The 2024 Technology Perceptions Report by Intapp has revealed some intriguing insights into the impact of technology on job satisfaction and efficiency in law firms. The report surveyed 805 respondents, with 269 identifying as a part of the legal industry in the U.S. and U.K. The report found that legal workers at tech-savvy firms are more satisfied and efficient at their work than those at less technology-forward firms.

Satisfaction and Efficiency in High-Tech Firms

According to the survey, 74% of law firm respondents at high-tech firms reported being highly satisfied overall, compared to 51% at mid- or low-tech firms. This trend also held true when considering whether employees were likely to stay at their jobs (73% vs. 61%) and recommend their organization (75% vs. 53%).

Respondents at high-tech firms were also more likely to say they’re developing expertise in their field, fostering deeper client connections, working efficiently, and creating better outcomes and value than those at mid- or low-tech firms.

The Role of Specific Tools in Job Satisfaction

Lavinia Calvert, Vice President of the Legal Industry Group at Intapp, highlighted the importance of specific tools in driving job satisfaction in law firms. She explained that while some technologies are essential, like time recording, others that could potentially improve employee satisfaction are not as well embraced.

These underutilized technologies often fall at the business development end of the cycle, including tools for managing contacts and company information. The lack of adoption of these higher-value technologies is often due to usability issues or poorly defined use cases by the technology vendors.

Perception of Tech-Savviness and AI Usage

The survey revealed that only 35% of legal industry respondents believed their firm was highly tech-savvy, compared with 43% of the accounting firm respondents, 50% from consulting, and 62% from the finance market.

One possible reason for this perception amongst the legal industry could be the limited understanding of how much artificial intelligence (AI) they use in their jobs and what tasks could be automated. Only 32% of legal respondents believed they use AI in their jobs, compared with 40% of respondents in consulting firms, 59% in accounting firms, and 64% in financial organizations.

Calvert noted that legal professionals might not be aware they’re using AI within the applications their firm employs. There might be differences in perceptions around generative AI versus other types of AI that are generally used in personal and professional instances.

However, as many firms are now embracing AI, this lack of awareness may become less common in the future. Legal respondents said they could save considerable time with AI, including an estimated seven hours a week to generate documents, and five hours a week to summarize data or perform data entry.

The 2024 Technology Perceptions Report underscores the significant role of technology, particularly AI, in enhancing job satisfaction and efficiency in the legal industry.