Data to decisions: How 500+ firms harness legal intelligence
Research reveals how practices are using data for performance optimisation, client acquisition and law firm growth.
Legal intelligence has moved beyond background research. Firms across the US and UK are now embedding data into their core operations. This includes resource allocation, performance management, client acquisition and market positioning. But how exactly are they using it, and what does this mean for competitive advantage?
To understand how legal intelligence is being deployed in practice, Chambers surveyed 516 senior legal professionals at law firms across the US and UK. Their responses, published in the detailed report, reveal a profession increasingly harnessing data to sharpen decision making and drive law firm growth.
US firms deploy legal intelligence broadly
US law firms show a distributed approach across multiple functions. The most common application is internal and partner performance optimisation (27%). Firms are using data to benchmark teams, assess productivity and allocate resources more effectively.
Strategic planning and growth (24%) come close behind. Legal intelligence is informing longer-term business decisions such as practice area expansion and market positioning. Marketing and business development (22%) rank almost as highly, with data playing a key role in identifying prospects and measuring client engagement.
The relatively even distribution suggests US firms have embedded legal data analytics into multiple aspects of their operations. No single application dominates. Intelligence supports both day-to-day efficiency and forward-looking strategy.
What are the most important challenges that legal data helps your firm address?
UK firms take a performance-first approach
UK law firms show a different pattern. Internal and partner performance optimisation leads by a significant margin at 43% – substantially higher than the US figure of 27%.
Market trends and client insights (36%) rank second. This evidences a focus on competitive intelligence and understanding marketplace dynamics. Strategic planning and growth (31%) follow as UK law firms use metrics to determine their direction.
Competitor analysis and benchmarking featured more prominently among UK respondents. This indicates a data-driven approach to understanding the firm's position relative to peers.
From rankings to revenue: Intelligence in action
Beyond client acquisition, legal intelligence shapes how firms understand their competitive position and communicate value. When asked how rankings impact their business, US firms identified reputation and trust building (33%) as the primary benefit—the foundation on which client connections are built.
UK firms place even greater weight on this dimension, with 41% citing reputation and trust building—eight percentage points higher than the US. This premium on validation and differentiation reflects a market where third-party credibility carries significant weight in both winning new business and influencing existing client decision making.
The practical applications of rankings extend throughout the business development and marketing lifecycle. A clear majority on both sides of the Pond use them to attract new clients and business opportunities (85-90%), as well as for developing marketing content and strengthening the firm’s brand. Rankings function as trust signals and business enablers across both markets.
Watch: A CMO view on rankings and legal data
“[Rankings data is] used across the board. The abundance of data and information that firms can get and use on what clients are saying about them is only going to improve. That will be reflected in pitches, relationship reviews and recruitment.”
Owen Williams, Interim CMO, Trowers & Hamlins
Seize the legal data competitive edge
Our Legal Challenges 2026 report highlights that an inflection point has arrived. Legal intelligence has evolved from a background tool to a strategic enabler that shapes resource allocation, market positioning and growth planning.
Building data fluency and enabling evidence-based decisions will be a key advantage. While US firms spread applications more broadly than their UK counterparts, both markets grasp that competitive edge depends more than ever on effectively harnessing data.
Key takeaways
- US law firms distribute legal intelligence across multiple functions, from performance optimisation to strategic planning and business development.
- UK firms concentrate their data use more heavily on internal performance and competitive intelligence.
- Rankings have become operational business development tools rather than vanity metrics, actively supporting client acquisition across both markets.
- Both US and UK firms identify reputation building as the primary business impact of rankings, with third-party validation carrying significant weight in client decision making.
- Effectively harnessing and deploying legal data enables evidence-based decisions and better resource allocation, conferring a competitive edge.
What are your competitors’ top priorities?
The report also reveals the top priorities for law firms across the US and UK. See how other practices are balancing the pressures of talent, client experience and new technology.