Once you’ve done the groundwork to prepare your in-house legal team for AI, you’re ready to choose a product to deliver on your goals – and the right vendor to deliver it.
By now, you know that for AI tools to deliver optimal value from a data perspective, they should come as an embedded feature of a dedicated legal technology solution, not as a standalone product.
However, data is only one of the many reasons to apply this lens as you go to market for AI. Here are the rest:
AI tools are currently the most advanced vehicle for delivering the outcomes that legal technology has long been designed for: optimized efficiency and insights.
AI will always deliver these outcomes better when it’s fully integrated into the systems it supports, because this eliminates the task of manually pulling together fragmented data to build the source of truth that AI needs to do its job.
Legal technology solutions (such as matter management, contract lifecycle management, and spend management tools) all have critical capabilities which have delivered value for years without the help of AI.
But AI doesn’t work as well on its own: it’s more successful when used to enhance tech-driven processes that already exist. So when it’s seamlessly embedded into existing workflows, you’ll have less to worry about when it comes to training, adoption, and managing multiple platforms.
Technology which is designed around a deep understanding of the needs and liabilities of in-house legal teams will always deliver more specialized features, better security, and stronger outcomes.
Dedicated legal AI tools are also more likely to evolve in tandem with your needs, because vendors will be developing them in response to feedback from in-house legal teams.
The takeaway – as you go to market for AI, you shouldn’t settle for less than a tool which is seamlessly embedded into a wider legal tech solution specifically designed for legal teams. The next step is to identify a product which fits the bill.
As you start window shopping for your AI solution, the marketplace might feel overwhelming. The landscape is a saturated one – and the variety and volume of products on offer is proliferating fast.
However, you now have a clear idea of the work that you want AI to help you with – and you know you’re looking for a secure, built-in AI solution developed specifically for legal teams. The good news is that there are many established products out there that meet the brief.
This table shows some of the most common categories of legal technology products and the AI-powered capabilities they may offer.
Note: There are many niche and speciality tools on the market designed to tackle narrow use cases or serve specific industries. These can be integrated into more comprehensive legal technology solutions or used as standalone products, but are outside the scope of this guide.
*ELM or integrated workspace
Platforms which combine multiple technology solution capabilities in one system. These may include the AI features and their benefits from the technologies within a specific module, and/or applied across a unified data set.
Once you’ve decided which AI-powered legal technology product is right for you and your team, it’s time to find the vendor to make it happen!
If you’re already using legal technology in some capacity, a sensible first step is to speak with your existing vendor to see if they can meet your new specifications.
And if not – it’s time to go to market.
So, to recap: You know you’re looking for a secure, built-in AI solution which comes with technology specifically designed for legal teams – and you know which type of product is going to work for you.
As you carry out your final evaluation, it's a good idea to follow a buying process that helps you move at pace while ensuring it’s the right fit.
Your final evaluation should be a simple exercise in due diligence – you are simply assessing your shortlisted vendors against the “shopping list” of non-negotiables that you’ve identified along your adoption journey.
If a vendor can check off all these boxes, great news! The final step is to reach out to those who have made the final shortlist.
This is the time to make sure you understand the products on offer, check reviews and ask questions before signing on the dotted line. If the vendor offers personal product demonstrations or walkthroughs, like we do at LawVu, even better!
Once you’re happy with your choice, it’s time to start thinking about implementation.
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