Technology for Legal Firms + The Future of Legal Tech

1. Legal Transcription Software

Transcripts are an integral part of any legal work, providing detailed, accurate records of legal proceedings. Creating and maintaining these records — not to mention keeping them secure — is a non-negotiable aspect of day-to-day life in a law firm.

However, that doesn’t mean lawyers or paralegals have to sink countless hours into reviewing recordings and creating their own transcripts. Powerful legal transcription software can automate the process while maintaining total accuracy with the help of human reviewers.

In this category, there’s only one go-to choice: VoiceHub creates accurate transcripts with unprecedented speed, saving law firms untold hours for a fraction of the cost of doing the work in-house.

‍Cost: Tiered plans start at $9.99 per user/month with a limited free tier
‍Features: 99% accuracy, quick turnaround times, and unlimited use of our AI assistant and transcript summary feature
‍How It Helps Legal Teams: Automated transcription saves hours of manual transcription time without forfeiting accuracy.

2. Automated Client Intake

Client intake is a central function of any law firm — and a process often encumbered by slow or outdated processes. Automated client intake software streamlines the steps to ensure a smooth review and onboarding process. 

The best intake software will include automated intake forms for gathering initial information, along with tools for lead tracking and conversion. Built-in checks for conflicts of interest are essential, as this critical step often slows down the intake process.

Attorneys should look for tools that offer the best features of customer relationship management (CRM) software while fitting the unique needs of law firms for gathering important client information and onboarding new cases. Some of the best options include Clio, Lawmatics, and MyCase.

‍Cost: Starts at $49 per user per month
‍Features: Lead tracking, automated intake forms, conflict checks, and client onboarding
‍How It Helps Legal Teams: Automating the intake process streamlines lead tracking and follow-ups, along with client onboarding, saving valuable time and improving client experience.

3. Document Management Systems

Law firms no longer rely solely on banker’s boxes full of physical documents to maintain critical client and case records. Digital document management tools are an essential modern piece of legal industry software, allowing for a much more efficient and cost-effective way to store and search for information.

The best document management systems not only simplify storage and retrieval but also safeguard confidentiality — critical for any legal practice. They also provide a straightforward way to update documents, gather e-signatures, collaborate and track changes, and maintain audit trails for regulatory compliance.

Top legal tech for document management includes NetDocuments, Clio, and Smokeball.

‍Cost: Starts at $29 per user per month
‍Features: Centralized digital storage, version control, advanced search, secure access, templates, and automation
‍How It Helps Legal Teams: Digital document management simplifies document storage, retrieval, and compliance.

4. Legal Accounting Software 

Accounting practices for legal firms must meet several requirements, including detailed time tracking and billing, client fund management, and careful expense tracking. Choosing the right accounting software for lawyers is vital to ensuring accuracy, transparency, and regulatory compliance.

When choosing financial software, trust accounting is a vital feature for any law firm. Any solution you choose must make it easy to record, track, and reconcile client trust funds that are held separately from operating accounts. Be sure the software also readily integrates with other legal tech across your firm.

Some of the most popular choices for law firm accounting software include QuickBooks with legal add-ons, LeanLaw, and CosmoLex.

‍Cost: Starts at $35 per month
‍Features: Trust accounting, time tracking, billing, expense tracking, tax management, and financial reporting
‍How It Helps Legal Teams: Accounting software improves law firm financial management and helps ensure regulatory and tax compliance.

5. Legal Research Platforms

Research is foundational to effective case preparation, yet one of the most time-consuming aspects of legal work. Attorneys, paralegals, and other assistants must comb through volumes of case law, court opinions, legal journals, and more to gather information.

That makes legal research software one of the most important types of technology for legal firms. A searchable database with predictive tools for analyzing case viability can not only accelerate research work but also improve client outcomes. The best platforms also include functions for adding annotations, generating citations, and collaborating with other researchers. Many now include AI functionality for improving your research.

Top choices include Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Fastcase.

‍Cost: Starts at $65 per month
‍Features: State and national case databases, advanced searchability, annotations and citations, legal analytics, and collaboration
‍How It Helps Legal Teams: Online research software for lawyers radically improves and accelerates the process of gathering critical background information and preparing for trial.

6. Cybersecurity Solutions

Legal firms store vast amounts of sensitive data, from client background information to confidential case matters. As such, cybersecurity must be near the top of the list for any firm list, large or small.

‍Cybersecurity tools for law firms must provide key protections around information access, both in storage and in transit. Data encryption, multifactor authentication, device security, and automated backups are all essential aspects of any cybersecurity solution.

Top tools include Norton for antivirus/antimalware, LastPass for multifactor authentication and password management, and Mimecast for email security. However, many cybersecurity tools are not stand-alone solutions, and you should be careful to check the security features of any legal technology.

‍Cost: Varies widely by product type, and many are not standalone solutions
‍Features: Data encryption, user authentication, device protection, and defense against cyberattacks
‍How It Helps Legal Teams: Security tools ensure confidential and sensitive information is protected and help firms meet compliance standards.

What to Look for in Legal Tech

Key aspects of legal industry software vary widely depending on the type of tool you’re using. That said, here are a few overarching features to look for in any solution:

• Data security: As mentioned, data protection must be a core consideration for any lawyer tech, including basic features like encryption and access management.
• Ease of use: Lawyers aren’t software developers, so legal tech shouldn’t be designed as if they are. The user interface and core functionality should be as low-tech and accessible as possible. 
• Customizability and integration: Look for tools you can easily adapt to your law firm’s needs, whether that’s corporate or personal injury law. Solutions should readily integrate with other software you use to run day-to-day workflows.
• Automation and AI functionality: Legal work is tedious and time-consuming, and incorporating smart automation and AI tools for lawyers can streamline document management, billing, and research.
• Cloud collaboration: Attorneys and paralegals are no longer bound to work from a single location. Cloud functionality enables faster remote collaboration, version tracking, and case preparation regardless of whether team members are in the same room.

Benefits of Integrating Tech Into Your Workflow

The legal profession is largely built on precedent, and law firms aren’t known for their quick embrace of new tools and methods. If you’re on the fence about embracing the latest legal industry software, consider the following benefits:

• Streamline workflows: Legal tech can handle many of the tedious tasks for lawyers and their assistants, accelerating the flow of work throughout the practice.
• Faster billing and payment processing: Tools for accounting and legal automation can handle time and expense tracking and speed up payments.
• Improve client engagement: Enhanced processes for client intake and ongoing communication can help clients stay up-to-speed and engaged.
• Bolster case management: Whether through access to deeper databases for research or more searchable documentation, legal technology can enhance every aspect of case management.

The Future of Legal Technology

As you can see from this overview of the best technology for legal firms, the future of law firms looks decidedly digital. Databases and documentation are shifting further online every day, allowing for faster access and greater searchability.

Software will continue to evolve to incorporate more advanced forms of AI for law firms, while automation will enable greater levels of efficiency and productivity. Going forward, remote work and cloud collaboration will be integral to how attorneys get their work done.

Rev Up Your Law Firm’s Performance in 2025

No matter how technology reshapes life at law firms in the future, one thing is certain: Transcripts will always play a key role in legal work. That makes automated transcription technology a vital piece of legal technology — one that will ensure compliance while maximizing productivity.

Don’t let the work of transcription bog you down in the digital age. Learn how AI can help you optimize your legal firm with our whitepaper.