Internal Client Engagement: Tech That Brings You Closer - or Pushes You Away

The Big Problem Nobody Talks About

Legal tech is everywhere. AI-driven contract review, workflow automation, predictive analytics - the headlines scream revolution. Vendors promise salvation. Boards demand transformation. And legal teams? They scramble to buy the next shiny platform, convinced that software equals progress.

But here’s the truth: most legal tech projects fail not because the tools are bad, but because they alienate the business.

If your technology makes it harder for the business to engage with legal, you’ve automated failure. You’ve turned legal into a black box. You’ve created friction where there should be flow.

The Fatal Mistake: Tech for Legal, Not for Business

Legal teams often design tech solutions for themselves - optimising internal workflows, dashboards, and reporting. That’s fine, but if the business can’t access legal easily, you’ve missed the point.

The business doesn’t care about your fancy dashboards. They care about:

◼️Speed: How fast can I get an answer?

◼️Clarity: Do I know what legal needs from me?

◼️Ease: Can I engage without jumping through hoops?

If your tech doesn’t deliver these, it’s not transformation - it’s obstruction.

Why This Happens

Three reasons:

◼️Legal-Centric Thinking: Tech designed for lawyers, not clients.

◼️Over-Engineering: Complex platforms that intimidate business users.

◼️Integration Failure: Tools that sit outside the systems the business already uses.

Result? Business users bypass your tech. They send emails. They call. They complain. And your expensive platform becomes shelfware.

The GLS Perspective: Tech Must Be a Bridge

At GLS, we believe legal tech should improve the business-legal interface - not create barriers. That means:

◼️Embed legal in business platforms: If the business lives in Teams, Salesforce, or Slack, legal should too.

◼️Enable self-service: Templates, playbooks, FAQs for low-risk tasks.

◼️Provide visibility: Real-time status updates on matters.

◼️Simplify intake: One portal, one process, zero confusion.

This isn’t theory - it’s survival. Because if legal tech doesn’t make life easier for the business, it will fail.

Practical Examples: What Good Looks Like

Here’s how to make tech a bridge, not a barrier:

◼️Matter Intake Portals: A simple form integrated into the company intranet or Teams. No more email chaos.

◼️Self-Service Libraries: NDAs, low-risk templates, and FAQs accessible to business users.

◼️Status Dashboards: Real-time updates on contract progress - visible to the business.

◼️Embedded Workflows: Approvals managed inside existing business systems (e.g., Salesforce).

◼️Feedback Loops: Quick surveys after each engagement to refine the process.

These aren’t expensive. Many can be built with tools you already have. And they deliver what matters: speed, clarity, and ease.

The Strategic Payoff

When tech improves client engagement, you unlock:

◼️Faster deal velocity: No more bottlenecks.

◼️Reduced friction: Business users stop complaining about legal.

◼️Credibility: Legal becomes a business enabler, not a blocker.

◼️Data insights: Track demand, performance, and satisfaction.

◼️Future readiness: A culture that embraces tech, not resists it.

Why This Creates Control

Legal tech projects often fail because legal abdicates responsibility to IT. IT knows tech - but not law. They don’t understand your workflows, compliance obligations, or risk profile.

If you want success, legal must own the engagement model. That means:

◼️Define the client experience.

◼️Choose tools that fit that experience.

◼️Work with IT as a partner - not a saviour.

The Golden Rule: Client First, Tech Second

If tech doesn’t make life easier for the business, don’t buy it. Period.

Before you sign that software contract, ask:

◼️Will this reduce friction for the business?

◼️Will this integrate with platforms they already use?

◼️Will this enable self-service for low-risk tasks?

If the answer is no, walk away.

GLS Observations That Must Shape Your Thinking

◼️Tech must be a bridge: Not a barrier.

◼️Client experience matters: Design for business users, not just lawyers.

◼️Integration is king: Embed legal in business platforms.

◼️Self-service wins: Empower the business for low-risk tasks.

◼️Visibility counts: Real-time updates build trust.

◼️Feedback loops: Continuous improvement is non-negotiable.

◼️Joint ownership: Legal + IT = success.

The Bottom Line

Legal tech isn’t about dashboards and AI - it’s about making life easier for the business. If your tools create friction, you’ve automated failure.

Start with the client experience. Build tech that simplifies access, enables self-service, and provides visibility. Embed legal where the business already works. And never forget: if tech doesn’t make life easier for the business, it’s not transformation - it’s obstruction.

Learn much more about how to leverage legal tech safely by exploring the GLS Legal Tech Line.