When it comes to evaluating new technology, there鈥檚 a lot to consider.
The deeper you get into your evaluation, the more you鈥檒l find it鈥檚 not just identifying priorities, looping in the appropriate stakeholders, and nailing down budget. You鈥檝e got to uncover which tools and vendors may overpromise and underdeliver鈥攁nd which can actually help solve the challenges your team and company face.
In her latest ebook, Krysta Johnson, Head of Legal Operations at 91制片厂, shared her top 10 tips for recognizing red flags in your search for AI-powered legal tech. From recognizing potential pitfalls to knowing which questions to ask, there鈥檚 a lot to unpack.
Here are three of Krysta鈥檚 top tips when evaluating new AI-powered legal technology (including CLMs).
Red Flag #1: The vendor doesn鈥檛 ask about your problems and requirements before showing you a 1-on-1 demo.
If a vendor isn鈥檛 trying to learn about your unique requirements before a 1-on-1 demo, that鈥檚 a red flag. I鈥檝e personally found that vendors who don鈥檛 take the time to understand my specific needs and goals before pitching their technology are vendors who don鈥檛 have my best interests at heart.聽
More often than not, vendors who fail to take the time to learn your objectives before a 1-on-1 demo are relying on the novelty of AI to sell their product rather than demonstrating how their product鈥檚 AI capabilities align with your unique objectives.
Take it from Cassie Pless, VP of Sales at 91制片厂:聽
鈥淥ne of the reasons that 91制片厂 runs weekly, live demos on LinkedIn is because we want anyone interested in our AI-powered CLM tool to have access. That said, our 1-on-1 demos are where we take the time to map out exactly how our product meets the objectives and needs of a specific organization.鈥
鈥Note: Before you start scheduling demos of AI tools, make sure you identify the pain points Legal is trying to solve and any stakeholder requirements. That way you鈥檙e prepared when the vendors you鈥檙e evaluating ask what those requirements are.
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Red Flag #3: The vendor鈥檚 AI tool isn鈥檛 (easily) customizable.
I don鈥檛 know about you, but every legal job I鈥檝e ever had has shown me that legal processes vary significantly from one organization to another. A tool that鈥檚 right for Company A may not be the tool that鈥檚 right for Company B.
An organization鈥檚 needs can also change over time. This is why it鈥檚 so important to be able to customize AI tools to match your language and processes (not the other way around). A lack of customization in a tool often limits its effectiveness.
To ensure you鈥檙e buying the right tool for your team, make sure you understand whether customization is self-serve or requires vendor support. If it鈥檚 self-serve customization, you鈥檒l need to understand the level of technical expertise needed (and make sure you have resourcing to support it).
And remember: the latter can lead to delays that may have a real impact on usability and effectiveness.
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Red Flag #9: The vendor isn't able to provide you with a clear plan for scaling usage.
As your organization grows, so should your AI solution. A lack of scalability of tools can lead to additional costs and disruption down the line when you鈥檙e rushed to find a more suitable vendor before the contract with your existing vendor expires.
Ensure that the AI tool you choose can handle increased data volumes and complexity as your legal operations expand (without blowing your legal tech budget out of the water). If your vendor can鈥檛 help you demonstrate clear, proactive strategies for scalability to meet your evolving needs without incurring prohibitive costs or operational disruptions, consider it a significant red flag.
A partner committed to your growth will offer flexible solutions that adapt to increasing data volumes, complexity, and user demands, ensuring your legal tech stack evolves alongside your organization.
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There鈥檚 more where these came from
Want to fill in the gaps and dig deeper into all ten of Krysta鈥檚 tips for exposing red flags in your search for legal technology?
Download your free copy of Ten Red Flags to Look For When Vetting Legal AI Tools (Including CLMs) here.鈥
