At this year’s ILTACON conference in Nashville, attendees were treated to an exclusive preview of the highly anticipated 2024 ILTA Technology Survey. The session titled “ILTA’s Technology Survey: Unveiling Trends Shaping the Future Workplace” offered a sneak peek into the Legal Tech trends data that will be finalized and slated for release in September.
IN THIS ARTICLE...
Legal Tech Trends 2024 ILTA Technology Survey Preview
The ILTA Technology Survey Committee has provided an exclusive preview of their 2024 Legal Tech trends survey results, offering a glimpse into the technological landscape shaping law firms across the United States. This preview session provided valuable insights into the technological landscape of law firms across the United States, highlighting emerging trends, challenges, and potential future directions.
While the full survey results are yet to be published (at the time of writing this article), the preliminary findings shared during the conference have already begun to paint a picture of an industry in transition, working with new technologies and the evolving nature of the legal workplace.
Artificial Intelligence: Early Stages of Adoption
The preview indicates that most firms are still in the investigative phase of AI adoption. However, there are clear indications of interest in specific AI applications in law firms:
- Legal Research: Many firms plan to use AI to enhance legal research processes.
- Litigation Support: There’s significant interest in leveraging AI for litigation-related tasks.
- Staff Training: AI is being considered for improving staff training programs.
Notably, the biggest hurdle to AI adoption is noted as resistance to change within firms.
Cloud Adoption: A Tale of Two Firm Sizes
The preview highlights different approaches to cloud adoption based on firm size:
Small/Medium Firms: These firms are adopting cloud solutions more rapidly, particularly for Document Management Systems (DMS).
Large Firms: While moving towards cloud adoption, larger firms face more complex challenges in transitioning.
Interestingly, a small percentage of firms (2%) still resist cloud adoption, citing client concerns as the primary reason, despite many of these clients already using cloud services themselves.
Law Firm Chatbots: Limited Current Interest
Despite the growing interest in AI technologies, the preview of the ILTA Technology Survey suggests that most firms currently have no plans to implement chatbots. This finding is particularly interesting given the increasing prevalence of chatbots in other industries.
Potential Uses of Chatbots in Law Firms
- Client Intake: Chatbots could streamline the initial client onboarding process, collecting basic information and scheduling appointments.
- Basic Legal Information: They could provide answers to common legal questions, helping potential clients understand basic legal concepts.
- Document Assembly: Chatbots could assist in gathering information needed to populate standard legal documents.
- Internal IT Support: They could handle basic IT queries from staff, reducing the workload on IT departments.
- Case Status Updates: Chatbots could provide clients with updates on their case status without requiring direct attorney involvement.
Reasons for Hesitation to Law Firm Chatbots
- Confidentiality Concerns: Law firms deal with highly sensitive information, and there may be concerns about the security of data handled by chatbots.
- Complexity of Legal Matters: Many legal issues are too nuanced for current chatbot technology to handle accurately, potentially leading to liability issues if incorrect information is provided.
- Personal Touch: Law is often a relationship-driven business, and firms may worry that chatbots could depersonalize client interactions.
- Integration Challenges: Implementing chatbots may require significant changes to existing systems and workflows, which can be costly and time-consuming.
- Ethical Considerations: There may be concerns about whether chatbot interactions could be construed as providing legal advice, which could raise ethical issues.
- Resistance to Change: As noted in the survey preview, resistance to change is a significant hurdle in adopting new technologies, including chatbots.
- Cost vs Benefit: Firms may not yet see a clear return on investment for chatbot technology, especially given the current limitations of the technology.
While chatbots have the potential to improve efficiency in certain areas of legal practice, it appears that most firms are taking a cautious approach. As chatbot technology continues to evolve and as firms become more comfortable with AI technologies in general, this hesitation may decrease. However, for now, the preview suggests that chatbot adoption in law firms remains low, reflecting the unique challenges and considerations of the legal industry.
Other Insights: Security and HR Systems
User behavior is identified as the biggest challenge to firm security, emphasizing the need for ongoing education and robust protocols.
In terms of HR systems, firms are increasingly adopting solutions that offer a wider range of services, including training and development capabilities.
Looking Ahead at Legal Tech Trends
While these insights into 2024’s Legal Tech trends provide valuable preliminary data, it’s important to note that the full ILTA Technology Survey results, to be published in September, may offer more comprehensive and potentially different findings. These early indicators, however, suggest an industry in transition, grappling with the rapid influx of new technologies and the challenges of change management.
The upcoming complete survey results will undoubtedly offer more detailed insights to help firms refine their technology strategies moving forward.
Cloud Migration and AI Training for Law Firms
As the legal sector continues to evolve, firms that can effectively navigate these technological changes while addressing internal resistance will likely be better positioned for future success.
Is your firm in the process of migrating to the cloud? Do your employees need training on safe AI usage at law firms? Is your firm at risk from cybersecurity threats caused by user behavior? Take a look at our extensive eLearning content library to find the latest courses we have on these topics and more of what you need for robust LegalTech learning and development.
Intellek (formerly TutorPro) is a founding member of the learning technology industry. With a presence in the USA, UK, Canada, and the EU – for over 30 years we have pioneered the development of cutting-edge eLearning software and online training solutions, with a large and diverse portfolio of international clientele.
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