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How can in-house lawyers leverage technology to deliver more impactful results while preserving their unique human strengths? Shaun Plant, Community Evangelist at InView and author of How to make in-house a powerhouse, provided valuable insights into this shift when he spoke to InView recently. He examined the strengths lawyers bring, the roadblocks to adopting new ways of working, and how to overcome challenges and thrive in an AI-assisted legal world.
For many industries, technology has moved from being a luxury to a necessity. Businesses use digital tools to accelerate success rates, streamline processes and achieve efficiency. Legal teams must keep pace. According to Shaun, legal technology, once seen as optional, is now essential for in-house lawyers who want to remain impactful.
“Legal tech is no longer a nice-to-have,” he explained. “If you want to keep pace with the business, enable it and focus on meaningful work, you need to leverage technology effectively.”
But while technology is a powerful enabler, Shaun emphasized the importance of balance. Technology alone cannot deliver value. Instead, in-house legal teams must combine human expertise with digital tools to create a holistic approach that prioritizes people, processes and technology.
One of the core ideas that Shaun explored was the value lawyers bring to the table that technology cannot replace. While AI excels at handling repetitive, process-driven tasks, it lacks the emotional intelligence, creativity and strategic thinking that defines a great lawyer.
Some human traits that align well with technology are:
1. Strategic judgment
AI may analyze data, but lawyers excel at applying context and strategic insight. Their ability to evaluate risks and foresee long-term implications is irreplaceable.
2. Emotional intelligence
Interpersonal skills, such as empathy and negotiation, remain crucial in resolving disputes and building stakeholder relationships. No AI tool can replicate the human touch required in these scenarios.
3. Creative problem-solving
While technology supports task execution, lawyers use creativity and adaptability to solve complex, unique problems that demand tailored solutions.
4. Ethical decision-making
Lawyers safeguard their organizations by ensuring compliance and ethical practices. This nuanced, values-driven decision-making process cannot be coded into an algorithm.
By focusing on these skills, lawyers can lean into their strengths and delegate repetitive administrative tasks to technology.
Despite the clear benefits of technology, in-house legal teams often face resistance when it comes to adopting new ways of working. According to Shaun, this reluctance often stems from ingrained behaviors and a rigid mindset.
Shaun highlighted how deeply some of the traditional traits of lawyers, including risk aversion and perfectionism, can act as barriers to change. Many lawyers have been trained in environments which emphasized thoroughness and the importance of avoiding errors at all costs. While this mindset ensures quality in critical tasks, it can also prevent experimentation with technology or new workflows.
“Sometimes our behaviors as lawyers hold us back,” Shaun observed. “Perfectionism makes us slower to adopt technology and more reluctant to change.”
Another roadblock is the tendency for legal teams to view themselves as distinct from the rest of the business.
Shaun argued that this mindset can isolate legal functions and delay the integration of systems already in place within other departments: while the work lawyers do is unique, the foundational processes that they use often are not.
“We like to think of ourselves as special,” Shaun said. “But when we step back, much of what we do is process-driven and could benefit from the same technology used by HR or finance.”
Technology for legal isn’t new – but the ways it integrates with other business functions are evolving. Legal tech stacks today can include contract management systems, AI-powered review tools and process automation platforms. Shaun suggested, however, that before buying into a suite of flashy tools, legal teams consider starting with what’s already available within their existing systems of work. This reduces friction and allows legal teams to align with the broader ecosystem of their business.
HR and finance functions, for example, have been leveraging technology stacks for years. Many existing platforms can easily adapt to legal functions as well. Tools like Microsoft Power BI, SharePoint and Teams can handle intake systems, reporting, and document organization with little customization.
By starting with these solutions, you gain immediate value while giving your team a chance to acclimate. Over time, you can layer in more sophisticated, bespoke systems as needs evolve.
Attempting to do too much with technology all at once can lead to frustration and implementation failures. Shaun recommended a simplified approach to defining the respective tasks that in-house teams can stop doing, reimagine with business empowerment, and automate.
“Break it down into smaller chunks,” he advised. “With the right tools, you can scale at your own pace without causing unnecessary disruption.”
To fully harness the power of technology while capitalizing on human strengths, modern legal teams must focus on three pillars: people, process and technology. To find the right balance, Shaun suggested that legal teams focus on the following priorities:
1. Rethink behaviors
Acknowledging that behaviors can slow down progress is the first step toward improvement. Shaun said lawyers should attempt to adopt a growth mindset and view technology as an enabler – not a threat. “Sometimes you just need to try. Experiment with technology, figure out what works and what doesn’t, and iterate from there. The more comfortable you get, the quicker the adoption.”
2. Empower the business
Legal teams should focus on enabling self-service where possible, shifting lower-risk tasks to business units. Empowering colleagues to perform basic legal activities encourages efficiency, allowing legal professionals to allocate more time to complex, high-value work.
3. Think long-term
While implementation can feel like a marathon, the long-term benefits make the effort worthwhile. “The best time to invest in legal technology was ten years ago,” Shaun said. “The next best time is now.”
The in-house legal world doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel; it simply needs to adapt it. Start small, experiment with existing tools in your tech stack, and focus on the skills that make you essential.
To learn more about how to adopt tech into your in-house legal workflows sustainably, visit the LawVu In-House Academy to explore our range of free online courses and certifications.
