Legal leaders answer the call for change in 2024 – find out more with iManage
Over the past 18 months, law firms have undergone a dramatic realignment both in how they operate in the present and how they prepare for the future. iManage wanted to better understand how firms are thinking about and navigating this consequential shift.
That’s why we joined with Affinity Consulting and CARET in engaging Ari Kaplan Advisors to research the thinking and actions of midsize law firm leaders. These high-level professionals are in the thick of it: executing collaborative change, generating meaningful value, and creating a competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving market.
Key themes: Legal leaders answer the call for change in 2024 reflects Ari Kaplan’s research. Topics concerning innovation, transformative growth strategies, and the intersecting challenges of talent and technology figure prominently in The Changemakers Report.
iManage probed the data as well. We identify the findings we found most compelling for this market in two additional editorial assets that share our interpretation and unique perspective on those important areas of interest.
In Legal Leaders answer the call for change in 2024: Key themes, we consider law firm leaders’ view of technology as an investment in the firm’s future success, and look at how staff perceptions inform leaders’ approach to implementing new technologies. We also examine how the study respondents are thinking about generative AI: what they see as its potential for good, as well as its potential for harm. The leaders almost universally agree that they can improve how they manage collective knowledge, which prompted us to dig a little deeper into those aspirations. Finally, we delve into what the leaders view as their biggest hurdles to overcome, and where they see the most pivotal opportunities for growth.
Then, in Legal Leaders answer the call for change in 2024: The iManage view, we observe how change has become a constant for law firm operations and explore how this new reality renders change management — and certain leadership attributes and actions — a critical necessity for making the most of the opportunities available.
In an era dominated by generative AI, talent, culture, and technology all have a place in securing your firm’s financial health and strengthening your competitive advantage. And the leaders who answer the call to be or become changemakers are poised to achieve the greatest success.
About the study
Between February 28, 2024, and March 29, 2024, legal industry analyst Ari Kaplan interviewed 19 chief operating officers, eight chief information officers, and three executive directors at midsize law firms about change empowerment, modern leadership, personalized client service supplemented with automated support, and future-proofing an uncertain legal landscape. The participants are from law firms ranging in size from 13 to 230 lawyers and 22 to 390 professionals. The median size firm represented is 129 professionals and 67 lawyers.
