Legal Tech Evaluation

Define the Need

• Document the specific pain points the technology would address (e.g.time loss, organizational gaps, collaboration bottlenecks, or billing inefficiencies) before you contact any vendors. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: High

• Gather input from everyone who would use the system, not just the people proposing it. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium
• Consult with whoever handles IT at your firm early to surface any technical constraints or compatibility issues before you've committed to a direction. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium
• Identify at least one potential champion within firm leadership before you begin building your case. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium

Research and Compare Options

• Demo at least 3 to 5 vendors, using your documented needs as your evaluation guide throughout. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium

• Build a comparison matrix covering features, pricing, security standards, support, and how well each option addresses your specific needs. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium
• Reach out to peers at other firms already using the technology for unfiltered feedback before you finalize your recommendation. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium

Understand the Full Cost

• Confirm setup and implementation fees in addition to ongoing subscription costs. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium

• Clarify both initial and ongoing training costs and what is included versus what costs extra. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium
• Ask about contract length, cancellation terms, and data migration costs before you present any numbers to leadership. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium

Build and Deliver Your Presentation

• Lead with a concrete illustration of the problem, such as a specific inefficiency, a quantified time cost, a workflow that isn't working, before you introduce the solution. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium

• Quantify the return on investment where possible: hours saved per week, cases that can be handled more efficiently, billing time recovered. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium
• Prepare responses to the five most common objections—cost, risk, implementation time, disruption to current processes, and client impact—before you walk into the room. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium
• End with a specific recommendation and clear next steps, not an open question. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium
• Practice the presentation out loud before the meeting; the first time you say something wrong shouldn't be in front of leadership. Timeline: 24 hours before • Priority: Medium