projects. Leveraging technology as an enabler and nurturing talent, the legal industry can evolve to better serve clients and thrive in a rapidly changing world. This reset is not just necessary; it is imperative for the sustainability and success of human centred legal services in the years to come.
