AI is changing legal work faster than any technology since online research. Tools can now summarize depositions, draft first-pass contracts, and answer research questions with citations in seconds. They can also invent case law with complete confidence, and courts are sanctioning lawyers who don’t check.
This interactive playbook helps firm leaders adopt AI in a way that holds up under the Rules of Professional Conduct: where it helps, how to pilot it, and how to meet your duties of competence, confidentiality and candor. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
of lawyers reporting their firms use AI-based tools, 2023 to 2024 (46% at firms of 100+ attorneys, 18% for solos)
of legal organizations actively using generative AI, 2024 to 2025
court decisions worldwide involving AI-fabricated citations or content, logged by public trackers by 2026
How ready is your firm?
Readiness check
Score your firm in two minutes
Where AI helps in legal practice
Choose a practice area to see practical use cases and example tools. Names are examples for your research, not endorsements. Evaluate each vendor’s confidentiality terms, security and accuracy yourself.
Research with cited answers
Ask research questions in plain language and get answers grounded in a legal database, with links to the authority.
Case & document summaries
Summarize long opinions, transcripts and record documents for faster first review.
Citation checking
Check briefs for bad or negative authority before filing, as an added safeguard, not a replacement for reading the cases.
Contract review in Word
Flag non-standard clauses, suggest redlines against your playbook, and summarize key terms.
First drafts from templates
Generate first drafts of letters, motions and agreements from your own precedents.
Plain-language client explanations
Turn complex advice into clear client summaries and FAQs, edited by the responsible lawyer.
AI-assisted document review
Prioritize and categorize documents for relevance and privilege, building on predictive coding (TAR).
Deposition & transcript analysis
Summaries, topic indexes and inconsistency spotting across transcripts.
Chronologies & case timelines
Build timelines from document sets for case strategy and witness prep.
Matter summaries & time entries
Summarize matter activity and draft time-entry narratives inside your practice-management system.
Client intake
Structured intake forms and assistants that gather facts and run conflict-check inputs before a lawyer engages.
Email & correspondence drafting
Draft routine client updates and scheduling emails for lawyer review.
Knowledge management
Search firm precedents, forms and memos in plain language, with permissions respected.
Marketing & business development
Draft articles, newsletters and pitch materials from lawyer expertise, following attorney advertising rules.
Billing & collections
Pre-bill review, invoice narratives and payment reminders.
Your ethical duties, rule by rule
ABA Formal Opinion 512 (July 2024) is the ABA’s guidance on lawyers’ use of generative AI. Its core message: the existing Model Rules already apply. Select a duty to see what it means in practice. Your state’s rules and bar guidance control, so check them too.
Ethics navigator
Test your judgment
Scenarios
What should happen next?
1. An associate pastes a client’s confidential deal terms into a free AI chatbot to summarize them before a call.
2. A legal-research AI returns a case that perfectly supports your argument. You’re on deadline.
3. AI cut drafting time on a motion from 6 hours to 2 (including review). The matter is billed hourly.
4. A paralegal starts using a new AI browser extension to summarize client emails. Nobody approved it.
Build your firm’s AI policy outline
Policy builder
Tailor a starting outline
A starting outline, not a finished policy. Adapt it to your state’s rules and have it reviewed by your ethics counsel. Our editable Word policy template provides full wording.
Estimate the capacity AI could free up
Calculator
Assumes 46 working weeks. On hourly matters, efficiency lowers the bill for that work. The value comes from taking on more matters or moving to flat and value-based fees. Validate with a pilot.
Implementation roadmap
Roadmap
Frequently asked questions
Is it ethical for lawyers to use generative AI?
Yes, if used consistently with the Rules. ABA Formal Opinion 512 doesn't prohibit AI. It explains how existing duties of competence, confidentiality, communication, candor, supervision and reasonable fees apply. Many state bars have issued their own guidance as well.
Do I need client consent to use AI?
It depends on the tool and the information. Opinion 512 indicates informed consent is generally needed before inputting client information into tools that may use or retain it, and that generic engagement-letter language isn't enough. Check your state's guidance.
Which AI tool should a small firm start with?
Often the AI features already included in your research or practice-management subscription. They're vetted for legal work and covered by existing contracts. Add a business-plan general assistant for non-confidential drafting under your policy.
Free template
Turn your outline into a full policy
Our editable Word AI acceptable use policy covers approved tools, data rules, verification and training. Adapt it for your bar's rules.