As with any product, you should know who your target demographic is, and legal technology is no different. Directors of research at several large firms offered their insights and past experiences deploying technology at the “From Conversation to Conversion: Tips to Get Lawyers to Use New Tech” Legalweek session.

June Liebert, Sidley Austin's firmwide director of its library and research services, explained that choosing valuable software should be based on what a lawyer's practice needs are. For software to be deemed beneficial, it must help them address a client's matter.

For Cynthia Brown of Littler Mendelson, the first step with any new solution is testing its ability. After that, it's on to promoting and attracting lawyer engagement with the new product. Panelists agreed that promotion of the product should emphasize how it will improve a lawyer's day to day work.

“Basically we are taking the approach when we promote products that the idea is not to promote the product but what is going to make their lives more easier, make them more efficient, help them support their clients more effectively,” said Cheryl Smith, O'Melveny & Myers' director of information services.

Obtaining a firm leader to champion the product early on is also valuable promotion, the panel added.

After a technology is deployed, data analytics can offer useful insight regarding its usage and provide evidence for its continued support and information on who its key users are, added Jean O'Grady of DLA Piper.

“It's so critical to be able to understand what lawyers are using and who are the bigger users. When a vendor is discontinuing a product or the law firm decides to no longer purchase the product, knowing beforehand which lawyers are using what products is important,” she said.

To be sure, technology adoption rates can vary, and they may take some time to grow. “The adoption is not going to be immediate, it's OK if there's a curve,” O'Grady said. “It is OK for lawyers to come to you and ask you to 'use it for me now, and I'll learn it later.'”

For example, a boot camp training at DLA Piper teaching associates how to use analytic programs to help with their cases was an “adoption by proxy,” O'Grady said.

“It raised the general awareness that analytics are available and [allowed] lawyers [to] ask new questions,” O'Grady said. She added DLA Piper saw consistently higher usage of analytic programs after the boot camp.