Making Legal Technology Work: Skills, Specialists and Strategy

Legal

Article

By Jamy Sullivan, JD, Executive Director, Legal Practice Group, Robert Half

Technology is changing how legal professionals work, from research to document preparation to client communication. But buying new software isn't enough. A Robert Half survey found that 55% of leaders at law firms consider AI and legal technology integration their top priority, while similarly, 42% of leaders in legal departments cited technology automation and implementation as their primary focus. And all those surveyed agreed that the biggest barrier to turning technology investments into real business results is a lack of staff with the necessary expertise.

Integration involves both creating a cohesive ecosystem where different legal software systems communicate seamlessly and embedding these technologies effectively into existing workflows and processes. Let’s take a look at what skills and specialized roles will allow your legal organization to handle this most effectively.

Legal Technology Solutions & Skilled Talent Acquisition 3 essential skills for legal technology integration 1. Tech-savviness 2. Data tools and analysis 3. Adaptability and learning agility The value of investing in specialized roles

3 essential skills for legal technology integration

Your legal talent management strategy should include seeking professionals who combine core legal knowledge with technology proficiency and essential soft skills. Here are three key attributes your law firm or corporate legal department should evaluate when hiring and looking to develop your people.

1. Tech-savviness

The focus by legal organizations on technology is paying off in productivity, enhanced client service, competitive advantage and improved work-life balance. According to Robert Half research, 65% of legal leaders say AI-powered tools in particular have freed their teams from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic work.

But building a tech-savvy staff doesn't mean hiring a programmer or data scientist with a little legal knowledge. It means taking a holistic approach for your entire workforce, making learning accessible and practical. This includes not only major formal training initiatives to establish foundational knowledge and skills with new legal technologies, but also ongoing reinforcement. You can do this through methods like quick training sessions during lunch breaks, email tips from colleagues and short video tutorials help staff build confidence with new tools while staying focused on their legal work. When a particular tool shows clear benefits, designate someone to champion its use and share success stories with other teams, which can drive broader adoption across the team.

Want to dive deeper into how AI is reshaping legal teams? Read how firms are rethinking talent strategy in response to legal tech integration.

2. Data tools and analysis

Advanced legal technology solutions process vast amounts of data that can predict trial outcomes and reveal business insights. The challenge isn't getting this data but understanding what it means and how to use it strategically.

This wealth of information demands a new type of legal professional—one who combines traditional legal expertise with the ability to use and analyze outputs from modern data tools. Your team members must be able to determine what patterns in e-discovery results signal substantive issues versus statistical noise and how seemingly unrelated data points across multiple matters reveal systemic client risks. Perhaps most important, they need to be able to translate complex statistical findings into clear legal recommendations and actionable steps.

3. Adaptability and learning agility

A valuable trait in today’s legal professionals is their ability to adapt as legal tech solutions change. Someone who mastered one document review platform five years ago but resists newer, more efficient systems will fall behind.

This means rethinking how you assess potential hires and how you develop this trait among your existing staff. For example, ask applicants during interviews about a time when they had to learn a completely new platform or process under pressure. Look for their willingness to embrace change, and specific examples of how they've helped colleagues adapt to change, increase efficiency of the department or how they've turned technological challenges into opportunities. During training, create scenarios that test flexibility, like switching between different research platforms or adapting to new client reporting requirements.

The value of investing in specialized roles

While building these three essential skills—tech-savviness, familiarity with data tools and analysis, and adaptability—across your workforce creates a strong foundation, the increasing complexity of legal technology also demands targeted expertise in specific areas that can further enhance your organization's capabilities:

Cybersecurity specialists—These experts help protect firms and companies from digital threats. They help create security policies that meet legal requirements, build incident response plans and guide organizations through the complex mix of technology and regulatory obligations. When breaches happen, they help firms respond quickly and appropriately, protecting both legal interests and reputation.

Data privacy experts—Protecting client and customer information isn't just good practice - it's a fundamental professional duty. Data privacy specialists bring deep knowledge of breach response and compliance requirements across jurisdictions. They develop robust security policies and train teams on practical steps to protect sensitive data, helping them meet obligations under frameworks like CCPA and GDPR while maintaining client and customer trust.

AI law experts—AI law specialists combine deep knowledge of emerging frameworks—from the EU's AI Act to US state regulations—with practical understanding of AI systems. They advise on compliance requirements for AI deployment, help navigate ethical concerns like bias and transparency and spot potential liability issues before they become problems. For example, when a financial services client wants to implement AI-powered solutions for credit decisions, these experts can ensure the tools meet transparency and fairness requirements while helping your client document their compliance approach. Robert Half research found that one-third of legal department leaders now rank AI innovation and governance as a top strategic priority, making specialists in this field critical for companies using or implementing AI technology.

Legal operations specialists—In a law firm, these professionals spot where technology can turn tedious tasks into smooth processes, whether that's automating routine document creation or using data to predict litigation costs. By analyzing everything from billing patterns to case timelines, they help firms eliminate bottlenecks and reduce costs. When a managing partner wants to know why certain types of cases consistently go over budget, or how to handle twice the document review work with the same team size, these are the people who find technology-driven answers.

eDiscovery specialists—Today's eDiscovery specialists use advanced analytics to spot patterns across emails, chats and documents that human reviewers might miss, while generative AI helps summarize key findings and identify conceptual relationships between documents.

The bottom line: Legal technology solutions can streamline workflows and improve decision-making when backed by the right skills and strategy. The technology matters, but your people determine whether it transforms your legal services or sits unused.

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