The American Bar Association (ABA) Legal Technology Resource Center has released its 2024 Legal Technology Survey Report, offering a comprehensive look at technology adoption trends among attorneys in private practice. The annual survey, a key resource for over 20 years, gathered responses across five areas: online research, marketing and communication technology, law office technology, litigation technology, and technology basics and security. The findings highlight the legal industry’s ongoing digital transformation, with law firms increasingly adopting cloud solutions, AI-driven tools, and enhanced security measures to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
The report reveals that 67% of attorneys use fee-based online services for legal research, while 55% rely on free platforms like government websites and legal databases, with AI and analytics tools gaining popularity for research tasks. In marketing, 80% of firms maintain a social media presence, predominantly on LinkedIn (78%), followed by Facebook (53%), Instagram (22%), and X (18%), though SEO and content marketing adoption varies by firm size. Technology adoption in law offices shows 73% of firms using cloud-based tools, particularly for document and practice management. In litigation, 85% of litigators utilize electronic court filings, and AI-driven discovery tools are increasingly adopted for efficiency. On the security front, 60% of firms have formal cybersecurity policies, but phishing and ransomware remain concerns, with multifactor authentication (MFA) seeing wider use.
The report underscores that firms investing in strategic technology integration are better positioned to thrive in the digital legal landscape. Accompanying TechReports, combining survey data with expert analysis, will be published on Law Technology Today starting in late March, covering topics like AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and practice management. This survey, based solely on responses from practicing lawyers, remains a vital resource for understanding technology’s role in the legal profession.