This post was originally written in 2011. I updated it in May 2026.
Law firms are buying AI tools at a frantic pace. Many of those purchases will sit unused. Others will get used badly. That isn’t a new issue. Firms have always made the same mistakes when buying technology. The advice from 2011 still applies, with a few updates.
I have always advocated using technology wisely rather than buying it because it is the next big thing. I recommend firms take time every year to look at whether their technology is actually working for them. A full audit of how a law firm uses technology would fill a book, so here are a few thoughts on the parts that matter most.
Redundancy of Labor
In 2011 the problem was firms entering the same data twice into systems that didn’t talk to each other. Now the problem is firms entering the same data eight times into systems that still don’t talk to each other. The average firm runs a practice management system, a document management system, a billing platform, an e-signature tool, an intake form, and a handful of others. Staff retype client names, addresses, and matter numbers across all of them. The time adds up.
The goal is to enter data once and have it flow everywhere it needs to go. Before you buy another tool, look at what your existing tools already do. You may already own software that solves the problem you are about to pay to solve again.
The Duty of Technology Competence
This wasn’t on the list in 2011. It is now.
In 2012 the ABA added a comment to Model Rule 1.1, clarifying that competence includes keeping abreast of the benefits and risks of relevant technology. A large majority of states have since adopted some version of the rule. A technology checkup is no longer just a business decision. It is part of your professional obligation. You cannot competently supervise a tool you do not understand. You cannot competently use AI to draft documents if you do not know what the tool does with client data. As technology changes, it is our job to keep up with those changes. This doesn’t mean you need to be an expert, it does mean you need to educate yourself and hire appropriate staff or consultants who help you make certain that your firm is using technology properly.
Train Your Staff
The biggest mistake firms make is buying technology without training the people who have to use it. The vendor’s one hour onboarding webinar is not training. If staff cannot use the tool, the efficiency you paid for evaporates. Frustration replaces it. People work around the new system instead of through it. The investment is wasted. Spend the money on training. Schedule it. Pay for it. Repeat it several months later, when people have actually used the tool and have real questions.
Insist on Use, Obtain Buy In
Every firm has someone who refuses to change how they work. Often that person is a partner. The result is predictable. Half the staff uses the new system, half does not, the data sits half in the new tool and half in the old, and the firm gets neither the old efficiency nor the new.
The way to get everyone on board is to help the holdouts understand that the tool will make their work easier rather than harder. That requires training, which is why training matters so much. People resist tools they cannot use. No one is above using the firm’s technology. If a partner needs a staff member sitting next to her for the first week, that is what it takes.
Conclusions
Buy with a purpose. Eliminate the duplicate work the new tool is supposed to eliminate. Train your people. Get buy in. What has changed since 2011 is the stakes. The technology is more powerful, the ecosystem is more crowded, and the ethics rules now expect you to understand what you are using.
Do an honest technology checkup once a year. The firm will run better and you will know what you actually own.