article-time-estimate-icon

4 minute read

Law Firm Business Development Starts and Ends with Tech

Ab Saraswat

Ab Saraswat

In this article

    At the beginning of last year Bruce Baude, Global Chief Technology Officer of Deloitte Legal stated that the use of legal technologies in 2023 will “ensure reuse of knowledge, consistency of service, better legal risk management and will allow for technology-based self-service, allowing lawyers to focus on bespoke complex legal issues."1

    Now, with 2023 behind us, it is clear that law firms need to embrace the ongoing digital revolution. The business landscape is undergoing a huge transformation, and the legal industry is no exception.

    So what are the benefits of embracing innovation in the legal field?

    • Higher productivity
    • Exceptional client service
    • Improved collaboration
    • Competitive advantage
    • Cost savings

    Surveys reveal that over 60% of law firms want to use digital tools to enhance productivity and efficiency,2 yet only 14% believe that technology is being utilized to its full potential.3 This gap presents a huge opportunity to unlock the true power of technology.

    In this article, we'll dive into the world of legal tech and explore how it plays a crucial role in business development for law firms.

    Suggested reading: Want to learn more about the challenges and possibilities of digital transformation in the legal industry? Check out, Is Successful Digital Transformation in The Legal Industry Even Possible?

    Client Relationship Management

    A law firm's success rests heavily on its client base. So, how satisfied are your current clients, and can you confidently promise exceptional service to potential clients?

    Did you know that fewer than 10% of customers actually get to speak to a lawyer when they call a law firm? Or that 40% of those who leave a message end up waiting two or three days before they hear back?

    Shockingly, US companies lose a staggering $62 billion in revenue every year due to subpar customer service.4

    It's simple: the more satisfied clients your firm has, the more business you're likely to attract. Client satisfaction boils down to timely delivery of legal matters, staying within budget, and delivering top-notch quality work.

    This is where legal project management (LPM) technology can help. The right platform can automate manual parts of the legal process (such as research collation), make task delegation clear, and encourage client communication through messaging integrations.

    Suggested reading: Not sure what legal project management exactly is? Check out our handy What is legal project management? guide to find out.

    Saving Time and Money

    "Streamlining workflows" is a fancy buzzword, but it is also a genuinely vital ingredient for successful business development in the legal industry.

    The ability to deliver matters efficiently directly impacts how many cases your law firm can handle effectively. In today's fast-paced business landscape, where time is of the essence, optimizing workflows is not just a smart move — it's essential and it’s expected, by your clients, board members, and the courts.

    And the benefits of embracing digital tools go beyond just being eco-friendly. With digital document delivery and signage, you'll be able to accelerate client interaction and keep much better records. By employing digital task management, you’ll be able to easily see who is responsible for what and the status of each action item. What’s more, by embracing new tech like Lupl, you can reduce reliance on older, clunkier tech, like emails for project management and communication, making it easier for everyone to stay on track and find what they need, when they need it.

    Let's explore three key benefits that the right legal tech platform can bring to the table:

    1. Effortless task management: Assigning projects to the right people with the right skills becomes a breeze with the right legal tech platform. Say goodbye to guesswork and hello to streamlined task allocation. By optimizing resource allocation, you'll boost efficiency, avoid bottlenecks, and never have to worry about something slipping through the cracks.
    2. Bringing everything together: Juggling countless documents, matters, and research can be a nightmare. Luckily, a reliable legal tech platform brings all these elements together in one easily accessible hub, saving precious time and effort.
    3. Eliminating manual communication: With a comprehensive legal tech platform, you can say farewell to disjointed communications. Platforms like Lupl allow for integrations with commonly used communication tools like WhatsApp, so that all conversations and shared documents can be tracked in a single source of truth.

    Christopher Hutter, Partner IP at Cooley, claimed that Lupl cut emails by a staggering 75%. By implementing cutting-edge technology like Lupl, they revolutionized communication within their firm, saving loads of time and boosting overall efficiency.

    Suggested reading: If you want to learn more about how Lupl can benefit your law firm check out, Unlock The Full Potential Of Lupl: Introducing The Use Case Library  

    Information-Driven Decision Making 

    Legal professionals deal with mountains of information on a daily basis and by unearthing the insights from that data, partners can optimize both current and future business ventures and decision-making.

    How effectively are matters handled? Are there opportunities to upsell services to existing clients? Which types of cases are the most profitable? These are the questions that can be answered by leveraging a tool that can track anything from your client interactions to serving as an archive for your matters.

    Luckily, legal tech has come a long way in helping law firms make sense of that array of information they have on hand. Good tech solutions keep comprehensive records of matters, store documents in the cloud for easy access, and collate valuable insights from your firm's data.

