March 10, 2025

 Rob MacAdam

events elm legal operations artificial intelligence legal analytics

People often talk about improving ‘legal workflows’ in discussions around legal tech, process optimisation, and efficiency in legal service delivery. But what does ‘workflow’ mean?

When it comes to software, the definition varies, but usually it focuses on functionality and things like checklists, task sequencing, status tracking, and process automation.

These elements are essential, but they don’t constitute ‘workflow’ on their own; they are the building blocks that support a much broader concept of workflow.

A Better Definition of Workflow

I define workflow from a higher-level view: It’s the structured flow of work through the right process based on relevant circumstances, ensuring that stakeholders stay informed about progress and risks while giving them the necessary tools to complete the work efficiently. OK, it’s not the snappiest definition – but it captures the essence of workflow.

Under this definition, the interpretations of workflow offered above are actually describing functionalities used to facilitate workflows, each one playing a role in keeping work moving effectively.

Why Workflow Matters for Lawyers

Service delivery is at the heart of what lawyers do. All legal work – from contract negotiation to conveyancing, M&A, litigation, or anything else – follows structured processes that are well-established and often repeatable.

While the process itself may be predictable, the facts of any given matter or project can vary significantly, making it critical to have a workflow system that ensures work is handled correctly, in line with the unique details of each case. A strong workflow framework provides:

• Structure – guiding teams through established legal processes.
• Transparency – giving all stakeholders clear visibility into work progress and potential risks.
• Efficiency – enabling automation and reducing administrative burdens.
• Consistency – ensuring work is completed according to best practices.

These four aspects are crucial, because workflow isn’t merely about tracking tasks—it’s about ensuring legal work is delivered in the right way, at the right time, with full visibility across both individual projects and an entire portfolio.

What Makes a Good Legal Workflow Tool?

Not all workflow tools are created equal. A truly effective legal workflow platform needs to go beyond simple task tracking—consistent with the four considerations above, it should streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and provide full visibility across legal work. This translates into 10 crucial elements that define a strong workflow tool:

1. Self-Service and Intake – Enables users to submit requests through structured forms, ensuring work starts with the right information.
2. Task Management and Assignment – Organises work, assigns responsibilities, and tracks progress to keep work on schedule.
3. Workflow Automation and Configurable Approvals – Implements rule-based automation, reducing manual effort and ensuring compliance with approval processes.
4. Notifications and Alerts – Keeps stakeholders informed with real-time updates on task status, deadlines, and risks.
5. Data and Reporting Dashboards – Provides insights into workflow performance, efficiency, and trends for continuous improvement.
6. Integration with Other Systems – Connects with existing legal tools, document repositories, and communication platforms.
7. Collaboration Tools – Facilitates communication between internal teams and external stakeholders through shared comments and messaging.
8. Role-Based Access Control – Ensures the right people have the right level of access, maintaining security and compliance.
9. Document Management – Centralises storage, version control, and searchability of legal documents within the workflow.
10. Audit Trails – Tracks activity and changes across workflows, providing transparency, accountability, and data-driven insights.

A well-designed workflow tool doesn’t just move tasks along—it simultaneously orchestrates legal work, enhances efficiency, and ensures that everyone involved has the right information at the right time.

The Growing Role of AI in Workflows

AI has an increasing role to play in workflow beyond simple automation. AI enables workflow orchestration, coordinating tasks across different teams, systems, and processes. Agentic AI takes this further by acting as an autonomous agent—analysing inputs, making decisions, and even initiating actions without human intervention, ensuring that legal workflows adapt to real-time needs. AI-driven analytics provide deep insights into workflow performance, identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and patterns across cases or matters. By leveraging predictive analytics, legal teams can anticipate workload surges, assess risk factors, and optimise resource allocation. And AI also continuously enhances workflows by learning from past trends, suggesting improvements, and automating repetitive legal tasks, ultimately making legal service delivery more efficient, proactive, and intelligent.

So, next time you hear someone talk about ‘improving legal workflows,’ ask them what they really mean. More often than not, they’re focusing on just one piece of the puzzle. But to truly optimise legal service delivery, we need to take a holistic approach to workflow—one that integrates automation, orchestration, collaboration, and intelligence.

That’s exactly what we’re doing with Elevate ELM. Join us at Legalweek to see how our platform is transforming legal workflows in practice. We’d love to discuss how we can help you streamline and enhance your legal operations.