Where is Turkey's Place in the LegalTech Map?

The global legal technology market is expected to reach $47 billion by 2030 and is rapidly expanding with an annual growth rate of 12.8%. These figures show us: LegalTech is no longer a "future trend" but today's reality.

Although the opportunities and potential are great, there are still serious steps to be taken in this area. In this article, we will examine Turkey's current position in the LegalTech world, the deficiencies it faces, and the new opportunities it offers for lawyers.

Where does Turkey stand in this giant market?

The LegalTech market in Turkey is still in the development stage. In recent years, significant initiatives in AI-based research tools, document analysis solutions, and automation software have begun to emerge. However, when viewed on a global scale, Turkey is still at the beginning of the road.

While LegalTech has become part of the standard workflows of large law firms and institutions in the US and UK, in Turkey, only a limited number of pioneering law firms use these technologies. Wide-scale adoption has not yet occurred.

Turkey's Current Situation: From Challenges to Opportunities

The LegalTech ecosystem in Turkey is still a developing area. Although the widespread use of AI-based legal technologies is beginning to be seen mainly in large law firms and certain pioneering initiatives, it is still limited across the sector.

One of the most important reasons for this is the legal sector's naturally cautious approach to technological transformation. Most of the existing business models are based on time-based work, which can reduce motivation to invest in technology. Additionally, many lawyers' inability to fully grasp the real potential of artificial intelligence and automation also slows down the adoption rate.

Regulatory deficiencies and concerns about data privacy are also among other challenges facing the process. There are no specific laws in Turkey for purchasing or using AI-based solutions. However, on June 25, 2024, the Artificial Intelligence Draft Bill was submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly. This development is an important step taken to eliminate uncertainties in the sector.

However, alongside all these challenges, there is also a very serious opportunity area for Turkey.

Young lawyers graduating from law schools are much more open to technology and eager for new ways of doing business.

On the institutional side, especially the legal departments of large companies have started to demand faster and more accurate services.

The increasing expectations of clients make it inevitable for law firms to turn to technology.

Moreover, Turkey's young and dynamic technology entrepreneurship ecosystem has the potential to develop powerful products in the LegalTech field as well. If this potential is directed correctly, Turkey could even become a regional center in this field in the coming years.

Global Trends and Their Reflections on Turkey

Led by the US and UK, AI-based research tools, document automation systems, contract management platforms, and data analytics solutions have become part of the basic workflows of large law firms and corporate legal departments in developed legal markets.

In the US, many law firms transparently share their rates of using AI-supported tools as part of the service they provide to clients, while in Europe, especially in the UK and Germany, technology-based law courses are rapidly becoming widespread in law schools.

According to the 2024 LexisNexis report, 72% of large law firms in the UK plan to increase their LegalTech investments within the next 12 months.

The reflection of these trends on Turkey is developing in two directions.

On one hand, international companies serving in Turkey and multinational clients are beginning to demand the same speed and technology support from the law firms they work with. This increases the pressure on local law firms to integrate technology more actively into business processes.

On the other hand, young lawyers' increasing technology awareness and interest in global business methods are also growing an internal demand for change. However, for this transformation to become widespread and sustainable throughout Turkey, faster change is needed both in education and in law firms' perspective on technology.

Considering Turkey's Potential "Why Now?"

Turkey is a country with dynamic and young lawyers. New graduates and young lawyers who increase in number every year enter the profession with a more technology-open perspective. At the same time, Turkey's strong technology entrepreneurship ecosystem has begun to produce creative solutions in the AI and LegalTech field recently.

On the other hand, expectations on the client side are also changing rapidly. Especially multinational companies' demands for technology-based solutions from legal service providers in Turkey are increasing. The same trend has begun to be seen in local large companies: Faster, more accurate, more predictable, and technologically transparent processes are being demanded.

At this point, "now" is the right time for Turkey. Because LegalTech is still in the maturation stage and there is an opportunity to create a significant competitive advantage for law firms that move early in the sector.

Leagle, one of the pioneers of this transformation, as Turkey's first AI-powered legal platform, contributes to helping lawyers and law firms adapt to this new era.

With its data infrastructure specific to the Turkish legal system, high accuracy rate, and secure usage features, Leagle stands out as one of the most concrete examples of growth in the LegalTech field in Turkey.