Legal Efficiency 2.0: The Right Work, The Right Tools
Jim Field • August 18, 2025
The definition of efficiency in law has changed. It’s no longer about squeezing more billable hours into the same day. It’s about doing the right work with the right tools. Firms that understand this shift are creating an advantage that their competitors can’t easily match.
Moving Beyond “More with Less”
For decades, efficiency meant cutting costs, speeding processes, and doing more in less time. That formula has limits. It can drain teams, reduce client focus, and sometimes even erode quality.
Today’s most effective firms are rethinking efficiency. They’re asking, “Where do we deliver the most value, and what tools help us deliver that value?” Increasingly, the answer involves technology.
Technology Changes the Equation
Systems like AI-assisted document review, automated intake systems, and workflow management platforms can free attorneys to focus on higher-value work.
That means more than just cost savings. It means improving responsiveness, accuracy, and client experience. For small firms, this can level the playing field with much larger competitors.
The advantage doesn’t result from simply having the tool. The key is using it strategically, so every hour saved is an hour invested in what matters most.
The Role of an Operating Model
Technology adoption without structure can lead to frustration, wasted investment, and inconsistent client service.
A clear operating model defines how solutions are selected, introduced, and integrated into daily work. This model makes efficiency gains sustainable and ensures they’re aligned with client expectations.
It’s the difference between chasing the latest technology innovation, and building a system that consistently delivers results.
The Path Forward
Efficiency is more than a numbers game. It’s a strategy. For firms ready to think differently, the rewards go far beyond the bottom line.
Across the U.S., small law firms are confronting challenges that, until recently, were the exclusive domain of large firms. Increased client expectations. Rising technology demands. Talent retention pressures. Competitive threats from startups, PE-backed legal shops, and AI-first players.
The promise of legal technology is real. But without the right guardrails, that same technology can put a firm’s reputation, and its clients’ trust, at risk.