Aderant Innovate and the Discipline of AI Driven Engineering

AI is now embedded in modern software development. For Aderant, the priority has been applying it in ways that strengthen the engineering standards clients already rely on.

That philosophy shaped Aderant Innovate.

Across two separate three day in-person experiences in Atlanta and Auckland, more than 230 engineers and technical professionals came together around a shared objective. The work centered on embedding AI into development workflows in ways that are structured, predictable, and scalable.

Under the leadership of Chief Technology Officer Andy Hoyt, Aderant Innovate advanced the company’s commitment to engineering excellence. The initiative focused on integrating AI across development practices in ways that elevate performance while reinforcing the rigor, oversight, and reliability that define enterprise grade legal technology.

Through focused collaboration, teams refined how AI operates within Aderant’s established engineering discipline. They translated feature requests into structured executable plans, designed workflows that preserve human oversight, and implemented small reviewable code changes that sustain quality and predictability over time.

AI functions as an augmentation layer. It strengthens engineering rigor and reinforces accountability at every stage of development.

Integrating AI Into Engineering Standards

Alignment remained a consistent theme throughout Aderant Innovate. Modern development patterns and AI agent fundamentals were introduced within a disciplined framework of planning, testing, and review. The goal was to establish a shared approach that teams can apply consistently across products and regions.

In legal technology, consistency is not optional. Reliability and predictability are foundational expectations. Speed without structure introduces risk. Innovation without governance creates variability. Integrating AI into engineering workflows therefore requires more than technical fluency. It requires standards that scale.

Alignment only carries weight when it translates into execution within the realities of day-to-day delivery.

Across both locations, more than 70 self-formed teams developed AI powered solutions aimed at strengthening internal processes and informing future product direction. These efforts reflected the same discipline applied to production systems.

Teams relied on structured planning, disciplined testing, and clear accountability to ensure each solution met enterprise expectations.

Projects were evaluated based on business relevance, execution quality, and responsible application of AI. The result extended beyond prototypes. It demonstrated a shared operating model taking hold, with AI integrated thoughtfully, consistently, and at scale.

A Long-Term Investment

Aderant Innovate reinforces a discipline that has long defined the company’s approach to engineering. It brings together deep legal domain expertise and structured accountable development practices.

“For three intense days, we gathered in Atlanta and Auckland for Aderant Innovate, part intensive bootcamp, part hackathon, and entirely a bet on what is possible when you combine deep legal domain expertise with AI accelerated development,” Hoyt said. “The results exceeded every expectation I had.”

Innovate builds on an established foundation. As AI becomes further integrated into modern software development, Aderant continues to strengthen the standards, capabilities, and shared operating principles that guide its application.

The outcome is sustained capability, reflected in an engineering organization aligned around performance, accountability, and trust, and prepared to apply AI with discipline at scale.