The Low Tech Initiatives station is the foundation of legal tech transformation. It’s not about AI, blockchain, or monolithic platforms. It’s about practical, accessible solutions that improve productivity per unit of lawyer effort - the GLS definition of legal technology.

This definition changes everything. It means legal tech isn’t limited to expensive software or complex systems. It includes anything that makes lawyers more productive without increasing effort - from templates and playbooks to matter intake forms and checklists.

Why start here? Because transformation isn’t about chasing shiny objects. It’s about building a foundation. If you can’t improve productivity offline, you won’t succeed online. Low-tech initiatives deliver immediate value, build confidence, and create cultural readiness for bigger changes. They are safe, cost-effective, and autonomy-driven - giving legal teams control of their tech agenda without waiting for IT or big budgets.

The scope of Low Tech Initiatives includes:

◼️Process Optimisation: Streamlining workflows before digitisation.

◼️Template Libraries: Standardising contracts and documents for speed and consistency.

◼️Playbooks: Creating clear guidance for recurring legal tasks.

◼️Self-Service Tools: FAQs and basic templates for business teams.

◼️Matter Intake Systems: Simple forms or email protocols to manage requests.

◼️Checklists: For compliance, contract review, and risk assessment.

◼️Basic Reporting: Manual dashboards for workload visibility.

◼️Knowledge Management: Centralising policies and precedents in accessible formats.

These initiatives require minimal technology investment but deliver significant efficiency gains. They also create the process discipline needed for successful automation later.

The Low Tech Initiatives station is considered a Foundational resource within the GLS Legal Operations model.

A Foundational Resource: Is responsible for determining the overall performance capabilities of a “critical” legal function. If it is not optimised, the function can never be optimised. 

The best practice features of the Low Tech Initiatives station are as follows:

◼️Clear Objectives: Every initiative linked to measurable productivity gains.

◼️Process First: Offline optimisation before online automation.

◼️Standardisation: Templates and playbooks for consistency.

◼️Accessibility: Tools designed for easy use by legal and business teams.

◼️Knowledge Centralisation: Policies and precedents in one place.

◼️Self-Service Enablement: Reducing low-value queries to legal.

◼️Risk Awareness: Checklists embedded in workflows.

◼️Performance Tracking: Simple metrics for adoption and impact.

◼️Cultural Readiness: Initiatives that build confidence in change.

◼️Scalability: Solutions that can evolve into tech-enabled systems.

The Low Tech Initiatives station delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Cost Savings: Reduces reliance on external counsel for routine tasks.

◼️Time Savings: Accelerates contract turnaround and compliance checks.

◼️Deal Velocity: Enables faster execution through standardisation.

◼️Risk Reduction: Embeds compliance into everyday processes.

◼️Agility: Positions the business for future tech adoption without disruption.

For the legal team, this station delivers:

◼️Operational Clarity: Defined processes and responsibilities.

◼️Efficiency Gains: Reduced time on repetitive tasks.

◼️Confidence: Quick wins that build momentum for transformation.

◼️Knowledge Sharing: Easier onboarding and collaboration.

◼️Future-Proofing: A foundation for automation and advanced tech.

◼️Self-Help: Legal teams can start immediately using resources they already have.

◼️Autonomy: Low-tech initiatives give legal teams control of the tech agenda.

◼️Cost Advantage: Many low-tech solutions are free or near-free.

◼️Credibility: Demonstrate progress to the business without major spend.

◼️Safe Implementation: Low-risk changes that build readiness for major tech projects.

The Low Tech Initiatives station is essential for:

◼️General Counsel: Seeking immediate efficiency improvements.

◼️Legal Operations Leaders: Building a transformation roadmap.

◼️In-House Legal Teams: Managing workload and reducing bottlenecks.

◼️Business Stakeholders: Demanding faster, more predictable legal support.

A legal team operating without Low Tech Initiatives will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️Manual Chaos: No standardisation, leading to delays and errors.

◼️High Cost Base: Over-reliance on external counsel for routine work.

◼️Poor Visibility: No data on workload or performance.

◼️Cultural Resistance: Teams unprepared for tech adoption.

◼️Transformation Failure: Automation projects collapse without process discipline.

This station is technology-adjacent. It does not require advanced tech but is a critical precursor to successful technology adoption. Its implications include:

◼️Foundation for Automation: Optimised processes ready for digitisation.

◼️Integration Readiness: Standardised workflows that align with enterprise platforms.

◼️Risk Mitigation: Avoids automating flawed processes.

◼️Cultural Enablement: Builds confidence and appetite for tech change.

Q. What are low-tech legal solutions?

Practical tools like templates, playbooks, and checklists that improve efficiency without major tech investment.

Q. Why start with low-tech initiatives?

They deliver quick wins and prepare your team for advanced technology adoption.

Q. What is GLS’s definition of legal tech?

Anything that improves the unit of productivity per unit of lawyer effort.

Q. Can low-tech initiatives reduce legal costs?

Yes - by standardising processes and reducing reliance on external counsel.

Q. How do low-tech initiatives improve deal velocity?

Through templates, playbooks, and self-service tools that accelerate execution.

Q. Do low-tech initiatives require IT involvement?

Minimal - most can be implemented by legal teams without heavy tech support.

Q. What is the golden rule of legal tech adoption?

If it doesn’t work offline, it won’t work online.

Q. How do low-tech initiatives support automation?

They create process discipline and standardisation needed for digitisation.

Q. What are examples of low-tech initiatives?

Template libraries, matter intake forms, compliance checklists, and playbooks.

Q. Why do legal tech projects fail without low-tech groundwork?

Because automating chaos only makes it faster and more expensive.