    When you combine the above with the right software, your law firm can see renewed benefits in various areas, including:

    • Improved matter management
    • Strategic business planning
    • Enhanced client relationship management
    • Performance evaluation and benchmarking
    • Compliance and risk management

    By leveraging the power of the right legal tech platform, you can make better-informed, educated decisions, optimize your operations, and drive law firm business development to new heights.

    Put Business Development On Track with Lupl

    So we can now see how instrumental legal tech is for business development. But what software should partners choose to facilitate this?

    Introducing Lupl: a leading platform designed specifically with lawyers and legal professionals in mind. It's a solution geared towards LPM, which, as we've discussed, is key to nurturing strong client relationships.

    Remember the quote from Bruce Baude at the beginning? Leveraging technology for knowledge reuse, service consistency, and legal risk management is at the heart of what we do, and we are excited to see how firms evolve with Lupl today.

    Ready to experience the transformative potential of Lupl? Don't delay! Book a free demo and unlock a new level of business development for your law firm.

    1  Deloitte Legal Predictions 2023 | Deloitte 

    2  Systematic Planning Report 2022 | Legal Management Practice

    3  The Orange Rag June 2022 | Legal IT Insider

    4  How Important is Customer Satisfaction for the Legal Sector? | Reputation X

    In this article

      More legal tech insights we think you'll love

      The cost of over-dependence on AI

      AI saves us time, boosts productivity, and lets us do...

