Kicking and screaming. That's how many lawyers have proceeded into the age of technology. They know it's here, they know they should use it, they understand—but may not admit—that it makes them more efficient. But in the end, it seems that many lawyers are only adopting technology because they must. Not because they should.

Two recent studies confirm this trend. The first is the American Bar Association 2018 Legal Technology Survey Report, particularly Volume II, the “Law Office Technology” report. The second are two recent reports by Malwarebytes, one on the state of malware, the other on how little most people know about tracking.

Let's start with the ABA report, which is issued annually by the Law Practice Division's Legal Technology Resource Center. The report, which focuses exclusively on lawyers, shows that lawyers, particularly those practicing as solos or in small firms, tend to adopt technology in three ways. The first is that they “must.” The second is that their practices “need” the technology. Finally, the third is that they “want” the technology.