How to build the dream team for legaltech adoption: The key to success every law firm needs
Imagine rolling out a powerful new legaltech tool at your law firm—without chaos, confusion, or endless email chains. Sounds ideal, right? Yet, many firms discover the real challenge isn’t the technology itself but the team driving its adoption.
The single most important factor in a successful legaltech rollout isn’t the software, it’s the team behind it.
Let’s explore why a dedicated, purpose-built project team makes or breaks legaltech adoption—and how you can assemble your own “dream team” to set your firm up for success.
Why a project team makes or breaks legaltech adoption
Too often, legaltech change initiatives land in “no man’s land,” with nobody truly in charge or aware of what’s supposed to happen next. When ownership is unclear, communication frays, milestones get missed, and users become frustrated. Before long, the shiny new software risks becoming just another underused tool.
The best law firms avoid this fate by assembling a dedicated adoption team early in the process. This isn’t just a checkbox on a project plan; it’s the difference between smooth sailing and digital disaster.
Here’s why:
Bridges Departments: A well-crafted project team ensures IT, innovation, knowledge management, and front-line lawyers all have a voice. This eliminates silos before they form and ensures operational and user perspectives align.
Cuts Through Red Tape: With a single, empowered leader endorsed by top management, communication stays swift and focused. This leader becomes the go-to point both internally and for the software vendor, reducing confusion and accelerating decision-making.
Simply put, a strong project team creates clarity, coordination, and momentum—keys to turning technology into real value.
Who belongs on your legaltech project team?
Your adoption team should be a cross-functional squad, bringing together a mix of operational experts, experienced lawyers, and vendor insights.
1. Operational All-Stars
These are your champions from the critical operational areas directly involved with or impacted by the technology, such as:
IT Professionals: They handle technical integration, troubleshooting, and ensure the infrastructure supports the new tool.
Knowledge Management Experts: They ensure the software aligns with how your firm captures and shares knowledge.
Innovation and Change Management Leaders: These team members foster a culture open to new processes and help guide the project’s pace and user readiness.
Support and Administrative Staff: Their practical insight into day-to-day workflows helps prevent unseen operational roadblocks.
2. Lawyers Who Know the Grind
Choose two to five lawyers who realistically represent the variety within your firm’s practice areas, such as transactional, litigation, and regulatory practices. When selecting:
Seek lawyers with enough experience to understand the firm’s real workflow challenges.
Avoid only very senior lawyers. Instead, favor those “in the trenches” — those who work day-to-day with client matters and will actively use the technology.
Prioritize practical wisdom and a willingness to provide candid feedback over rank or status.
Their end-user perspective is invaluable for identifying functional needs and promoting peer adoption.
3. Vendor’s Inside Track
Invite a representative from the technology provider to participate in team meetings. Why?
They bring hard-earned experience from many other client implementations.
They offer deep knowledge of the software’s features, limitations, and best practices.
Their early input helps anticipate challenges, customize training, and streamline support.
Treat the vendor as a true partner, not just a salesperson. This collaboration speeds troubleshooting and adaptation.
Game-Changers for a winning rollout
A strong team alone isn’t enough. Certain practices turn a good team into a great one:
One Captain, Many Players
Your project team needs a dedicated leader—someone formally recognized and supported by top management. This leader functions as the single point of accountability and communication. When everyone knows who’s steering the ship, collaboration deepens, and decision bottlenecks fade away.
Crystal-Clear Roles
From Day One, clearly map out individual responsibilities:
Who owns each key task?
What are the deadlines?
How and when should any issues be escalated?
A simple one-page team charter capturing roles, goals, timelines, and escalation paths helps prevent confusion and enforces accountability.
Open-Door Policy
Encourage honest, unfiltered feedback, especially from your “trench lawyers.” Those closest to daily workflows spot practical obstacles and improvement opportunities faster than anyone else. Make it safe and routine for them to speak up.
Team Charter
Create and publicize a straightforward charter that summarizes the team’s mission, member roles, and objectives. This transparency sets expectations internally and helps maintain focus throughout the project lifecycle.
Vendor as Team Member
Include the software vendor as an integral team member rather than an outsider. Their expertise will often shortcut problem solving and enrich user training materials.
Tactical tips for immediate impact
Pick Lawyers Who Live the Work: Avoid selecting lawyers just for prestige. Look for those who frequently use technology and understand daily firm realities.
Get Visible Executive Buy-In: Top management backing legitimizes the project and motivates participation across departments.
Hold Regular All-Hands Meetings: Bring the entire team (including the vendor) together often to tackle roadblocks, celebrate wins, and keep the initiative on track.
Document Every Meeting: Circulate clear summaries of action items and next steps. This keeps everyone accountable and aligned.
Identify Internal Ambassadors: Empower key lawyers within each practice group to promote adoption and assist peers.
Leverage Vendor Resources: Utilize FAQs, training videos, and quick-support channels provided by the vendor to ease user onboarding.
The Payoff: Why your project team is your law firm’s secret weapon
When you invest in assembling a thoughtfully selected, well-organized project team, you pave the way for streamlined legaltech adoption:
Problems get addressed faster before they spiral.
User needs stay front and center, increasing satisfaction and buy-in.
The technology embeds itself into firm workflows rather than gathering dust.
Your law firm becomes more agile, efficient, and ready for the future.
Legaltech success is about much more than features and functionality—it’s about people. Your firm’s most valuable asset in this journey is the team you build from day one.