These legal industry trends will shape how we practice law for years to come

Following legal industry trends can help you stay informed about what matters to clients and potential clients. While you don’t need to adopt every new trend, you may want to consider how each one will impact your small law firm or independent practice.

Some of the trends gaining traction in the legal industry this year include:

Artificial Intelligence, AI for Law

You have likely heard the chatter about Open AI’s tool ChatGPT. As users experiment with using the tool to auto-generate content, the business world has begun to weigh the possible uses of artificial intelligence tools.

Other tools have specific applications for law firm functions. For example, Lawyer Monthly predicts that industry-specific tools, such as AI Contract Assist,:

“…have the potential to greatly boost a law firm’s productivity through the automation of processes involved in due diligence, legal research, contract management and discovery. As existing systems are built upon and new competitors emerge, we can expect firms to entrust greater portions of their output to creative machines in and beyond 2023. It is little coincidence that 76% of legal professionals see digital technology as one of the key drivers of change in the model legal sector.”

We don’t expect AI to take over the legal industry, but it could help small firms maximize their efficiency and impact.

Automation and Outsourcing

Other avenues for automating and outsourcing processes have continued to grow in the past few years. As U.S. Legal Support writes:

“Increased adoption of technology in pursuit of automated legal operations offers both operational and financial benefits. Automation reduces the time spent on routine tasks and enables greater focus on the higher-value (and higher margin) activities at the heart of the law firm.”

Options for automating or outsourcing cover a wide range of services, including:

  • Litigation services
  • Document review and automation
  • Court appearance and deposition services
  • E-discovery
  • Contract lawyer services

For small law firms, strategic use of outsourcing and automation can alleviate some lost time and allow your lawyers to focus on the highest impact activities.

Call for Credibility

The flipside of AI and automation is clients’ need for a level of trust, personalization and credibility.

JD Supra counsels:

“Concerns over privacy, security, and credibility have made individuals less inclined to trust companies and firms they do business with. It’s key that clients and prospects feel you have the right answers and are the best solution. Most people make decisions based on feelings of trust, and that’s especially true of legal consumers. Transparency in your marketing and business dealings is of utmost importance as you strategize for this year.”

This advice extends well beyond marketing. Client communication and service should help your clients develop a rapport with you and your firm over time. While some communication processes can be outsourced, nothing replaces the personal touch. People do business with people: When they choose you for legal services, trust should take high priority.

Podcasts and Video

For lawyers looking for ways to increase their reach and reputation, podcasts and video offer a chance for clients to experience your style and approach before they ever meet you.

JD Supra reports on podcasts, saying:

“It’s predicted that there will be 504.9 million podcast listeners by the end of 2024. That means this platform is packed with unreached potential. The beauty of podcasts is that instead of taking the time to sit down and read something, consumers can listen to information basically whenever and wherever they are, needing only a smartphone or device to do so. Firms can even consider creating multiple shows targeting audiences specific to each of their practice areas.”

If you don’t have the bandwidth to create full-length podcasts, videos are a great way to highlight your practice area knowledge and help potential clients get a feel for who you are.

In short, while technology and automation might dominate a lot of legal industry advances, clients still want to work with real people they trust. That fundamental human need isn’t going away anytime soon.

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