Selecting the right legal software is crucial, yet most legal professionals struggle to compare solutions effectively.
In this post, we'll conduct an in-depth feature and capability review of two leading options - LEAP and Lexis+ AI - to provide clear guidance on matching software to your firm's needs.
You'll see a side-by-side analysis of core functionality like legal research, document management integration, litigation analytics, pricing, implementation, security, support services, and more. With this comprehensive comparative review, you'll have the insights to confidently choose the best legal solution for your practice.
Introduction to Legal Technology Solutions
Legal technology solutions like LEAP Legal Software and Lexis+ AI aim to streamline legal processes and enhance efficiency for law firms and legal teams. This article provides an overview of these two platforms and their key capabilities, setting the stage for a comparative analysis.
LEAP Legal Software: Law Practice Management for Small Firms
LEAP Legal Software offers an all-in-one law practice management solution designed for the needs of small law firms. Key features include:
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Case and document management
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Calendaring, tasks, and deadlines
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Time tracking and billing
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Trust accounting
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Reporting and analytics
With strong core functionality for legal case management, LEAP aims to help small firms optimize operations.
Lexis+ AI: Enhancing Search for In-House Counsel
Lexis+ AI leverages artificial intelligence to enhance the legal research capabilities of the Lexis platform. Key features include:
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Advanced search with natural language queries
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Relevant jurisdictional content recommendations
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Litigation analytics and data visualizations
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Shepard's Citation Service for analyzing case law
Lexis+ AI aims to save in-house legal teams time by delivering more relevant results.
Setting the Stage for Comparative Review
This article provides a side-by-side analysis of LEAP Legal Software and Lexis+ AI platforms. It explores the strengths and limitations of each solution to help legal professionals determine the best fit for their needs. The review focuses on core features including document management, analytics, search capabilities, and more.
What is the difference between Lexis affinity and leap?
Lexis Affinity and LEAP Legal Software are two different legal technology platforms that serve different purposes.
Lexis Affinity is a legal practice management software that features customer relationship management (CRM), document management, and task management capabilities. It helps law firms organize contacts, matters, documents, emails, calendars, and tasks in one centralized platform.
In contrast, LEAP is a legal case management software designed specifically for small law firms. It provides features such as:
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Audit Trail to track changes
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Case Management to organize case details
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CRM to manage clients and contacts
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Document Automation for creating templates
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Trust Accounting
While Lexis Affinity focuses more on document management and CRM, LEAP offers robust case management tailored to the needs of small law firms. LEAP also provides trust accounting capabilities not offered by Lexis Affinity.
In summary, Lexis Affinity supports administrative legal tasks while LEAP handles specialized case management for streamlining litigation workflows. Small firms looking to enhance case management may find more relevant features with LEAP Legal Software.
Do law firms use LexisNexis?
LexisNexis is widely used by law firms of all sizes to enhance legal research and streamline case management. Key benefits of LexisNexis for law firms include:
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Access to comprehensive legal research content: LexisNexis provides access to an extensive collection of legal resources including case law, statutes, regulations, analytical content, and more. This saves lawyers time in finding relevant legal information.
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Productivity tools: Features like Lexis+TM enable lawyers to conduct legal research more efficiently. Tools like Lex Machina provide litigation analytics and insights from case data.
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Integration capabilities: LexisNexis integrates with other systems used by law firms like document management and billing software. This allows firms to centralize information.
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Collaboration features: Lawyers can collaborate with colleagues on research projects using folder sharing capabilities in LexisNexis. This facilitates teamwork.
According to LexisNexis, 77% of large law firms reported increased productivity from using their legal research tools. With comprehensive content and productivity-enhancing features, LexisNexis is a valuable solution for law firms seeking to deliver exceptional service.
How much is LexisNexis per month?
LexisNexis offers a variety of pricing plans depending on the specific products and services required. Here is an overview of common LexisNexis pricing:
Lexis Advance Pricing
Lexis Advance provides access to case law, statutes, regulations, analytical tools, and more. Pricing depends on the plan:
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Solos/Small Firms: $175/month
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Mid-Sized Firms: $525/month
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Large Law Firms: Contact for quote
Lexis+ Pricing
Lexis+ leverages AI and analytics for legal research. Pricing starts at $859/month with volume discounts available.
Lexis Practical Guidance Pricing
Practical guidance on legal topics starts at $1,499/month for up to 5 attorneys. Volume discounts apply for larger law firms.
