Innovation Never Sleeps, Neither Can You

When it comes to legal innovation, clients aren’t satisfied by impressive metrics or even testimonials. They look for specific benefits to them, measured in terms of quality, value and outcomes. So it’s worth understanding what a legal innovation is, and what types clients value. 

By Lean Adviser Legal

The original version of this story was published on Lean Adviser and has been reposted by Punter Southall Analytics with permission from the author.

“Walk tall, or baby don’t walk at all.” — Bruce Springsteen (New York City Serenade) 

In the law firm world, innovation has a parallel with diversity and pro bono. Law firm leaders are acutely aware that clients demand it of them, and measure them on it. Similarly, they are not exactly sure what it is. 

The difference, however, is that when it comes to legal innovation, clients aren’t satisfied by impressive metrics or even testimonials. They look for specific benefits to them, measured in terms of quality, value and outcomes. So it’s worth understanding what a legal innovation is, and what types clients value.  

At ALM, we host and judge the Legal Innovation Awards, so we get to see an array of entries of what law firms and legal tech companies consider to be an “innovation.” Some are well intended ideas which slightly miss the mark. Others gain the coveted “Highly Commended” status. And some of the winners are truly ingenious. 

To understand legal innovation, let’s start by describing what it isn’t: 

• A legal innovation isn’t a marketing gimmick, like a database with some fluffy branding; 
• Nor is it a once great idea which has become an industry standard, like ediscovery; &
• Most of all, it’s not a technology in isolation. The tech world releases new AI tools almost daily, but even the best of these technologies still need to be implemented properly, and then used correctly, to ensure client value. 
  

Vendors increasingly understand the importance of implementation support. For example, Punter Southall Analytics use AI to enhance the speed, breadth and depth of their “New Case Development” service for claimant-side firms, and offer an “Offramp Solution” which prices exit points for defendants, all of which is done in collaboration with law firms.

For progressive law firms, innovation is an ongoing activity, in response to the perennial challenge of better solving their clients’ problems. As we say in Lean Adviser, invest time in looking “up and out” at your clients, and “down and in” at your own firm. As Susan Hackett observed on X/Twitter following last year’s Women, Influence and Power in Law (WIPL) conference: “Tech comes after you spend the necessary time with your people and processes: anything else is cart before horse.”  

In the next installment of our Innovation series, we’ll pick up the theme of law firm transformation, as we look at deploying innovation within law firms. But for now, we’ll close with a tip sheet on what makes a legal innovation:  
1. A genuinely new idea, method or solution;
2. Trainable and actionable in the hands of attorneys;
3. Creating efficiency and effectiveness;
4. Client-facing and relevant to clients’ needs; and 
5. Delivering measurable value to clients. 

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We hope you've found this article of interest.

If you'd like to discuss it, or any other matters where we may be able to assist you, please contact David Rankin on david.rankin@puntersouthallgroup.com.