In this video from ALM’s Legalweek 2025, hear how the SALI Alliance’s standard taxonomy has moved from theoretical promise to practical, scalable implementation across the legal industry.
Key takeaways include:
1. LLMs have changed the equation.
For years, the value of the SALI Alliance taxonomy was clear, but adoption lagged due to the time and cost of manual tagging and internal resistance to changing legacy codes. Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed that dynamic. Firms can now code thousands of matters in days rather than months, with greater consistency and far less operational lift.
2. Implementation no longer requires a “big bang” change.
Several panelists emphasized that firms can layer SALI codes alongside existing taxonomies rather than replacing them outright. Running parallel coding structures reduces political friction and allows firms to build trust in the data before sunsetting legacy systems.
3. Real business impact is emerging.
Firms using SALI codes reported improved business development targeting, more informed go/no-go decisions, better portfolio analysis, and identification of cross-selling opportunities. Even organizations without fully built-out data lakes were able to generate meaningful insights using standardized coding.
4. Vendors, clients, and law firms are beginning to align.
From CRM providers to litigation analytics platforms, vendors are embedding SALI codes to improve interoperability. Corporate legal departments are also maturing in their data expectations, creating future network effects for firms that adopt shared standards.
Overall, the session underscores a clear shift: SALI is no longer an industry ideal—it is becoming operational infrastructure.