In this insightful interview, Jon Bartman, Co-Founder of The Law Tech Consultancy, shares his perspectives on the transformative changes awaiting law firms. He emphasises the accelerated adoption of technology as a key driver, highlighting the rise of user-friendly solutions tailored to lawyers’ needs.
Jon stresses the importance of intuitive, time-saving solutions that seamlessly integrate into existing workflows. His advice to legal professionals is to actively explore and test emerging technologies, as user-friendly innovations hold the potential to boost efficiency and profitability within the legal sector.
Merlin Beyts: What do you think is the most fundamental change that law firms will go through in the next 5 years?
Jon Bartman: The most fundamental change, I believe, is that Law Firms will adopt technology faster. Over the last 5 years, we have seen an unprecedented rise in the amount of technology available to all Law Firms. 10 years ago, there were very few solutions available to smaller and mid-size law firms, and that has changed greatly. The issues, however, still stand that Law Firms are quick to look at tech but slow to adopt. I really think that this will change as Lawyers start looking at tech as the key driver for more profitability. Every solution that is adopted must have a return on the investment, and if it does not save time, it will never be adopted; if it isn’t easy to use, it will never be adopted. Crack both sides of those two, and you will be super successful. I think as the legal tech industry starts to mature, some of the historic older solutions will start to be replaced. On a daily basis, I see Law Firms that are using solutions that have been surpassed by newer tech. Although they have been updated, the older solutions simply haven’t kept pace, and alternatives are out there. Don’t stick with the “same old” just because that is what we are used to. Find the solutions that improve the current process and also find solutions that Lawyers will like to use.
Merlin Beyts: Which technologies will be key for law firms to be successful in the future?
Jon Bartman: Having technology that makes your legal life easier is the most important factor. Right now, there are solutions for all facets of a Law Firm. There is a lot of talk about Generative AI. I have no doubt that Law Firms that adopt Gen AI solutions early will reap the rewards. I have been working with legal focused Gen AI solutions for 18 months, and they are a game changer. However, there are unbelievable solutions for Litigation teams to make life easier, and litigation is often at the heart of many Law Firms. I also think compliance is going to be super important, and having solutions that protect your Law Firm will be crucial. Our standard KYC process is simply not enough right now. I am working with a timekeeping solution right now that I also think could be a game changer. We have argued about the end of the billable hour for years. It now seems that time is still an important part of a lawyer’s life. However, the idea of filling in timesheets or using generic time recording software is wasting time. AI in time recording is literally giving back time to lawyers and ensuring that every minute is not lost. Once again, the solution that will be successful will be the one that is easy to use. Lawyers do not want to learn in a completely new environment. They are paid to be Lawyers, and any tech solution has to be intuitive to use and not cause anybody to say, “How do I use that?”
Merlin Beyts: What’s the most important advice you could give legal professionals right now?
Jon Bartman: I know you are all busy, and technology seems like a “nice have,” but test and try solutions that are out there that are going to make your lives easier. You can get more time in your day to do the important part of the Legal process. It’s actually really easy to test and try different solutions, and finding out how these solutions are easy to use will be the foundation of your success.
Read the full LegalTech Diaries Volume 4: https://www.legaltech-talk.com/legaltechdiaries/volume-4/
