Legal leaders answer the call for change in 2024

Over the past 18 months, law firms have undergone a dramatic realignment both in how they operate in the present and how they prepare for the future. iManage wanted to better understand how firms are thinking about and navigating this consequential shift.

That’s why we joined with Affinity Consulting and CARET in engaging Ari Kaplan Advisors to research the thinking and actions of midsize law firm leaders. These high-level professionals are in the thick of it: executing collaborative change, generating meaningful value, and creating a competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving market. 

Key themes: Legal leaders answer the call for change in 2024 reflects Ari Kaplan's research. Topics concerning innovation, transformative growth strategies, and the intersecting challenges of talent and technology figure prominently in The Changemakers Report. 

iManage probed the data as well. We identify the findings we found most compelling for this market in two additional editorial assets that share our interpretation and unique perspective on those important areas of interest.

In Legal Leaders answer the call for change in 2024: Key themes, we consider law firm leaders’ view of technology as an investment in the firm’s future success, and look at how staff perceptions inform leaders’ approach to implementing new technologies. We also examine how the study respondents are thinking about generative AI: what they see as its potential for good, as well as its potential for harm. The leaders almost universally agree that they can improve how they manage collective knowledge, which prompted us to dig a little deeper into those aspirations. Finally, we delve into what the leaders view as their biggest hurdles to overcome, and where they see the most pivotal opportunities for growth. 

Then, in Legal Leaders answer the call for change in 2024: The iManage view, we observe how change has become a constant for law firm operations and explore how this new reality renders change management — and certain leadership attributes and actions — a critical necessity for making the most of the opportunities available. 

In an era dominated by generative AI, talent, culture, and technology all have a place in securing your firm's financial health and strengthening your competitive advantage. And the leaders who answer the call to be or become changemakers are poised to achieve the greatest success. 

About the study

Between February 28, 2024, and March 29, 2024, legal industry analyst Ari Kaplan interviewed 19 chief operating officers, eight chief information officers, and three executive directors at midsize law firms about change empowerment, modern leadership, personalized client service supplemented with automated support, and future-proofing an uncertain legal landscape. The participants are from law firms ranging in size from 13 to 230 lawyers and 22 to 390 professionals. The median size firm represented is 129 professionals and 67 lawyers. 

About us

Ari Kaplan Advisors is a leading legal industry advisory company that publishes benchmarking reports on legal technology trends, delivers networking, public speaking, and business development training for law firms and other providers of professional services, and offers personal coaching and access to its proprietary coaching software platform, Lawcountability. Company principal, Ari Kaplan, is an inaugural Fastcase 50 honoree, a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, and a finalist for the International Legal Technology Association’s Thought Leader of the Year award. Visit https://www.AriKaplanAdvisors.com to learn more.

Affinity Consulting is a values-driven consulting firm that has transformed how its clients work for over 25 years. With a wide array of skills, deep expertise in the legal and legal technology fields, and a holistic approach, Affinity helps law firms and legal departments run their businesses more efficiently and effectively. Its team delivers strategic guidance, helps clients leverage best-in-class legal technology, and provides training to ensure necessary changes take root. Affinity helps legal organizations build client-centric practices that will thrive in a competitive marketplace by providing them with healthy strategies, teams, systems, leaders, and profits. Visit www.AffinityConsulting.com to learn more.

CARET brings the latest technology and automation to thousands of law firms, empowering highly skilled professionals to refocus their expertise on what truly matters. CARET Legal, the leading cloud-based practice management platform for midsize law firms, automates the most critical processes to drive efficiency, optimize revenue, and delight clients. Our platform combines the power of automated legal workflows, robust matter management, insightful dashboards, seamless client communication tools, full legal accounting, integrated payment processing, and more to enhance the business of law. With the latest in data security, privacy, and business continuity backed by 24/7 support, firms can confidently enter their next growth phase in a rapidly changing landscape. Visit www.caretlegal.com to learn more.

iManage is dedicated to Making Knowledge Work™. Our cloud-native platform is at the center of the knowledge economy, enabling every organization to work more productively, collaboratively, and securely. Built on more than 20 years of industry experience, iManage helps leading organizations manage documents and emails more efficiently, protect vital information assets, and leverage knowledge to drive better business outcomes. As your strategic business partner, we employ our award-winning AI-enabled technology, an extensive partner ecosystem, and a customer-centric approach to provide support and guidance you can trust to make knowledge work for you. iManage is relied on by more than one million professionals at 4,000 organizations around the world. Visit www.imanage.com to learn more.