A one trick pony industry?

Legal technology is booming. Every month, a new startup claims to have developed the next groundbreaking tool for law firms and legal departments. These products often come with sleek designs, AI-powered insights (they say!), and promises to revolutionize the practice of law. But when you take a closer look, many of them turn out to be what I call “one trick ponies”—tools that solve a very specific problem, sometimes one you didn’t even know you had, and in a way that feels over-engineered. This raises an important question: are these solutions solving problems worth solving?

Let’s take a look at chatbots for legal firms — one of the more popular legal tech solutions. The idea is to automate client intake and FAQs, helping smaller firms manage client communications without needing an admin team. But are these bots truly innovative, or are they just adding a layer of technology to tasks that could be managed differently, perhaps with better client education or a simpler, more interactive website design? The problem chatbots address—client intake—may not even be the core issue for many firms. Instead, it’s a symptom of a larger, systemic problem: lack of client empowerment and transparency.

Similarly, consider contract management platforms. These tools promise to track contract changes, store versions, and alert you to critical dates. On the surface, they solve logistical issues. But is the real challenge the need to manage contracts better, or rather that the way we draft, negotiate, and execute contracts is inherently cumbersome and ripe for a more fundamental overhaul? By focusing on organizing contracts rather than reimagining how contracts are structured and understood, these solutions miss the opportunity to truly innovate.

This pattern repeats across much of legal tech. Another example is legal research tools that promise faster access to case law or legislative changes. While they may make the search for information quicker, they still operate within the constraints of a centuries-old legal framework. Is the real innovation to be found in speeding up research, or should we be questioning why the legal system still relies so heavily on such processes when there are opportunities to make information more accessible, standardized, or even simplified for broader use?

What many legal tech solutions (I think) fail to do is question the underlying premise: they assume the existing legal process is sound and that all we need is an app or a tool to make it faster or more efficient. This is a reactive approach—patching symptoms instead of addressing the root causes. It’s like continually refining the tools we use to dig ditches instead of asking if we need to dig that ditch at all.

To move beyond this one-trick-pony approach, the legal tech industry should focus on fundamental issues within the legal system. A fundamental issue could be the way law firms bill clients. Many clients dislike the billable hour, and firms struggle with efficiency. Rather than finding ways to better track and record hours, legal tech should focus on value-based pricing models or subscription services that align the interests of clients and firms. A comprehensive platform for dynamic pricing or outcome-based billing might truly innovate, rather than simply repackage the problem in a more palatable way.

Another fundamental issue is access to justice. Many legal tech solutions claim to democratize legal services, but few really make a dent in this area. Tools like online contract generators or template libraries are useful, but they don’t bridge the gap for those who need comprehensive, affordable legal advice but cannot access it. A solution that connects underrepresented communities with lawyers through government or non-profit partnerships, leveraging technology for outreach and education, would address the core problem: unequal access.

The key is for developers to ask the right questions. Rather than focusing on how to optimize existing processes, they should ask whether these processes are necessary at all or if there is a better way to achieve the intended outcome. For instance, if clients struggle with understanding complex legal terminology, the solution may not be to build a tool that translates legalese but to reframe how we communicate law itself. Perhaps what’s needed is a fundamental shift towards plain-language contracts that technology can help generate.

Of course, addressing fundamental issues is more challenging than building solutions for surface-level problems. It requires a deeper understanding of the legal system, empathy for the users of the technology (lawyers, clients, and the public), and a willingness to challenge the status quo. It also demands an interdisciplinary approach, integrating legal expertise with technology, behavioral science, and user experience design.

The ultimate question is one of purpose and ethics. As legal professionals and developers, we have a responsibility not just to create efficient tools but to uphold the integrity and accessibility of the legal system. Legal tech should aim to elevate justice, transparency, and fairness, rather than merely automate or streamline existing processes. If we focus solely on efficiency, we risk losing sight of the law’s true purpose—to serve and protect society. In a profession where ethics guide every decision, our approach to technology should be no different. It’s not just about what can be automated but about what should be transformed, ensuring that the pursuit of innovation aligns with the core values of the legal profession.