Technology is the least discussed and most underused form of leverage in the legal world, but it has the greatest potential. The magic of technology is in its scalability. When you automate or optimize a task, you can replicate it endlessly without extra cost. Create one efficient process with tech, repeat it, and grow the firm. Scalability is repeatability.
How to Make This Work in Practice
If you want your firm to grow, you need more cases. More cases mean more people to manage them, right? Not necessarily. Instead of going on a hiring spree, leverage technology to make your best employees more productive. Here’s how:
1. Identify Your MVP: Who’s your most efficient case manager or your most effective attorney?
2. Audit Their Day: What tasks eat up their time? Determine which tasks slow them down and where technology could free up that time.
3. Implement, Repeat, Scale: Implement tech to speed up those tasks, maintain those processes, and replicate for others.
The goal is to let your top people do more in less time, helping your firm take on more cases and scale up without increasing headcount. Here are a few examples:
- Use tech-enabled legal services to reduce friction and speed up key processes like demands, discovery responses, medical record review, scheduling, and even note-taking
- Set up merge documents and automated correspondence so case managers and paralegals avoid redundant document creation.
- Partner with best-in-class vendors like National Record Retrieval for challenging medical records requests.
How Do You Repeat and Scale?
To repeat and scale, focus on training. Traditional training in law firms is often by shadowing, which works but has limits. Document how your top performer handles cases and systematize their processes. Now, new hires and even struggling staff have a roadmap for excellence. When your best practices become standard practices, everyone levels up. A rising tide lifts all boats.
The Challenges of Leverage
As the managing partner or owner, finding and adopting new technology pays off long-term. Leveraging tech for employee performance isn’t just good business—it enhances your client experience and results. Technology should improve the user experience, whether that’s for clients, staff, or attorneys. Carefully evaluate what will streamline operations and make workflows smoother.
Implementing tech isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be complex. The legal tech market is booming, with tools for record retrieval, medical animation, and support services. Investing in technology doesn’t always mean pricey software; it could be better documentation, training content, or even an industry conference.
Leveraging technology works for any firm size or caseload. Automate tasks, streamline workflows and replicate what your best people do right. When technology amplifies your team’s strengths, you get more done with the same resources. Scaling up isn’t just about volume—it’s about efficiency, consistency, and improving the client experience. The bottom line: tech lets you scale without bloating your payroll.
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