Discover what in-house legal tech is, why it matters, and how to buy it. Build your legal tech stack, secure budget, and access free tools to get started.
In-house legal teams are under pressure. Contracts pile up, regulations multiply, and business leaders expect speed without sacrificing accuracy. Yet many legal teams are still stuck with email threads, spreadsheets, and outdated processes. The result? Legal friction – hidden bottlenecks and inefficiencies that slow down the entire business.
The solution is in-house legal technology: software and digital tools purpose-built to help legal teams work smarter, scale effectively, and prove their value to the business.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about in-house legal tech – from what it is and why it matters, to how to build your legal tech stack, secure budget, and choose the right solution. Along the way, you’ll find practical resources, downloadable tools, and expert insights to help you make the right investment for your team.
In-house legal tech refers to software and digital tools designed specifically to support the work of corporate legal teams. While law firms were early adopters, in-house teams no longer have to make do with adapting their tools – the market now offers many built-for-purpose solutions for in-house legal operations.
Common categories include:
Identify your pain points and map out your current tools and gaps with this legal tech prioritization planner.
Legal tech isn’t a “nice-to-have”. For growing businesses, it’s essential infrastructure.
According to IDC research, inefficient processes within legal teams create significant legal friction – the operational drag that slows deals, increases costs, and limits visibility. In fact, IDC and LawVu’s study shows the quantifiable impact of legal friction on revenue and compliance.
Legal tech reduces this friction by streamlining workflows, improving collaboration, and enabling legal teams to focus on higher-value strategic work. This article explains why legal is no longer optional for growing businesses in more detail.
A legal tech stack is the combination of tools your legal team uses to get work done. Just as marketing has CRMs and finance has ERP systems, legal now has purpose-built solutions to manage contracts, matters, spend, and more.
Core building blocks of a modern stack include:
AI (see: Workspace intelligence™) increasingly sits across this stack, enabling workflows like faster contract workflows, matter, intelligent triage and automated billing guideline review and invoice extraction.
The following on-demand demo provides a comprehensive overview of the LawVu Legal Workspace – an integrated platform purpose-built to centralize legal operations and enhance productivity across legal teams.
Jumping into buying tech without a plan can lead to fragmented tools and low adoption. That’s where a legal technology roadmap comes in – a structured plan that shows how you’ll implement technology over time.
Typical roadmap stages include:
Even when the case for legal tech is clear, securing budget can be tough. Competing priorities and limited resources often stand in the way.
Here are three proven strategies:
Useful resources:
When you’re ready to invest, follow a clear buying process:
Legal tech isn’t just about making legal more efficient – it’s about enabling the business to move faster, reduce risk, and unlock growth.
The following tools have been designed to help you invest in the right solution, get stakeholder buy-in, and set your team up for success.
Benchmark, compare, and get buy-in using the legal tech buyer's toolkit
Software and digital tools that help corporate legal teams manage contracts, matters, spend, documents, and requests more efficiently.
Because they face rising volume and complexity without the ability to add headcount. Tech allows them to scale effectively.
Start with your pain points, prioritize the biggest inefficiencies, and add tools that integrate seamlessly. Use a roadmap to phase adoption.
Estimate time savings, cost reductions, and risk mitigation. Use return on investment (ROI) calculators and industry benchmarks.
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