The mountain of client and matter data law firms collect is finally being put to good use to automate insights regarding service demand, said a group of Big Law executives during an Intapp Connect20 panel. But as the use of data analytics technology in law firms grows, lawyers' reluctance and dirty data concerns could stall adoption.

During Intapp's virtual "The Era of the Connected Firm" panel on Tuesday, speakers discussed how integrated data was enhancing their legal service delivery. Moderator and Intapp Inc. board member Ralph Baxter noted software is finally centralizing decades of knowledge information previously spread across a firm's offices.

"With all of these offices and practices, it's really a challenge to take advantage of the collective information of the firm," he said. "The good news is, most of it is recorded. The better news is that it is digital."