The growing interest in the legal industry for no- or low-code automation tools is being fueled in large part by corporate legal departments eyeing greater efficiency. But while in-house is embracing these tools, many law firms see them as antithetical to their business model.

"What I have seen is that the demand for efficiency and for value [is] coming from the legal departments and I think that is when law firms think they will lose business," said Lourdes Fuentes Slater, founder and CEO of legal operations and law practice management consultancy Karta Legal.

Though the demand for automation is growing in-house, industry observers said the success of such platforms doesn't entirely hinge on in-house lawyer adoption.