The cloud, AI and other tools driving law firm efficiency

By Nicole Black

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The 2024 International Legal Technology Association‘s technology survey was recently released, and it provides a wealth of information on technology adoption trends in law firms. Not surprisingly, this year it includes data on how lawyers are implementing generative artificial intelligence into their firms. However, many other types of technology issues are addressed as well.

The report reveals how AI is currently being used in firms and provides data on plans for future investment in AI and other technologies. Other areas addressed include cloud-based tools, software to streamline law firm operations, and technologies adopted to support remote work.

First, let’s take a look at the AI data. The survey results show that AI adoption has increased over the past year, with 37% of firms now using it compared to only 15% in 2023. The data also shows that larger law firms are leading the way, with 74% of firms of 700-plus lawyers using AI tools in 2024. In comparison, only 20% of firms with fewer than 50 lawyers are exploring AI, followed by firms with 50 to 149 lawyers (27%), firms with 150 to 359 (36%), and firms with 350 to 699 (65%).

Overall, firms are using AI to address various business needs. The top functions supported by AI include billing and accounting (31%), professional development (27%), litigation support (42%), and marketing and business development (49%).

Lawyers are also relying on AI’s benefits to increase efficiency in their daily workflows. The results show that research is expected to be the top use of generative AI in the next year, according to 73% of the respondents. Other popular use cases include summarizing complex documents (70% up from 48% in 2023), creating initial drafts of documents (69% up from 61% up from 55% in 2023), writing presentations (61% up from 55% in 2023) and drafting alerts or email notifications (50% up from 43% in 2023).

Compared to last year, fewer legal professionals plan to use AI for creative tasks such as brainstorming ideas (46% down from 43%), writing/troubleshooting code (33% down from 36%), and generating strategic ideas (27% down from 28%). Despite those declines, the bulk of the data shows that there continues to be significant interest in the potential of generative AI and its promise of improving productivity firmwide.

The survey also explored remote collaboration technology adoption, seeking insight into the tools used most often in firms. The data showed that most firms now use video conferencing tools like Zoom and WebEx, with 94% of respondents reporting the availability of these platforms in their firms. Email (91%) and chat tools like Teams and Jabber (84%) are also widely used. Document-sharing functionality is gaining traction as well with 44% relying on these tools, reflecting the continued shift to digital workspaces.

In keeping with the shift to online collaboration, firms are also increasingly moving to a “paper-less” approach. Only 13% are not considering a shift to using digital documents. 49% report that their firms are “paper-lite,” 20% have paperless projects underway, 8% of firms are working on a paperless strategy, and 10% are fully paperless.

Finally, one of the most notable data points reflects this digital-first trend: the rapid rise of cloud-based tools post-pandemic. When it comes to cloud use, 43% of firms say they are “mostly in the cloud,” while another 42% opt for a “cloud with every upgrade” approach. Only 2% of respondents indicated that they are “not yet comfortable with the cloud” down from 7% in 2021.

Overall, these findings from the survey highlight the legal industry’s ongoing shift toward digital-first practices, with AI playing a key role in that transition. Firms are increasingly relying on AI, cloud-based tools, and remote collaboration technologies to streamline operations and support flexible work environments.

How does your firm compare? In today’s competitive legal marketplace, what steps are you taking to implement AI, cloud solutions, and digital collaboration tools into your firm’s IT stack to streamline efficiency, improve workflows, and provide better client service?

Nicole Black is a lawyer, author and journalist in Rochester, New York, and the head of subject matter expertise and external education at MyCase and LawPay.