      # Lupl Workstream Design Principles: A Practical Guide to Legal Project Management for Lawyers Legal project management works when your setup is simple, ownership is clear, and statuses are unambiguous. This guide shows how to turn existing processes and checklists into a lean, reliable Workstream. Lupl is the legal project management platform for law firms, making it easy and intuitive to apply these principles. It also supports moving your work from Excel, Word tables, or if you are transitioning from Microsoft Planner, Smartsheet, or Monday. You will learn what belongs in a Workstream, a Task, or a Step, and which columns to use. If you want practical project management for lawyers, start here. **Excerpt:** Legal project management works when ownership, dates, and statuses are clear. This guide shows lawyers how to turn checklists into Lupl Workstreams with the right columns, Tasks, and Steps. Use it to standardize project management for lawyers, reduce follow ups, and move matters to done. --- ## How to organize your work with Workstreams, Tasks, and Steps Workstreams, Tasks, and Steps are three different types of objects in Lupl. They form a simple hierarchy. Workstreams contain Tasks. Tasks may contain optional Steps. This hierarchy aligns with standard project management. In project management, you break work into projects, deliverables, and subtasks. Lupl adapts this for lawyers by using Workstreams, Tasks, and Steps. This makes it easier to map legal processes to a structure that teams can track and manage. * **Workstream.** Use when you have many similar or related items to track over time. Think of the Workstream as the table. * Examples: closing checklist, court deadlines, pretrial preparation, regulatory obligations, due diligence, local counsel management. * **Task.** A high level unit of legal work. A key deliverable with an owner and a due date. Tasks are the rows. * Examples: File motion. Prepare Shareholder Agreement. Submit Q3 report. * **Step.** An optional short checklist inside a single Task. Steps roll up to the parent Task. * Examples: Draft. QC. Partner review. E file. Serve. ### Quick test * If it can be overdue by itself, make it a Task. * If it only helps complete a Task, make it a Step. * If you need different columns or owners, create a separate Workstream. --- ## Do you need to track everything in Lupl Not every detail needs to be tracked in a project management system. The principle is to capture what drives accountability and progress. In Lupl, that means focusing on deliverables, not every micro action. * Use the level of detail you would bring to a weekly team meeting agenda. * Position Tasks as key deliverables. Treat Steps as optional micro tasks to show progress. * Example: You need client instructions. Do not add a Task for "Email client to request a call." Just make the call. If the client approves a key deliverable on the call, mark that item Approved in Lupl so the team has visibility. --- ## Start with the Core 5 columns Columns are the backbone of a Workstream. They define what information is tracked for each Task. In project management terms, these are your core metadata fields. They keep everyone aligned without overcomplicating the table. Keep the table narrow. You can add later. These five work across most legal project management use cases. 1. **Title.** Start with a verb. Example: File answer to complaint. 2. **Status.** Five to seven clear choices. Example: Not started, In progress, For review, For approval, Done. 3. **Assignee.** One named owner per row. If you add multiple assignees for collaboration, still name a primary owner. 4. **Due date.** One date per row. 5. **Type or Category.** Show different kinds of work in one table. Example: Filing, Discovery, Signature, Approval. **Priority.** Add only if you actively triage by priority each week. If added, keep it simple: High, Medium, Low. --- ## Add up to three Helper columns Lupl includes a set of pre made columns you can use out of the box. These allow you to customize Workstreams around different phases or stages of a matter. They also let you map how you already track transactional work, litigation, or other processes. Helper columns are optional fields that add context. In task management, these are similar to tags or attributes you use to sort and filter work. The key is to only add what you will update and use. Pick only what you will use. Stop when you reach three. * Party or Counterparty * Jurisdiction or Court * Phase * Approver * Approval, status or yes or no * Signature status * Risk, RAG * Amount or Number * External ID or Client ID * Document or Link * Docket number * Client entity **Guidance** * For Task Workstreams, prefer Approver, Approval, Risk. The rest are more common in Custom Workstreams. * Aim for eight columns or fewer in your main table. Put detail in the Task description, attachments, or Steps. --- ## Simple rules that keep your table clean Consistency is critical in project management. A cluttered or inconsistent table slows teams down. These rules ensure your Workstream remains usable and clear. * Only add a column people will update during the matter. If it never changes, set a default at the Workstream level or set a default value in the column. * Only add a column you will sort or filter on. If you will not use it to find or group work, leave it out. * If a value changes inside one Task, use Steps. Steps show progress without widening the table. * Keep columns short and structured. Use Description for brief context or instructions. Use Task comments for discussion and decisions. Link to work product in your DMS as the source of truth. * One accountable owner per Task and one due date. You can add collaborators, but always name a primary owner who moves the Task. If different people or dates apply to different parts, split into separate Tasks or capture the handoff as Steps. * Add automations after you lock the design. Finalize columns and status definitions first. Then add simple reminders and escalations that read those fields. --- ## Status hygiene that everyone understands Status is the single most important column in project management. It tells the team where the work stands. Too many options cause confusion. Too few cause misalignment. In Lupl, keep it simple and consistent. * Five to seven statuses are enough. * Use one review gate, For review or For approval. Use both only if your process needs two gates. * One terminal status, Done. This is the end state of the Task. Use Archived only if you report on it or need it for retention workflows. --- ## When to split into multiple Workstreams In project management, it is best practice to separate workstreams when workflows, owners, or audiences diverge. Lupl makes this easy by letting you create multiple Workstreams for one matter. Create a new Workstream if any of the following are true. * You need a different set of columns for a chunk of work. * Ownership or cadence is different, for example daily docketing vs monthly reporting. * The audience or confidentiality needs are different. **Signal** * If half your rows leave several columns blank, you are mixing processes. Split the table. --- ## Decision tree, three quick questions Use this quick framework to decide where an item belongs. This is the same principle used in task management software, adapted for legal workflows. 1. Is this a list of similar items over time, or a discrete phase of the matter * Yes. Create a Workstream. 2. Can it be overdue by itself, and does it need an owner * Yes. Create a Task. 3. Is it a step to finish a Task and not tracked on its own * Yes. Create a Step. --- ## Common mistakes to avoid Many project management failures come from overdesigning or misusing the structure. Avoid these mistakes to keep your Workstreams lean and effective. * Wide tables with many optional columns. Keep it to eight or fewer. * Two columns for the same idea, for example Status and Phase that overlap. Merge or define clearly. * More than one approval gate when one would do. It slows work and confuses owners. * Mixing unrelated processes in one table, for example signatures and invoice approvals. --- ## Build your first Workstream Building a Workstream is like setting up a project board. Keep it light, pilot it, then refine. Lupl is designed to let you do this quickly without heavy admin work. 1. Write the Workstream purpose in one sentence. 2. Add the Core 5 columns. 3. Add at most three Helpers you will use. 4. Define clear Status meanings in plain words. 5. Set defaults for any value that repeats on most rows, for example Jurisdiction. 6. Add two light automations, a due soon reminder and an overdue nudge. 7. Pilot for one week and adjust. --- ## Where this fits in legal project management Use these principles to standardize project management for lawyers across matters. Keep structures consistent. Reuse column sets and status definitions. Your team will find work faster, reduce follow ups, and close loops on time. --- ### On page SEO helpers * Suggested title tag. Lupl Workstream Design Principles, Practical Legal Project Management for Lawyers * Suggested meta description. Learn how to design lean Lupl Workstreams for legal project management. Get clear rules for Tasks, Steps, statuses, and columns to run matters with confidence. * Suggested URL slug. legal-project-management-for-lawyers-workstream-design

      Lupl Workstream Design Principles: A Practical Guide to Legal Project Management for Lawyers

      Learn why large‑firm lawyers are ditching Excel checklists for dynamic,...

      Do AI Agents Have An Identity? Notes from InfoSec Discussions

      Agentic AI is in its early phases but advancing fast....