Discussions about innovation in the legal department are often centered on technology, but the ideas and attitudes that support the selection of cutting-edge processes or promote creative approaches to tough problems are just as important as a shiny new technology solution itself.

“Predictive coding [and] technology-assisted review (TAR) might currently be the big thing, but you don't win an award because you purchased a TAR for your legal department,” says Alvin Lindsay, a partner at Hogan Lovells LLP and an expert on technology and litigation.

The experience that allows a team to determine that a solution is a poor fit is much more important than snapping up a new solution for novelty's sake. Likewise, a cultural attitude of openness can potentially give legal operations an edge.