The IMPACT Framework: a methodology for vendor selection

Legal AI tools promise faster contract reviews, smarter compliance monitoring, and reduced workload for busy legal teams. But how do you know if a tool is worth the investment—or if it will actually work for your team?

We created the IMPACT Framework to give in-house teams, law firms, and compliance professionals a structured way to evaluate AI tools before adoption. The IMPACT framework assesses vendors based on  7 parameters - Investment, Metrics, Protection, Accessibility, Coverage and Trust. Think of it as your due diligence checklist for legal AI.

I — Investment

Question to ask: What will it take to get this tool working at the quality we expect?

• Does it require custom training or playbook building?
  
• How much time will setup and onboarding take?
  
• Will your team need specialized expertise to maintain it?

✅ Tip: Ask vendors to outline time-to-value (how long until results meet your quality bar). If it’s more than a few weeks, plan for extra resources.

M — Metrics

Question to ask: How do we measure whether this tool is successful?

• What KPIs (e.g., contract turnaround time, error reduction, compliance accuracy) can the tool improve?
  
• Does the vendor provide benchmarks you can trust?
  
• Can you run a pilot with measurable before-and-after results?
  

✅ Tip: Define your success metrics before signing a contract. Otherwise, it’s easy to end up with shelfware.

P — Protection

Question to ask: Does this tool keep our data safe?

• Does it comply with your InfoSec standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA)?
  
• Will the vendor train on your data or keep it siloed?
  
• Is there a clear process for audits, retention, and deletion?
  

✅ Tip: Always get written assurances about data use. Ask whether your contracts and case files will be stored or used to improve the product.

A — Accessibility

Question to ask: Will my team actually use this?

• Is the interface intuitive for non-technical users?
  
• Does it integrate with existing tools (e.g., CLMs, DMS, Slack, Outlook)?
  
• How steep is the learning curve?
  

✅ Tip: Run a hands-on demo with your end users—not just leadership. If attorneys can’t figure it out in a reasonable amount of time, adoption will be tough.

C — Coverage

Question to ask: Does it work for our needs—and beyond?

• Does it work well for your primary use case?
  
• Can it expand to adjacent use cases as your needs grow?
  
• Does the vendor have case studies relevant to your use cases?
  

✅ Tip: Don’t just ask “Can it do this?” — ask “Who else is using it for this?” References matter.

T — Trust

Question to ask: Can we rely on the AI’s output?

• Does it provide explanations or confidence scores?
  
• Can your team easily validate its reasoning?
  
• Would your attorneys feel comfortable putting their name behind its work product?
  

✅ Tip: Trust builds through pilots and validation workflows. Start small, test outputs rigorously, and expand once confidence is established.

Putting IMPACT Into Practice

Here’s how to use the IMPACT Framework when evaluating tools:

1. Shortlist vendors → Use IMPACT as a checklist to narrow down options.
   
2. Run structured pilots → Define metrics and test against them.
   
3. Engage stakeholders early → Involve end users, leadership, InfoSec, and partner teams in evaluation.
   
4. Decide with confidence → If a tool scores well across all six categories, it’s likely a good fit.
   

Final Thoughts

Legal AI adoption isn’t about chasing shiny tools—it’s about ensuring they deliver measurable value without introducing unnecessary risk. The IMPACT Framework helps you ask the right questions, cut through vendor hype, and make confident decisions.

👉 Use our IMPACT RFP spreadsheet to get started