As 2026 gets underway, many legal teams are taking a step back to reflect on lessons learned – what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change. New technologies continue to emerge, data volumes keep growing, and expectations – from clients, leadership, and the business – are higher than ever. This isn’t just a moment to reset; it’s a chance to be intentional about how legal teams operate moving forward.
For both law firms and in-house legal departments, staying ahead means moving beyond reactive workflows and toward a more planned, strategic approach to eDiscovery and legal operations. With matters becoming more complex and timelines more compressed, where teams focus their time, energy, and technology investments will directly impact efficiency, risk, and overall outcomes.
This is the right time to adopt a planning eDiscovery mindset – one that aligns people, process, and technology with long-term legal strategy. Thoughtful prioritization now can help legal teams work more effectively, reduce friction, and deliver clearer, measurable value to their clients and stakeholders.
At Array, we partner with legal teams every day, helping them identify priorities and implement scalable, technology-driven solutions that support their goals. Based on what we’re seeing across the industry, here are key areas legal teams should be prioritizing in 2026.
Historically, discovery has been viewed as a set of tactical tasks – collecting data, reviewing documents, and producing what’s relevant. But the reality is that modern litigation and investigations demand more. The types of data involved, the speed of timelines, and the rise of global privacy and security considerations mean eDiscovery planning has to be approached as a strategic part of the legal process.
When teams prioritize planning early – at matter kickoff or even at a wider portfolio level –they are better positioned to:
Teams that elevate planning eDiscovery to a strategic function are able to move faster, make clearer decisions, and avoid unnecessary rework throughout the lifecycle of each matter. The payoff is not just operational – it impacts outcomes, client experience, and overall business value.
2025 made it clear that legal technology isn’t just “nice to have” anymore – it’s central to how discovery gets done. From AI-assisted review to analytics, and case management tools, tech will continue to play a role in 2026. But the value doesn’t come from the tools alone; it comes from how they’re implemented, integrated, and adopted across teams.
Key considerations include:
When the technology stack is well-aligned with the way teams work, it creates space for lawyers and case teams to focus on strategy instead of wrestling with operational bottlenecks.
Modern litigation isn’t handled in isolation. Legal teams increasingly need to work with IT, compliance, security, privacy, and business stakeholders to effectively manage data and timelines. The teams that prioritize collaboration in 2026 will be better positioned to:
Beyond improving day-to-day execution, stronger cross-functional alignment builds institutional knowledge. It allows teams to reuse what works, avoid repeating past mistakes, and develop repeatable playbooks that support predictable outcomes. This operational maturity directly contributes to smarter planning, lower risk, and more controlled spend.
Strong planning starts with clear, measurable goals. For legal teams, those goals should be both actionable and aligned with broader business or firm priorities – not just operational for the sake of being operational. In 2026, we’re seeing teams focus on objectives such as:
Setting goals like these creates a roadmap for how teams want to operate – not just matter by matter, but across portfolios. It also gives legal departments and firm leaders a way to measure improvement over time and demonstrate value beyond the outcome of a single case.
Data volumes, regulatory expectations, and case complexity continue to expand year over year. As a result, legal teams need to be able to scale quickly without losing control over quality, timing, or cost. In 2026, we’re seeing a shift toward planning models that emphasize flexibility, including:
A flexible approach makes teams more resilient when things shift unexpectedly – and in litigation, they almost always do. It also supports operational excellence, allowing teams to confidently manage peaks, reduce friction, and deliver more predictable outcomes across their matters.
2026 is shaping up to be a year where planning eDiscovery, intentional technology adoption, and stronger alignment across teams will separate reactive legal departments from truly strategic ones. The legal teams that invest in early planning, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable new year goals will be better positioned to deliver higher value, reduce risk, and manage costs effectively throughout the year.
At Array, we are proud to support legal teams globally with end-to-end litigation and discovery services – from document management and large-scale review to subpoena handling and analytics. Our team helps organizations turn planning into action, so you can focus on strategy, not just the operational lift behind it.
As you map out priorities for 2026, this is a good moment to evaluate which processes, partners, and technologies can elevate discovery from a necessary step into a genuine strategic advantage. A planning mindset at the beginning of the year will pay dividends across every matter that follows.