At a small law firm, the IT department might be just one person (maybe you!) or no one.

Technology is essential for legal teams to optimize operations, maintain compliance, and deliver efficient legal services. The right technology stack can significantly impact your team's ability to scale and support the business. But selecting, implementing, training team members and maintaining tools requires someone to own this important task.  This gets even more complex when new technologies like AI go from just “interesting” to “necessary” for staying competitive.

This post investigates the modern legal tech stack and offers ideas for small to mid-size firms on how to stay ahead.

How can I build a cost-effective, efficient tech stack that doesn't require a full-time IT department? 

The best tech stack is one that works for your firm. What are the essential tasks you need to automate or streamline? (e.g., document management and summarization, case management, client communication, time tracking, billing). Here are some tips to get started.

Identify your biggest needs.  Audit what you already have (or can add)

‍Once you cover basic operational needs, rank the “nice to have” features that can accelerate your work.
These features could be add-ons to existing tools, but also test specialized, cloud-based tools as specific needs come up. You may find that there’s a lower cost of ownership with task-specific tools, especially if you use them infrequently.

‍Work within your budget.

‍Choose tools that can grow with your firm as your caseload and team expand.
Many tools require annual contracts or per-seat licensing. CaseMark purposely is pay-as-you-go which allows you to bill-back summaries to clients.

Choose user friendly tools with excellent customer support

‍Tools with intuitive interfaces, minimal learning curves, and clearly available customer support will help you work more efficiently. Test new tools with a small group of users to assess their impact. CaseMark offers a no-credit card required free trial to help customers see if we’re a good fit. And we have a mix of human, AI and self-serve help options for support whenever you need it.

Ask about security

‍Reputable cloud providers offer robust security measures. Most vendors feature a security page with their IT credentials. Companies invested in privacy and security often have Trust Centers that attest to their credentials. Look for SOC2, Type 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliance.

What does a modern legal tech stack look like for small or mid-size law firms?

What core tools should every law firm have? A small firm (1-20 attorneys) will often have these types of tools in their stack, though the ideal stack will vary based on the firm’s unique requirements. Many of these tools might be part of a product suite. Legal practice management software often integrates or comes bundled with legal billing software or legal case management software.

A modern legal tech stack for a litigation law firm typically includes several key components:

• Legal case management software 
• Time and E-billing solutions
• Client portal
• Document management system
• Document creation and legal summarization tools
• Communication tools
• E-signature software
• E-discovery and legal hold tools
• Legal research aids

We’ve defined each of these types of tools and linked to vendors specializing in small to mid-sized firms at the end of this post.

How can I streamline my legal workflows and processes using new technology?

‍Small tech improvements can yield big rewards.  

Implementing time-tracking software to improve billing accuracy and efficiency and then automating the billing process with e-billing software can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

Automating document generation can save time on repetitive tasks. You can start small with something as simple as Microsoft Word's built-in templates and automation features or use CLMs like Lawmatics, or Juro with AI-powered assistance. 

CaseMark’s focus is building “easy buttons” across the litigation lifecycle to make work more efficient and less complex. We started with automating deposition summarization and have developed summary tools for medical records summarization, loss of income, trials, hearings and arbitration and more

What are the best practices for protecting client data in a digital age?

‍The bottom line on data security and management for small law firms using SaaS is “security first” followed closely by “compliance and organization.” If you don’t have an in-house tech person to vet new tech, here are a few things to look for as a starting point.

Security first:

• Choose reputable providers: Look for vendors with strong security certifications like SOC 2, Type2 and HIPAA. Reputable vendors often feature a Trust Center and a Systems Status page to report up time.  Look for mentions of annual penetration tests and vulnerability monitoring. 
• Data encryption: Ensure your data is encrypted both at rest and in transit.
• Data deletion and data ownership: Understand how your client’s data will be used, stored, and eventually deleted by the vendors you use.
  
  

Protecting client data starts with compliance and organization within your firm. 

• Centralize your data: Use cloud storage for easy access.
• Back up everything: Protect against data loss with regular backups.
• Know the rules and get consent: Understand data privacy laws like HIPAA and CCPA. Always get permission before using client data.
• Train your team: Re-educate on data security best practices at least annually.
  
  

Even with limited resources, these tips can help to protect your clients' data and keep your firm running smoothly.

Building a resilient stack

‍As the legal tech revolution continues to evolve, firms that adapt to new innovations will be the ones to succeed. But it’s a balancing act between resources, effort and cost. When implementing new technology, start small and gradually expand your usage. Prioritize tools that directly address your firm's pain points and improve efficiency.

By strategically incorporating these technologies, your small law firm can streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and deliver better client service!

A sample legaltech stack for small and mid-size firms

‍Legal practice management software often integrates or comes bundled with legal billing software or legal case management software. A practice management tool may include or replace some of the software listed below.

Practice management software helps law firms manage their day to day operations and often includes automated workflows, centralized data storage, compliance tools, time tracking, scheduling and communications tools. Examples: Clio, Smokeball, MyCase, Practice Panther, CARET Legal.
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Contract lifecycle management (CLM) software for managing and executing contracts. Examples: Ironclad, ContractWorks, ContractSafe, SpotDraft, and Pandadoc.

Time and e-billing software is designed to track billable hours and generate invoices efficiently. Examples: SimpleLegal and Brightflag ‍

Client portal: many practice management suites such as Clio, MyCase, CaseFox and NetDocuments feature client portal tools. Smaller teams may use document management systems (see below) to securely share files with clients.

Document management systems consolidate storing, accessing, and managing crucial legal documents.  Examples: iManage or NetDocuments. One Drive, Google Drive or DropBox are sometimes used by in-house or smaller teams.

‍Document creation tools such as Microsoft Office or Google Docs to create, edit, and collaborate on documents in real time.

Legal summarization tools like CaseMark and Filevine automate the generation of legal documents.

Communications tools such as Microsoft Teams or Slack for real-time messaging

Legal intake software to onboard new clients from intake to matter. Examples: Centerbase, Lawmatics, Streamline AI

Legal research software to find and analyze legal information, such as statutes, case law, and legal journals. Westlaw and Lexis Nexis are perhaps the most well-known solutions. Free tools include Justia’s database of federal and state court decisions, codes, and regulations,  The Caselaw Access Project,  FindLaw (Supreme Court decisions), and CourtListener (legal opinions).

‍E-signature software to speed up contract execution, ensure the legality of signed documents, and provide an audit trail. Examples: DocuSign, Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign), and Adobe Acrobat Sign

‍E-discovery & legal hold tools to manage legal holds, preserve data, and reduce risk.Examples: OpenText, Everlaw or Logikcull