Chances are that your law firm has already embraced remote or hybrid work and is using modern technologies like Microsoft Teams for both chatting and online meetings. These are the first steps on the journey to implementing modern legal work. But for many firms, this is also the stage where their journey stalls.
Many law firms have reached out to us for assistance because they’re stuck at this stage. These firms are only scratching the surface of what Microsoft 365 and other tools can do for their practices. They know that fully implementing a modern way of operating is essential to their competitiveness, but they don’t know what the next steps are or how to take them.
So what is modern legal work? And how can your firm make the right moves to achieve it? Below we examine the best approach — and how Intapp can help.
What modern legal work is – and why it’s crucial to your firm’s success
Modern legal work involves several components:
- It’s a unified way of working that brings together all your applications in one platform so that you have a “single pane of glass” from which to work.
- Instead of relying on email as your primary form of communication, you collaborate with colleagues and clients through co-authoring and Microsoft Teams messages.
- You have systems in place that automatically capture your expertise and surface it when you work on similar matters.
In contrast to modern legal work, traditional legal work involve data siloes, heavy reliance on email, and time lost switching applications. In fact, lawyers and paralegals may log into and out of 10 or more different point solutions on a daily basis.
Moreover, with a traditional way of working, your legal professionals struggle to find needed files and information, and your firm’s knowledge and work products get buried and lost.
Transitioning to modern legal work replaces these frustrations with an efficient, effective, and satisfying experience for both your professionals and clients. As a result, you’ll have a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining both clients and lawyers. In other words, modern legal work is necessary to your firm’s long-term competitiveness.
And because other firms are already operating this way, your firm needs to begin building a modern work strategy now to have the best chance of remaining competitive.
How Intapp helps law firms navigate the pathway to modern legal work
If your firm is unsure about how to chart a path to modern legal work, you’re not alone. Many law firms we talk to are uncertain as to which steps are the right steps and are wary of making a mistake.
Intapp works with law firms like yours to ensure they can successfully move forward with their modern legal work journey. Our approach goes well beyond merely advising firms on software selection and implementation. We help law firms implement a proven strategy tailored to their specific goals and resources.
Our process begins with a modern work readiness assessment. During this assessment, we talk with your leaders and key players to assess where your firm is in its journey and where you’d like to go. We also help your firm develop messaging around the business value propositions for transforming the way you and your professionals work. You can then use this messaging with all firm members to achieve buy-in for the change.
As part of the assessment, we also create a roadmap that aligns with your firm’s business objectives, leadership expectations, and vision. If your firm is interested in implementing the roadmap, we assist with implementation and change management at every step of the way.
The journey to modern work generally involves the below stages.
One of the first steps in the modern legal work journey is establishing information governance policies around Microsoft Teams. We’ll also create for you a “single pane of glass” in which you can view each matter in one place. This is done via Intapp Workspaces, which extends your Microsoft Teams experience by integrating your document management system, your financial management system, and other firm systems.
Your firm will progress along the modern legal work pathway, eventually reaching the stage where your teams can responsibly leverage the AI capabilities of Microsoft Copilot and Viva to automatically capture and surface your professionals’ expertise and prior work. This ensures that your firm’s expertise isn’t lost or forgotten and helps your teams spend less time searching for key information.
Take your next step on the pathway to modern legal work
Whatever stage you’re at on the pathway to modern legal work, Intapp can help you implement a gradual, responsible approach to fully realizing all the benefits of modern tools and capabilities.
Please schedule a personalized demo to learn more about how Intapp can help your firm modernize its way of working.