Why Generic Project Management Tools Fall Short for Law Firms 

The biggest challenges in managing work are fragmented workflows, where emails are stored in one place, task lists in another, and documents in a separate location. Generic project management tools only bridge part of the gap, resulting in friction and a lack of adoption.

Lawyers want a platform that: (1) connects to their core systems (DMS, Calendar, PMS); (2) is available where they work; and (3) improves their existing workflow but feels familiar without needing to learn new heuristics (simplicity in design and experience).

Smartsheet, Monday, and other generic project management tools serve many teams well. However, legal work has specific requirements that generic platforms struggle to address effectively. This post explains why purpose-built legal platforms like Lupl are gaining traction.

TL;DR

General platforms can manage tasks, but legal work runs on documents and matters. When the task tool sits outside the DMS, you get version drift, access gaps, and constant switching between windows. Lupl keeps documents in iManage or NetDocuments, links every task to the record, and fits how lawyers already work. The result is less risk, less friction, and higher adoption.

The core problem

Documents are the work product, precedents, and tightly controlled access. Matters move through checklists, dates, and approvals. The DMS holds the truth. If your task tool is not DMS first, you split the work. You manage tasks in one place and hunt for documents in another.

That split creates predictable problems. Version drift creeps in when people edit the wrong file. Security drifts because DMS permissions and task tool permissions do not match. Focus drops as lawyers bounce between tabs to find links and confirm versions. Admin grows as teams rekey intake data, copy and paste links, and rebuild the same checklists for each matter. Adoption stalls because the interface asks lawyers to think like project managers.

Smartsheet and Monday are built to serve many scenarios. That reach is useful, and it is also a constraint for legal work. Legal teams need a matter model, DMS alignment, and a user experience that feels native and intuitive to a lawyer.

Two advantages that change outcomes

1) Your IP stays where it belongs. Documents remain in the DMS. Version history, retention, and security stay intact. There are no shadow repositories to manage or clean up.

2) Your workflow is not fragmented. Tasks, timelines, checklists, and documents live together. You open the task, open the right document, and work. You spend less time hunting for links and reconciling changes.

What lawyers want from a task management platform

Lawyers want a platform that mirrors the progression of their matters. The unit of work is the matter. Each matter has distinct phases, tasks, due dates, assigned owners, and associated documents. A legal first platform links those parts without copying the documents out of the DMS.

Email and deadlines must be in the flow, so delegation from and visibility of deadlines in Outlook are present. Users want to be able to bring existing checklists and trackers from Excel and Word into the platform without rekeying. Governance should follow the matter, with permissions that inherit from the DMS and an audit-friendly activity trail. Finally, there needs to be depth to adapt as the requirements grow, whether through automation or API availability to connect to systems like Intapp, Elite, or Aderant.

How Lupl fits

Lupl is matter-centric and DMS-first. Documents stay in iManage or NetDocuments.

We focus heavily on a familiar UI/UX that resembles a task list, with columns, tasks, due dates, owners, notes, and attachments. Lawyers can move work on day one because the interface matches familiar mental models.

Automations reduce manual steps. You can route approvals, set reminders, and post updates to your teams. Outlook integration means that tasks can be created from the inbox, and deadlines overlay neatly with existing calendar commitments.

Templates help you start fast. Use a closing checklist, a litigation phase plan, a regulatory steps template, or an investigations tracker. Keep them as is or tailor them to your firm.

A day in the life, two paths

Generic platform path. You start by creating a project or board. The default templates speak to sales or marketing, not legal work. You add columns and statuses, then try to attach the right documents. Links have to be manually created in the DMS, pasted into the platform, and routinely updated. You bounce to the DMS to find the record, confirm the version, and fix permissions. After a few cycles, the grid looks busy, but the work still lives somewhere else.

Lupl path. You open the matter. The language and layout are familiar. Tasks, dates, owners, and checklists sit next to the documents in iManage or NetDocuments. Templates are playbooks for real estate, litigation, or regulatory work. From an email in Outlook, you delegate work in 3 clicks, which is added to the relevant matter, and keep moving. You edit the record, save, and the task, owner, and timeline update automatically.

Quick comparison

Requirement	Lupl	Smartsheet	Monday
Documents stay in iManage or NetDocuments	Native	Link or custom setup	Link or custom setup
Audit-friendly activity trail	Native	Custom model required	Custom model required
Scenario templates	Native	Build or marketplace	Build or marketplace
Intake to task flow	Native	Possible with heavy customization	Possible with heavy customization
Permissions align with DMS	Native	Not available	Not available
Outlook and Teams add-in	Native	Possible with connectors	Possible with connectors
Audit friendly activity trail	Native	Varies by setup	Varies by setup
External sharing options	Native	Possible with setup	Possible with setup

Smartsheet and Monday can achieve parts of this with time, add-ons, and weeks of professional services work. For most firms, the gap is the model. Legal needs a DMS first design and a matter-centric experience.

Making the transition

We already have a generic platform. Keep it for other teams and connect where useful. Use Lupl for legal work so documents stay in the DMS and work stays in one place.

Lawyers are not asking for this. The pain hides in small moments. People hunt for the right version, copy and paste links, and re-key data. Handoffs slip. These moments compound into hours. You do not need more features. You need the work and the documents together, inside the matter.

Senior lawyers will not use it. Do not force new habits. Keep email at the center. A partner can forward an email to the matter or delegate from their inbox. An assistant can update tasks on their behalf. The task still links to the DMS record, so work moves without extra steps. Practice heads and senior partners yearn for updates on key clients or practice capacity.

Adoption plan that works

Start small and prove value fast. Map the current steps and the document touchpoints. Configure a template in Lupl. Connect your DMS and Outlook. Run a sprint with a small group that includes a senior lawyer and their team. Measure cycle time, handoffs, and rework. Capture plain language feedback. Roll out the template and automations practice-wide, then add more templates over time and expand.

Buyer checklist

Use this list when you evaluate options.

• Do documents stay in iManage or NetDocuments without creating a copy?
• Do permissions inherit from the DMS?
• Does intake create tasks and timelines automatically?
• Does the tool integrate Outlook, Teams, and Copilot into the matter?
• Is there an API to create matters from Intapp, Elite, or Aderant?
• Can templates be easily configured for legal work?
• Can lawyers use it on day one with minimal training and without learning project management theory?
• Can assistants and LPMs manage work on behalf of lawyers without extra steps?

Smartsheet and Monday are generic platforms built to serve many scenarios. They are useful for many teams. Legal work has different needs. A law firm first platform like Lupl fits those needs with less risk and less friction.

Call to action

If you want your legal work to live where the work happens, see Lupl in action. Request a demo. We will map two of your workflows, connect your DMS, and put a live matter in motion.