Top 5 Legal Technology Trends to Watch in 2023

As we move further into the 21st century, technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our lives—including in the legal profession. The use of legal technology is growing so rapidly that it can be hard to keep up with the latest trends. To help you stay ahead of the curve, we've put together a list of the five legal technology trends that we think will be most important in 2023.

1. Cloud Computing

One of the biggest legal technology trends of recent years has been the move to cloud computing. More and more law firms are using cloud-based solutions for everything from document storage and management to time tracking and billing. The benefits of cloud computing are numerous, but one of the biggest is that it allows firms to operate more efficiently and with less overhead. We expect this trend to continue to grow in popularity in 2023 and beyond.

2. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is another legal technology trend that is beginning to gain traction in the profession. While AI has been used in a number of different industries for years now, its use in law is still relatively new. However, there are several potential applications for AI in the legal field, from predictive coding to contract management (cough, cough, LinkSquares). We expect to see more firms experimenting with AI in 2023 as they look for ways to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

3. Cybersecurity 

As our lives move increasingly online, cybersecurity becomes more and more important. This is especially true in the legal profession, where confidential client information is often stored electronically. To protect this sensitive data, legal teams must invest in strong cybersecurity measures such as data encryption and user authentication. We expect cybersecurity to remain a top concern for firms in 2023 and beyond.

4. Blockchain

While blockchain may be best known as the underlying technology behind Bitcoin, it has several potential applications in the legal profession as well. For example, blockchain could be used to create secure digital contracts or to verify the identity of parties involved in a transaction. This is a trend worth watching in 2023 as legal teams begin to explore its potential uses.

5. Mobile Technology

Finally, mobile technology is another legal technology trend that we expect to see continue to grow in popularity in 2023. With the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets, lawyers are now able to work from anywhere at any time. This mobile connectivity provides a great deal of flexibility and can be a major asset for busy attorneys who need to juggle multiple commitments. We expect this trend to continue to grow as more firms adopt BYOD policies and invest in mobile-friendly solutions such as document management systems and time-tracking apps. 

These are a few of the legal technology trends that will be most important in 2023. As you can see, there is a lot of exciting innovation happening in the field—an innovation that has the potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness within legal teams of all sizes. To stay ahead of the curve, be sure to keep an eye on these trends and consider how they might impact your firm's operations - for the better - moving forward into the new year.