How to build a legal tech roadmap
A legal tech roadmap is a simple plan that shows how your legal team will use technology over time. Instead of buying tools in isolation, a roadmap helps you prioritize investment, secure budget, and show stakeholders how legal tech will deliver value.
Why you need a legal tech roadmap
- Avoids fragmentation: Without a plan, teams end up with too many point solutions that don’t connect.
- Builds confidence: Stakeholders see that you have a structured approach to investment.
- Supports change management: A clear timeline helps your team adopt technology step by step.
- Aligns with business goals: Your roadmap links legal priorities to company strategy.
“A loose agile map is better than no map at all. Because it’s directional, it doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to exist. So much of it is about getting started – if you start that work early, you can get off on a good foot when you need to move forward.” – Liz Rancourt-Smith (Director of Legal Operations, Tilson).
To hear more from Liz and other legal tech experts, check out this article here on how to use the ACC legal operations maturity model to guide your legal tech roadmap.
How to build your legal tech roadmap
- Assess your current state: Capture what tools you use today and where the gaps are.
- Define priorities: Choose the top problems to solve (e.g., contracts, spend, intake).
- Plan in phases: Start with quick wins, then expand into automation and insights.
- Set success metrics: Define KPIs such as adoption, cycle time, or spend visibility.
- Choose scalable solutions: Look for platforms that can grow with your team.
A simple four-stage framework
Most legal tech roadmaps follow a natural progression:
- Foundations: Centralize work with matter management and intake.
- Efficiency: Automate contracts, spend, and routine tasks.
- Insight: Use dashboards and analytics to make data-driven decisions.
- Transformation: Consolidate into an integrated legal workspace.
Start developing your legal tech roadmap today
Building a legal technology roadmap doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s about showing where you are, where you want to go, and how you’ll get there – step by step.
With a legal tech roadmap, you can secure budget, develop a purpose-built legal tech stack, avoid fragmented tools, and deliver lasting value to the business. To make a start with your legal tech roadmap, utilize this free legal tech prioritization planner and this legal tech alignment survey. Both of these tools will help you access your current state and define priorities for both your legal team and key stakeholders across the business.
