Many firms are deciding which technology to adopt and when. Surveys give a picture, but each one describes a different group of firms.
This article reports what four surveys found and says who answered each one. It is about adoption in general, and Kalla Connect does not sell AI as a trend.
What the ABA surveys report
The American Bar Association publishes yearly technology reports based on surveys of lawyers. The figures describe the people who answered, not every firm.
American Bar Association, 2024 Practice Management TechReport, 2024 (https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/resources/tech-report/2024/2024-practice-management-techreport/): in its survey, 53% of respondents had practice management software available at their firm, compared with 63% in 2022. 74.7% had used the cloud.
American Bar Association, 2024 Legal Technology Survey Report, published 2025 (https://americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/03/aba-releases-survey-tech-trends/): according to the ABA, 73% of law firms use cloud-based legal tools, and 85% of litigators use e-filing.
A survey of member firms, mostly larger ones
ILTA surveyed its member firms. Its members lean toward mid-size and large firms, and they are not only in the United States. We read these figures through a news review of the survey, not in the survey itself.
LawNext, review of the ILTA 2026 Technology Survey, 2026 (https://www.lawnext.com/2026/09/which-ai-product-is-most-popular-among-law-firms-findings-of-iltas-tech-survey-may-surprise-you.html): 508 ILTA member firms were surveyed, and 94% use or are exploring generative AI. The share was 85% in firms with fewer than 50 lawyers and 100% in firms with 700 or more.
A vendor survey of solo and small firms
Clio surveyed solo lawyers and small firms. It is the vendor's own survey, so it reflects the people Clio reached.
Clio, 2026 Legal Trends for Solo and Small Law Firms, 2026 (https://www.clio.com/about/press/2026-solo-small-firm-report/): in Clio's survey of more than 1,700 respondents, 71% of solo lawyers and 75% of small firms use AI. Only 32% and 31% reported more revenue associated with it. 57% and 55% had no AI policy.
Why these figures cannot be lined up
The ABA and ILTA surveys measure different groups, so they cannot be compared with each other. Neither can the Clio survey, which describes a third group.
Using a tool and getting a result from it are different things. These surveys report use, and only one of them asks about revenue.
Questions to ask before adopting a tool
- Which task does it replace or support, and who does that task today?
- Who in the firm owns the tool after it is set up?
- What does the firm record to know whether it helped?
- Does the firm have a written policy for how the tool is used?
Sources
American Bar Association, 2024 Practice Management TechReport, 2024
Part of the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center's 2024 survey reports.
American Bar Association, 2024 Legal Technology Survey Report (ABA Legal Technology Resource Center), 2025
News release published March 3, 2025.
https://americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/03/aba-releases-survey-tech-trends/
LawNext, review of the ILTA 2026 Technology Survey, 2026
News review published September 14, 2026. The figures were read through this review, not in the survey itself.
Clio, 2026 Legal Trends for Solo and Small Law Firms, 2026
Press release published May 4, 2026, reporting a survey by the vendor.
https://www.clio.com/about/press/2026-solo-small-firm-report/