How the next generation of lawyers is reshaping practice through legal technology

New independent research study of law students conducted by PwC* on behalf of LexisNexis® reveals how next-gen lawyers have embraced Lexis Advance® legal technologies that include data visualization, AI and analytics.

Generation Z, the fastest-growing generation in the U.S. workplace, is poised to have a tremendous impact in the market. This new independent study of law students conducted by PwC on behalf of LexisNexis, reveals future lawyer attitudes, behaviors and key drivers of user preference in relation to legal research and integrated technology.

Next-gen lawyers rely on advanced technologies including AI, data visualization and analytics during the research and analysis process recognizing how they increase productivity and improve decision making.

• Analytics tools: Overall, the majority of law students said that legal analytics tools are extremely or somewhat helpful for performing analysis or drafting legal memoranda (76%). A majority of law students who prefer Lexis Advance said that its analytics tools are more effective for helping them perform legal analysis (77%).

• Visualization tools: Overall, three out of four law students (77%) say that visualization tools are helpful for finding relevant results. A majority of students who prefer Lexis Advance say its visualization tools make it easier to find relevant results (80%).

• Training: The vast majority of law students (70%) say that LexisNexis training prepares them for success beyond the classroom, while only 48% felt that Westlaw® training was equally effective. 80% of students who prefer Lexis Advance said LexisNexis delivered excellent on-demand, self-paced training options, as opposed to 45% of students who prefer Westlaw.

Future lawyers see LexisNexis as the leader in providing effective AI, data visualization and analytics tools, so it’s no surprise that the Lexis Advance service is now the preferred legal research system. Half (50%) of all law students said they prefer Lexis Advance for legal research compared to Westlaw (46%), Bloomberg Law® (0.5%), other providers (0.5%) and those who had no preference (2.5%). These findings validate the shift in preference among law students that LexisNexis has been tracking internally.

In drilling down to reveal key attributes, nearly 73% of students cited ease of use and approximately 62% cited speed of finding information as their reasons for choosing a legal research platform. Law student preference for the Lexis Advance service was driven by higher scores in several additional categories.

Legal institutions and employers need to prepare for the demands of next-gen lawyers. Those that embrace these changes will better position themselves for future success.

*To access the full Next-Gen Legal Tech Report, click here.

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