Despite law’s reputation for being slow adopters, legal teams don’t lack technology. If anything, the bigger challenge is managing too much of it.
Over time, many firms have built up a mix of tools to support knowledge management, current awareness, business development and marketing. Each was introduced to solve a specific need. But together, they often create new challenges around fragmented workflows, duplicated effort, and unclear value.
As expectations shift, there’s growing pressure to take a step back and ask: is our tech stack still working for us?
Despite how it is normally presented, optimizing it isn’t just about reducing cost. It’s about making sure your technology supports how your teams work today and preparing for the future.
A fragmented tech stack rarely fails outright. Instead, it creates small inefficiencies that build over time.
Content sits in different systems. The same alerts are recreated more than once (often by different teams, unaware they are duplicating work). Teams rely on manual workarounds to connect tools. And despite ongoing investment, adoption can remain inconsistent.
For knowledge managers and librarians, that often means more time managing systems than delivering insight. For BD and marketing teams, it can lead to missed opportunities to connect with prospects or to share timely, relevant content.
The issue isn’t always the tools themselves, it’s how well they work together.
The role of legal tech is evolving.
Tools that once focused on information access are now expected to support wider business goals, from client engagement to revenue growth. At the same time, BD and marketing teams are increasingly reliant on curated, high-quality insights.
This shift creates a need for more connected, streamlined systems. Not more tools, but better ones.
A useful way to approach optimization is to assess your stack through three lenses.
Some tools will continue to deliver clear value. These are well adopted, easy to use, and embedded in daily workflows.
Look beyond usage alone. If a tool supports multiple teams and contributes to business outcomes, it’s likely worth keeping.
Other tools may no longer meet your needs.
Low adoption, limited functionality, poor interconnectivity, or an inability to support evolving use cases - particularly for BD and marketing - are common indicators. Legacy systems often fall into this category.
Replacing tools can feel disruptive, but it’s often necessary to stay aligned with future requirements.
Consolidation is often where the biggest gains can be made.
Many firms use multiple tools for similar tasks across different departments - tracking news, sending alerts, or curating content. This overlap increases cost and adds unnecessary complexity.
Bringing these capabilities together can simplify workflows, improve consistency, increase transparency, and make it easier to measure impact.
A more streamlined tech stack doesn’t just improve efficiency, it also improves collaboration.
When systems are disconnected, knowledge tends to stay within individual teams. Knowledge teams create content, business development teams identify opportunities with new and existing clients, and marketing distribute it, while lawyers consume it. Often there is limited visibility between them.
An integrated approach allows content and insights to flow more easily across teams. It also supports a more consistent, joined-up experience for end users.
As legal professionals take on more strategic roles, this kind of alignment becomes increasingly important.
An effective tech stack isn’t defined by how many tools you have, but by how well they work together.
In practice, this means:
The result is a more efficient, scalable environment. One that supports better decision-making and stronger client engagement.
For many firms, the goal isn’t to add more technology. It’s to make better use of what’s already in place.
By taking a structured approach to what to keep, replace or consolidate, legal teams can reduce complexity and build a tech stack that genuinely supports their wider goals.
Because the most effective tech stack isn’t the biggest, it’s the one that works.
Ready to deliver more personalised client insights?
See how Vable helps legal teams curate and share relevant content at scale.