Lexis Newsdesk Pricing
Real-time news monitoring service pricing:
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Starter: $640/month
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Professional: $1,295/month
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Enterprise: Contact for quote
Additional Considerations
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Academic and government discounts may apply
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Bundled subscriptions across LexisNexis products may reduce costs
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Flexible contract options from 1-3 years
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Minimum thresholds may apply based on firm size
Contact a LexisNexis sales representative for customized subscription quotes based on specific product needs and firm size.
What is leap legal software?
LEAP Legal Software provides practice management software tailored for small to mid-sized law firms. Their software aims to streamline legal processes and enhance efficiency through features like:
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Legal accounting tools for trust accounting, billing, and financial reporting
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Document automation to quickly generate custom legal documents
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Centralized matter and case management
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Robust searching across documents and emails
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Calendaring, tasks, and deadlines tracking
At its core, LEAP is a cloud-based legal practice management platform designed to help lawyers, paralegals, and legal professionals manage their law firm more effectively. It consolidates key tools and workflows into one secure, user-friendly system accessible from any device.
LEAP markets itself as an all-in-one solution for solo attorneys and small firms seeking an affordable way to improve organization and productivity. Their software strives to provide essential tools while remaining intuitive and easy to implement.
Key capabilities include:
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Streamlining legal accounting
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Automating document generation
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Centralizing matter management
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Enhancing search efficiency
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Tracking critical dates and deadlines
For small firms with limited resources, solutions like LEAP aim to boost productivity and allow legal teams to focus on practicing law rather than administrative tasks. Their goal is to provide an intuitive yet robust platform tailored to the needs of smaller law firm operations.
Comparative Review of Core Features
Case and Law Practice Management Software Capabilities
LEAP Legal Software offers comprehensive law practice management capabilities tailored for small to mid-sized firms, while Lexis+ AI integrates with other leading platforms.
LEAP provides all core features like matter and case management, document management, calendaring and deadlines, time tracking, accounting, and reporting. This gives smaller firms an affordable all-in-one solution.
Lexis+ AI offers strong integration with platforms like LexisNexis InterAction and LexisOne, but does not include built-in law practice management. Users rely on those platforms for matter management, documents, accounting, etc.
Both options can effectively support law firms, with LEAP better suited for consolidation and Lexis+ as part of an integrated enterprise stack.
Legal Research Tools: Lexis+ AI vs LEAP
Lexis+ AI focuses heavily on next-generation legal research leveraging AI and analytics. Key features include:
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Search Tree to visualize the research thought process
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Litigation Analytics for data-driven insights
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Shepard's Citation Service for updated caselaw relevancy
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Practical Guidance with step-by-step guidance
LEAP Legal provides basic legal research and references like statutes and caselaw. The focus is streamlining research within the practice management workflow rather than advanced insights.
Lexis+ AI has a clear advantage for data-driven legal research. LEAP offers sufficient basic capabilities when research is not the core priority.
Integration with Legal Document Management Software
Lexis+ AI integrates directly with LexisNexis document management solutions like LexisOne. This allows robust DM capabilities like version control, security, workflow, and collaboration.
LEAP Legal offers embedded document management, focused primarily on storage and retrieval. Integration with external DM systems involves manual save/export of documents.
Lexis+ again is preferable for mature legal teams needing enterprise document management. LEAP serves basic needs but lacks workflow integration.
Litigation Analytics and Practical Guidance
Litigation Analytics is a flagship Lexis+ AI feature, unavailable in LEAP today. It leverages legal data and AI to assess risks, predict outcomes, uncover insights, and recommend strategies for litigation matters. This can help attorneys make data-driven decisions.
Lexis+ also has Practical Guidance with legal practice notes. LEAP focuses on form libraries instead of actionable advice.
For analytics and practical insights, Lexis+ AI is far more capable than LEAP. But LEAP meets needs for standardized legal forms and templates.
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Comparing Pricing Strategies
LEAP's Pricing Model for Small to Mid-sized Firms
LEAP offers flexible pricing plans tailored for small to mid-sized law firms. Their pricing is based on a per-user model, with discounts for firms purchasing multiple licenses. Typical costs range from $45-$75 per user per month.
Key aspects of their pricing include:
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No long-term contracts required
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Volume discounts available
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Affordable for smaller firms
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Pay only for active users each month
LEAP also offers customized enterprise pricing plans for larger firms with 100+ users.
