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UI or AI in Legal Tech? Which One Should Chief Knowledge Officers Invest In?

Matt Pollins

Matt Pollins

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    Artificial intelligence (AI). What was once a futuristic idea is now a present reality, opening up new frontiers for automating and enhancing internal processes. No wonder a recent report highlighted AI and automation as a top legal trend for 2023.1

    This comes amid a backdrop of increased investment in legal technology, with law firms increasing their tech spending by over 7% last year, despite an overall trend towards cutting expenses.2

    But AI isn’t the only way to build a more streamlined and efficient law firm. There’s another idea that Chief Knowledge Officers (CKOs) should be looking to invest in: an outstanding UI (user interface) and UX (user experience).

    In this article, we’ll weigh up the pros and cons of investing in both AI and UI, giving you the info you need to supercharge your legal practice.  

    Suggested reading: A recent survey found that 60% of lawyers feel dissatisfied with their current tech stack. So, what’s going wrong, and what’s the solution? Read our article to find out: Can Legal Tech Be Trusted in 2023?  

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    AI in legal tech

    AI is a machine’s ability to simulate the cognitive functions we typically associate with the human mind — fancy stuff like synthesizing new information, solving problems, and generating ideas. 

    This technology has been around for a while, but its accessibility and use cases have exploded in the last year. ChatGPT, for example, recently became the fastest-growing technology in history, hitting 100 million active users within two months of its launch. Pretty crazy, right? 

    Like all other industries, legal is trying to understand how best to leverage the power of AI. Its ability to rapidly source information and answer human prompts makes it a powerful research tool, with just over a quarter (27%) of law firms currently using it for legal research purposes.3 

    AI is also handy when it comes to automating repetitive, transactional processes. Here are some key examples:

    • Task and matter management: AI can generate and send automated reminders or follow-ups throughout projects.
    • Client onboarding: AI can automate onboarding workflows, providing a consistently excellent onboarding journey at scale.
    • Marketing: From automated lead generation to chatbots, AI can help law firms streamline all sorts of marketing processes.
    • Billing: AI can automatically track billable hours and generate accurate invoices.

    And this is just scratching the surface. In reality, if there’s a workflow involving repetitive manual tasks, chances are AI can help.

    Cons of Investing in AI

    AI is a game-changer for the legal industry, but it’s not without its drawbacks. In this section, we’ll counterbalance the hype by looking at some of AI’s current limitations. 

    It’s still not all that intelligent

    AI has come a long way, but the term ‘artificial intelligence’ is still a bit of a misnomer. AI in legal tech is currently more about automation than intelligence – sure it can write up the first draft of an email or marketing post, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the level of expertise or application of knowledge needed to argue cases or draw up proper contracts.

    Any platforms promising ‘hyper-intelligence’ should therefore be met with a good deal of skepticism.

    Little room for customization

    Every law firm or legal department has its own way of working. With this in mind, technology should be flexible enough to adapt to teams rather than the other way around. 

    For all its wow factor, AI isn’t able to account for the nuances of a specific legal practice, instead being used mostly for ‘general’ processes. This can sometimes make it more of a hindrance than a help. 

    Slow time to value

    Once set up, AI has the potential to simplify your legal work. The problem is that getting to that point can be complicated. That’s because AI is an inherently complex technology requiring a lot of know-how to set up and integrate with your current tech stack. 

    At the same time, machine learning (ML) algorithms take time to build, train, and deploy. This might put off legal teams looking for a fast ROI.

    Not everything can be automated

    Yes, repetitive transactional processes are ripe for automation. But beyond that, the legal industry involves all sorts of human processes that AI simply cannot adequately replace. 

    Would you hire an AI to handle all of your client interactions? Would you use ChatGPT to make legal judgments for you? Not everything can – or should – be automated.

    UI in Legal Tech 

    A UI, or user interface, is the touchpoint where humans interact with digital technology, whether that’s computer software, an app, or an electronic device. 

    The primary goal of a UI is to provide an outstanding UX — and that means making tech as frictionless as possible. So think fewer clicks, simpler navigation, and user journeys that are slick and seamless.

    A good UI brings many benefits to your law firm or legal department, allowing you to: 

    • Learn and adopt new applications quickly and easily.
    • Build more efficient workflows that lay a clear path to completing matters or projects.
    • Present information and data more clearly — e.g. matter progression or budget monitoring.
    • Make the most of highly customisable legal tech apps.

    Cons of Investing in UI

    Good UI is an excellent way to remove friction and improve workflows, but it doesn’t necessarily offer the automation capabilities that AI does. That means you’ll still have some of those repetitive manual tasks to handle. 

    Beyond that, however, there’s not much to report when it comes to UI cons. All the apps and programs you use should have a good UI. It’s the minimum you’d expect from interactions with any tech. Would Apple be so successful if their iPhones weren’t so simple to use?

    UI should be a priority for any CKO looking to add new tools to their tech stack.

    UI Built for Lawyers

    AI definitely has its place in a modern legal tech stack. But despite the current hype, it’s still a nascent technology with a long way to go. 

    For the time being, CKOs should be prioritizing platforms with outstanding UI and UX. After all, what matters to the success of a law firm is how team members collaborate with each and their clients, not how well they collaborate with a machine. 

    By investing in technology that facilitates human collaboration through a slick and intuitive UI, you transform your law firm’s productivity while ensuring better outcomes for your clients.

    In other words, you need Lupl: a legal project management platform built for lawyers. With Lupl, you can: 

    • Gain a complete view of your tasks and project statuses via our intuitive dashboard.
    • Connect your existing tech stack — including WhatsApp, Office, and Google Drive — in one central hub.
    • Collaborate seamlessly with colleagues and clients.
    • Access what you need on any device or browser.

    The story around AI and how it can impact the legal world will continue to unfold. At some point, all legal CKOs will need to look at how they can fit AI tools into their tech stack. 

    And when that time comes, they must ask themselves an important question: How good is the UI? 

    Interested in finding out more about Lupl’s amazing UI? Well, seeing is believing. Book a demo today and experience it for yourself. 

    legal disruption

    1  Top 2023 Legal Trends.

    2  TR State of the Market Report 2022.

    3  AI-assisted lawtech: its impact on law firms.

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      # 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

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