Automating to Empower Senior Lawyers

Senior lawyers often find their days consumed by administrative tasks instead of high-level legal work. Approving invoices, managing case instructions, and tracking compliance can eat up hours better spent on strategy. In fact, a recent survey found 74% of lawyers called excessive administrative work a significant challenge . By automating routine processes, legal departments free senior attorneys to focus on advising the business.

The Administrative Burden on Legal Leaders

Tasks like invoice approvals and compliance tracking may seem straightforward, but they pile up quickly. Each contract needing approval or policy update adds to the workload. These repetitive chores drain time and delay responses to urgent legal matters. Reducing this burden through automation is key to empowering legal leaders.

Streamlining Work with Office 365 Copilot and Google Workspace (incorporating Gemini for Workspace)

Modern productivity tools offer built-in automation that can handle many of these tasks. For example, Microsoft 365 Copilot can draft approval emails or summarise instructions, while Gemini for Workspace uses AI to automatically format reports from raw data. Processes ripe for automation include:

• Invoice approvals – Automatically route invoices for approval and record approvals once complete.

• Instruction management – Use AI to log and track legal requests in a central system for easy oversight.

• Compliance tracking – Set up smart reminders for regulatory deadlines or policy reviews to ensure nothing is missed.

Boosting Efficiency and Responsiveness

Automation dramatically improves a legal department’s efficiency. Routine tasks that once took days now take minutes, allowing senior lawyers to respond faster. Digitising processes also reduces errors, improving accuracy in records and reporting. Most importantly, legal leaders gain back hours for strategic initiatives and complex negotiations. An agile, tech-enabled legal department can turn around advice and approvals much quicker, increasing its value to the organisation.

Tailored Solutions from SAIL

Standard office tools provide a great start, but many legal departments need customised automation solutions. SAIL specialises in tailoring legal tech to an organisation’s needs – from configuring workflows to integrating AI assistants into daily operations. By partnering with SAIL, in-house teams get expert guidance on which processes to automate for maximum impact. The result: senior lawyers spend more time on leadership and less on administration, thanks to smart legal automation.