Lexis+ AI Subscription Costs
Lexis+ AI pricing starts at $65 per user per month for the basic plan. Enterprise pricing is also available but not publicly listed. Aspects of their pricing model include:
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Charged per authorized user per month
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Minimum 1 year subscription required
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Premium features cost extra
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Volume discounts available for large firms
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Specific plans for solos, small firms, and enterprise
Lexis+ AI offers a 30-day free trial to test the platform.
Total Cost of Ownership: LEAP vs. Lexis+ AI
When comparing total long-term costs, LEAP is likely the more affordable option for small firms under 100 users. With no minimum contract required, LEAP allows smaller firms to pay month-to-month based precisely on their current user count.
However, Lexis+ AI may become more cost-effective for larger firms able to negotiate an enterprise price and take advantage of volume discounts.
So in summary:
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LEAP has greater pricing flexibility for smaller firms
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Lexis+ AI offers opportunities for larger firms to reduce costs
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Long-term costs depend on the firm's size and negotiation leverage
Ease of Implementation and User Adoption
LEAP's Onboarding Process for Small Firms
LEAP Legal Software offers a straightforward onboarding process for small law firms. Key steps include:
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Initial consultation to understand the firm's needs and workflows
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Custom configuration of LEAP, including building custom fields, dashboards, and templates
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Data migration support to transfer legacy case and document data
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User training through live virtual sessions or pre-recorded videos
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Dedicated customer support specialist assigned for post-launch questions
The intuitive interface allows most small firm users to get started quickly after just a few hours of training. LEAP also offers change management guidance on communicating rollout timelines and gathering user feedback during the transition.
Lexis Connect: Streamlining Lexis+ AI Adoption
Lexis Connect provides a centralized platform for administering and customizing Lexis+ AI usage across a firm. Key features that facilitate adoption include:
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Single sign-on access to Lexis+ AI and other Lexis products
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Ability to assign specific Lexis+ AI tools to groups and individual users
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Tracking usage metrics to identify adoption challenges
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Custom Lexis+ AI overview tutorials and documentation
Lexis Connect allows firms to strategically roll out Lexis+ AI capabilities based on each practice group's needs rather than mandating a blanket training program. The platform streamlines managing licenses and permissions as well.
Change Management: LEAP vs Lexis+ AI
Both LEAP Legal Software and Lexis+ AI may require firms to adapt existing workflows during implementation. Strategies for driving user adoption while managing change include:
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Phased rollouts focusing on one practice group or department at a time
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Involving key user influencers early and making them onboarding champions
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Offering a feedback mechanism to address user difficulties promptly
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Developing custom video tutorials using relevant examples and terminology
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Tracking usage over time to quantify adoption rates across the firm
LEAP Legal provides highly tailored customer support to smooth onboarding. Lexis+ AI relies more on in-product guidance and peer networking opportunities amongst users to drive engagement. Both platforms aim to help firms transition effectively during major workflow transformations enabled by new technology capabilities. Careful change management is key to long-term success.
Security and Compliance in Legal Software
Ensuring Data Security with LEAP and Lexis+ AI
LEAP and Lexis+ AI both utilize encryption and access controls to secure client data.
LEAP encrypts data both in transit and at rest. It also provides role-based access controls, allowing firms to restrict data access.
Similarly, Lexis+ leverages encryption to protect data. It also has configurable user permissions to limit data visibility.
Both platforms seem to take appropriate measures to safeguard sensitive client information. Firms should evaluate the specific encryption strengths and access controls to ensure they meet legal and industry security standards.
Access Management and Compliance Standards
LEAP and Lexis+ AI provide capabilities to manage user access and comply with legal data regulations.
LEAP has administrative controls to add, edit, and deactivate users. It also helps firms meet data compliance requirements like GDPR.
Lexis+ AI has advanced controls to manage user roles and permissions. It also enables compliance with standards like ISO 27001.
When comparing access management features, firms should validate that both platforms allow configuring granular user roles and access levels for least privilege. Meeting regional and industry data regulations is also critical.
Overall, LEAP and Lexis+ both have mechanisms to control access and aid legal compliance. Firms should assess if the specific capabilities match their security policy and regulatory needs.
Support Services: LEAP vs. Lexis+ AI
Customer Support and Service Level Agreements
LEAP and Lexis+ AI both offer customer support to assist users.
LEAP provides email and phone support during business hours. Response times vary.
Lexis+ AI offers 24/7 phone and chat support with service level agreements ensuring sub-1 hour response times. Lexis+ also provides priority support services for large law firms.
Overall, Lexis+ AI appears to have more comprehensive customer support coverage and faster guaranteed response times.
Account Management and User Training
Both LEAP and Lexis+ AI provide account management and onboarding assistance to optimize usage.
