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The procurement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is no longer just a technical demonstration (and it never should have been but this is another topic). In 2026, for legal departments, it’s a high-wire act that must balance technological agility, compliance with the AI Act, or event budgetary discipline (non-exhaustive list). To succeed, the project must align with professional software procurement standards. I. The Audit Phase: People, Process, Technology 1. People: Iden

It worked. Until it didn’t. When I first started using AI at work, it felt like I had discovered a cheat code. Drafts improved, summaries made sense, and I suddenly looked far more efficient than I probably was.Encouraged by early success, I kept adding more information. More documents. More detail. At some point, the AI stopped helping and started politely nodding while very clearly losing the plot. The day I gave it too much to read The breaking point came with a very famil

For the past few years, the legal world has marvelled at the contract-review speed of AI tools like Kira and Harvey AI.  The truth however is that when it comes AI tools in law firms, deep integration and clear returns on investment are still lacking. With the initial hype now fading, 2026 will be the year the profession grapples with AI's true economic and structural consequences. According to the Economist article “ AI’s true impact will  become apparent in the coming year”

It is commonly said that law firms ‘sell’ knowledge. Clients purchase advice, arguments, strategies, and guidance; the distillation of years of experience, legal expertise, and specialist knowledge.  Yet, clients generally pay for time : a lawyer’s time, billed in increments. To produce actionable advice, manage contracts and create high-quality, consistent documents (such as policies), firms spend a significant amount of time trying to find  the knowledge required to provide

On building the mindset we need for whatever comes next How often have you invested in new tools or processes, only to see engagement flop? In legal, we’ve long valued logic, certainty and risk mitigation – all important traits. But in doing so, we’ve often trained out the very thing that makes innovation possible: the willingness to explore what we don’t yet know.  Generative AI has shifted that. For the first time in years, lawyers, legal ops professionals and business team

In the high-stakes, high-pressure environment of a leading law firm, the word "design" might traditionally evoke images of sleek office interiors or polished marketing brochures. But a new, more powerful type of design is taking root—one that is quietly revolutionising how legal work is done. This is Legal Product Design, a discipline that applies the principles of user-centric creation to the very tools and processes that lawyers use daily. It’s not about making things look

How one lawyer swapped “We’ve Always Done It That Way!” for “Hey, There’s an App for That!” Introduction: The Accidental Legal Rebel If you’d told my law-school self that one day I’d be more excited about workflow diagrams than courtroom drama, I would have objected - emphatically and perhaps with a dramatic flourish. But here I am, a former in-house Legal Counsel who’s discovered the joys (yes, actual joys) of Legal Operations. My journey is proof that sometimes the best leg

It has never been a more exciting time for Legal Operations. Conferences every other week, great networks (online and real life) and emerging tech in a competitive marketplace make this a fast-moving space. Yet, it’s easy to forget that this function has only really emerged in the last twenty years, and indeed, many businesses are in the early stages of implementing legal operations infrastructure. I’m proud to be the first Legal Operations Manager in my company, and almost a

Prithee, be a witty fool… Here’s the thing – professionals (be it lawyers, doctors, CEO’s  - the list is almost endless) need to be credible, knowledgeable and trustworthy. It’s not surprising; these are good, dependable qualities, essential for businesses to not just succeed, but to thrive.  People (and the corporations they are part of) need to know they’re in “safe hands”, and in a professional role we become quickly acclimatised to portraying the wise, unflappable advisor

The difference between technology that lights the way and technology that leaves you in the dark isn’t always about the software per se, it’s about how you choose it. From AI hype cycles to surprise vendor mergers, the legal technology landscape has never been more complex. Yet many firms still approach selection with a familiar mindset: if a big-name firm has adopted a system, it must be the right choice for us too.  It’s a tempting shortcut, but one that can leave you dazzl

Out of the tunnel vision Cambridge Dictionary defines “tunnel vision” as a “condition that makes someone see only things that are directly in front of them” . At least metaphorically, we all experience it in our life. At work, maybe the one project that has been going on for too long to allow alternatives; at home, maybe the phone you’ve been looking for everywhere (it was in your pocket). But in 2025 there is one thing that – by far – has tested our vision the most. I don’t

Whilst legal tech has made great strides — with the rise of legal ops and an AI revolution that transcends industries — it remains something of a mystery to many new to the field. The demystification of legal tech remains an ongoing process. This is no surprise, given the dynamic nature of the industry. The same goes for Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) — not only are new players continually emerging, but established ones are also introducing new capabilities to stay relev

With the growth of legal operations as a discipline and the focus on legal technology in particular, I'm always curious to understand how people I meet in this space have got into legal tech and legal ops in the first place. The answers are usually either that a) they were lawyers who got into tech and/or ops, or b) they are people who have got straight into technology and then focused on the legal sector in particular. It's pretty rare to hear someone say that they are first

Introduction In the accelerating pace of change in Legal Tech, the question of whether to build or buy solutions is more pressing than ever, especially as AI reshapes how legal teams operate. This article offers a corporate perspective on the build vs. buy debate. We will explore the trade-offs, hidden costs, and strategic considerations that underpin this critical decision. As well as consider the impacts of legacy systems, AI integration, or the limitations of traditional l

What I do now I currently work as a legal technology assistant at Mills & Reeve, within the firm’s digital & data team. My role involves assisting in the delivery of innovative solutions, helping with the management of client platforms such as HighQ (a secure, cloud based platform that helps legal teams share documents, manage projects, and collaborate amongst other uses) and contributing to data-driven projects designed to improve how our lawyers and clients collaborate. Bei

By Evgeniya Fedoseeva, Director of Knowledge Management at OneAdvanced Knowledge management (KM) is not a new discipline for law firms, where lawyers routinely process hundreds of words and sentences as they support clients with the best legal advice, thus elevating their own personal and organisational reputation and brand. The challenge can be finding quick and […]

LexisNexis launches Protégé, a personalised AI assistant with agentic capabilities, to help UK lawyers to complete legal tasks more easily and efficiently Secure, agent-powered AI technology, developed with leading UK firms, accelerates drafting, summarisation and legal research tasks, grounded in both customer and LexisNexis content. LexisNexis® Legal & Professional, a leading global provider of AI-powered legal analytics […]

FutureLaw 2025 was more than just a conference—it was a defining moment in legal transformation. Over two immersive days in Tallinn, 500 forward-thinking professionals explored the intersection of law, AI, data, and technology. The discussions were not just about advancements but about reimagining fundamental legal principles for a […]

The legal landscape is changing quickly as the use of innovative digital technologies including AI becomes increasingly widespread and, crucially, expected by clients. However, law firms seeking to harness these emerging technologies must do so carefully and considerately because those that attempt to force technologies into their processes will almost certainly struggle to utilise it […]

In a crowded legal tech market, how does a corporate legal department pick the right technology vendor? While product features and functionality remain essential considerations, successful long-term technology partnerships depend on far more than technical specifications alone. Legal teams must go beyond surface-level product comparisons to identify technology partners who are truly aligned with their […]