:Harvey: Power Users: Volume and Value

I think so. I would look at two components: usage and extraction of value. Amount of use, meaning tools that I use daily, but that doesn't necessarily make you a power user. You can be somebody who uses it consistently or a lot, but you're really not leveraging the platform. So it's also how much I'm getting from the tool to help me do a better job.

The time savings are significant, but it's not only that, it's also the quality. Every output that I've finalized, whether it's a memo to a client, a letter, an opinion, or research, has ultimately been better than I would have done without it. That's a powerful statement, but I feel confident about it.

I feel that the tool is most powerful in the hands of somebody who has experience. When I get the end result, I know it's better because I've done this before and I know what quality work is. Invariably, there might be something that at first glance I missed, but Harvey picks it up, and I say, "Hey, yeah, that's an interesting angle that also needs to be included."

We don't deploy technology unless we have buy-in from those who I know will use it and will influence others. When we started with Harvey, we had an initial trial of five licenses with folks who had been champions in the past with other platforms. Then once we went live with paid licenses, we went to ten. Now we have 15 licenses.

People will feel compelled to use it because I tell them to, but that's really not going to drive full adoption or significant productivity gains. It’s when people understand that by using it, it makes their life easier and their work product better. We do brown bag lunches where we do demos and show, "I'm doing this type of work this way." This conversation feeds that interest in using the platform beyond just the basics.

One thing I've learned: most of our power users are in the corporate practice group, and my suspicion is that they share what they do with others constantly. In their meetings, they'll say, "Hey, I used Harvey for this and that." That peer-to-peer conversation is more effective than the managing partner telling them to use it.

Start slowly and build up on it. When we have somebody new to the platform, I start by showing them simple things. It can be overwhelming if you're looking at the screen seeing so many things you can do. Focus on one thing, and once you feel comfortable with that task and doing it well, then go to the next one. Usually, that's when they start falling in love with it.

Take translations, for instance. Our practice is bilingual, and a lot of our US clients don't speak Spanish. In the past, we'd get a document, send it to a paralegal, have them translate it into a separate Word document. Now it's a 30-second thing. Instead of an hour billed to the client, it's one-tenth and the translation preserves the format of the original document. When people see that, they get excited.

Also, remember: it's a tool, it's not a replacement. You have to actually do your work, know the content, and validate the references.