Law
firms
pitching
for
corporate
legal
work
are
starting
to
notice
that
the
use
of
technology
has
become
a
priority
in
their
requests
for
proposals
(RFPs).
This
spotlight
on
legal
tech,
combined
with
in-house
belt-tightening,
means
firms
need
to
do
more
than
just
“check
the
box”
when
making
their
pitch
to
win
or
retain
work.
This
year,
48
percent
of
corporate
legal
departments
plan
to
move
work,
according
to
Thomson
Reuters’
State
of
the
Corporate
Law
Department
report.
And
a
majority
of
respondents
say
they
will
evaluate
the
“use
of
appropriate
technologies”
as
part
of
their
selection
process
for
the
right
law
firm:
-
One
in
five
(20
percent)
say
it’s
a
mandatory
requirement
that
firms
illustrate
their
use
of
legal
tech -
Half
(52
percent)
consider
it
as
part
of
their
process
Law
firms
are
also
becoming
more
aware
of
the
importance
of
legal
tech
as
firms
seek
more
insights
into
how
their
lawyers
are
using
software
to
serve
clients.
A
2023
Wolters
Kluwer
survey
shows
nearly
half
of
law
firms
(46
percent)
say
legal
tech
is
one
of
their
top
needs
to
meet
client
demands
for
improved
productivity
and
efficiency.
So,
what’s
the
best
way
for
law
firms
to
showcase
how
their
use
of
legal
tech
benefits
clients
in
pitches
and
proposals?
Let’s
look
at
some
common
challenges
facing
clients
that
legal
tech
can
alleviate
and
strategies
to
differentiate
your
technology
from
competitors.
Zero
In
on
Budgets
and
Savings
Clients
aren’t
interested
in
lawyers
using
legal
tech
for
vanity
—
they
expect
technology
to
result
in
cost
savings.
Is
your
firm
tracking
the
number
of
hours
saved
on
tasks
through
technology
compared
to
legacy
methods?
A
side-by-side
comparison
of
billable
hours
spent
on
matters
relevant
to
the
client,
when
using
your
technology
versus
less
effective
approaches,
could
be
a
powerful
and
persuasive
illustration
of
savings.
If
your
firm
is
pitching
for
litigation
work,
data
extracted
from
modern legal
case
management
software
can
offer
clients
cost
certainty
and
information
to
make
informed
decisions,
adding
value.
Software
can
track
the
number
of
hours
worked
by
different
timekeepers
across
the
stages
of
the
litigation
lifecycle.
If
your
firm
uses
analytics,
you
can
identify
matters
that
are
likely
to
reach
trial
and
go
to
a
jury
verdict
and
others
that
could
settle
early.
Your
pitch
should
include
the
types
of
data
your
firm
tracks,
or
has
access
to,
and
analyzes.
Then,
highlight
why
this
information
is
valuable
to
the
client’s
situation.
Highlight
Added
Value
Law
firms
should
remember
they
aren’t
just
competing
against
other
firms.
Alternative
legal
service
providers
can
offer
clients
cost-effective
services,
including
discovery
and
contract
drafting.
Understanding
the
playing
field,
firms
should
tailor
their
pitch
to
illustrate
how
their
use
of
legal
tech
can
give
the
client
a
greater
overall
value.
For
example,
because
your
firm
is
able
to
eliminate
hours
of
tedious,
manual,
and
repetitive
work
through
automation,
your
budget
provides
the
client
more
time
to
discuss
matters
and
ask
questions
with
senior
attorneys.
That
scenario
is
more
valuable
to
the
client
than
just
saving
money
on
a
portion
of
their
litigation
timeline.
Technology
can
also
give
the
client
greater
value
through
streamlined
communication,
keeping
the
number
of
tools
you
ask
them
to
interact
with
to
a
minimum.
In
your
pitch,
show
a
brief
overview
of
how
easy
it
is
for
the
client
to
communicate,
share
information,
and
get
status
updates
using
your
legal
technology.
For
example,
in
a
single
case
management
solution,
clients
and
the
law
firm
can
centralize
collaboration
and
integrate
with
other
tools
while
portals
give
the
client
on-demand
access
to
status
updates,
deadlines,
and
budget
information.
A
quick
walkthrough
of
your
system
can
give
the
client
a
big-picture
view
and
give
them
confidence
that
the
information
they
need
will
be
at
their
fingertips.
Be
Upfront
About
AI
About
one
in
seven
in-house
teams
(14
percent)
said
“transparency
in
AI
use”
was
mandatory
in
their
law
firm
selection
process,
according
to
the
Thomson
Reuters
survey.
And
a
recent
LexisNexis
survey
found
80
percent
of
corporate
legal
executives
expected
outside
counsel
bills
to
be
reduced
as
a
result
of
the
use
of
AI.
If
your
prospective
client
is
comfortable
with
the
use
of
AI,
you’ll
want
to
be
clear
about
how
your
firm
uses
it
to
achieve
efficiencies
and
what
steps
you’re
taking
to
keep
data
secure
and
prevent
infamous
“hallucinations”
such
as
made-up
case
citations.
Additionally,
don’t
forget
to
highlight
how
AI
is
integrated
into
the
legal
tech
your
firm
already
uses
for
even
greater
efficiency.
For
example,
when
AI
is
added
to
case
management
software,
it
can
generate
analysis
and
identify
connections
between
characters,
documents,
and
transcripts
in
seconds.
And
in
discovery,
AI
can
efficiently
organize,
categorize,
and
analyze
hundreds
of
gigabytes
of
data,
suggesting
relevant
documents
for
lawyers.
Again,
this
type
of
automation
can
eliminate
hours
of
repetitive
manual
work,
not
only
leading
to
client
cost
savings,
but
greater
value
to
the
client
as
these
hours
can
be
devoted
to
higher-level
analysis
by
senior
attorneys.
Secure
the
Win
Wrap
up
your
proposal
by
reinforcing
your
data
privacy
standards
and
your
firm’s
policies
for
using
AI
and
other
legal
technology
ethically,
including
steps
you
take
to
ensure
accuracy,
auditability,
and
security.
Share
your
past
legal
tech
successes
and
client
testimonials.
And
above
all,
drive
home
the
specifics
on
how
your
firm’s
use
of
specific
technologies
leads
to
cost
savings
throughout
the
lifecycle
of
the
client’s
matter,
eliminates
communication
pain
points,
and
gives
the
client
overall
budget
transparency.
Jill
Goldstein
is
a
senior
account
executive
at
Opus
2,
a
leading
legal
software
and
services
provider.
Before
joining
Opus
2
in
2021,
she
served
a
number
of
technology
clients
where
she
provided
technology
solutions
to
Fortune
1000
companies,
law
firms,
accounting
firms
and
consulting
firms.