LEAP offers standard online training materials and email guidance. Support levels depend on subscription tier.
Lexis+ AI provides dedicated account managers for large firms. They conduct customized platform walkthroughs and data integration assistance. User adoption services aim to maximize Lexis+ AI value.
Lexis+ AI seems to offer more personalized and proactive account management, especially for larger law firms. This likely helps with user training and reaching full capability faster.
Legal Analytics and Citation Services
Legal analytics and citation services are critical for ensuring lawyers have access to data-driven insights and up-to-date case law precedents. As legal technology continues advancing, solutions like Lexis+ AI integrate advanced capabilities to enhance legal research.
Lex Machina and Legal Analytics
Lex Machina provides litigation analytics by leveraging AI and machine learning to unlock insights from court documents and docket entries. After LexisNexis acquired Lex Machina in 2015, the legal analytics capabilities have now been integrated into Lexis+ AI. This allows users to access Lex Machina's data-driven insights directly within the Lexis+ research platform.
Specific benefits of Lex Machina integration include:
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Data-driven insights for lawyers to craft winning case strategies
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Enhanced visibility into judges, lawyers, parties, and case outcomes
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Ability to uncover trends and patterns across courts and judges
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Competitive intelligence on opposing counsel's track record
With Lex Machina analytics in Lexis+, lawyers can leverage hard data to guide case strategy and predict potential outcomes.
Shepard's Citation Service and Legal Precedent
A core component of legal research is analyzing prior case law and ensuring cited decisions are still valid precedent. This is where Shepard's Citation Service provides immense value.
Now integrated into Lexis+ AI, Shepard's allows researchers to instantly validate cases and statutes by reviewing subsequent citations. This "Shepardizing" process flags negative citations that may have overturned or questioned a case's validity.
Key benefits of Lexis+ AI's Shepard's integration include:
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Validating cited cases are still good law
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Identifying negative treatment from later decisions
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Analyzing depth of treatment by reviewing full context of citations
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Understanding evolution of case law precedent over time
With Shepard's Citation Service in Lexis+, lawyers can verify legal citations and confirm case law is still applicable precedent.
Search Tree and Traditional Shepard’s Analysis
A standout capability provided by Lexis+ AI is the new Search Tree feature. This allows researchers to instantly visualize all relevant documents related to their search query.
Search Tree enhances the traditional Shepard's analysis in several ways:
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Visual map of citation network helps uncover relevant decisions
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Analyze indirect connections between cases and statutes
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Identify seminal cases with most citations
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Review positive and negative treatments at a glance
The interactive visualization simplifies exploring case law precedent and enhances insights gained from Shepardizing. This evolution modernizes case law research compared to traditional Shepard's reports.
Overall, Lexis+ AI sets a new standard for legal analytics and citation services. The integration of Lex Machina and Shepard’s provides data-driven insights to guide case strategies while ensuring citation validity. With the Search Tree enhancement, Lexis+ delivers an unparalleled legal research experience.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Legal Solution
Summarizing the LEAP Legal Software vs. Lexis+ AI Review
Both LEAP and Lexis+ offer robust legal software solutions, but have some key differences. LEAP focuses more on core case and practice management features for small to mid-sized firms. Lexis+ provides advanced AI capabilities for legal research, analytics, and insights across a wide range of practice areas.
When choosing between them, firms should consider their budget, size, practice areas, and specific needs around workflow automation, document management, legal research, and data analytics. LEAP has a pricing edge for smaller firms, while Lexis+ scales better for larger practices and specialized practice groups.
Decision Guidance: Matching Software to Firm Needs
Here is some guidance on selecting the right legal software based on firm requirements:
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Solo practitioners and small firms under 10 attorneys on a tight budget should consider LEAP for its affordable pricing and robust core legal management features.
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Mid-sized firms from 10-50 attorneys that handle a high volume of cases should look at LEAP Team plans or Lexis+ Practical Guidance packages.
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Large firms over 50 attorneys and specialized practice groups in litigation or IP would benefit most from Lexis+ AI, legal analytics, and extensive jurisdictional content.
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Firms focused on efficiency through workflow automation and document assembly may prefer LEAP's templates and processes.
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Research-driven firms wanting advanced legal analytics would get more value from the Lexis+ Litigation Analytics and Lex Machina modules.
In summary, identify your firm's top priorities and size to determine if LEAP's legal practice management or Lexis+ AI and analytics align better to your needs and budget. Mix and match components from both platforms if needed to create your ideal legal technology stack.
