A practical law firm AI policy framework covering approved tools, confidential data, verification, supervision, billing, and incidents.
The ten policy sections
- Purpose and scopeIdentify who, what tools, and what work the policy covers.
- Approved toolsList permitted products, account tiers, and integrations.
- Prohibited dataDefine confidential, privileged, personal, health, financial, and other restricted information.
- Permitted use casesGive concrete examples by risk level.
- Human reviewName who must verify and approve each type of output.
- Sources and citationsRequire independent validation.
- Client communication and consentExplain when disclosure or consent analysis is required.
- Supervision and trainingCover lawyers, staff, vendors, and contractors.
- Billing and recordsAddress time, fees, documentation, and retention.
- Incidents and updatesCreate reporting, containment, and review procedures.
Use a risk-tier model
Low risk
Nonconfidential brainstorming or formatting with required human review.
Higher risk
Client data, legal analysis, external communication, automated decisions, or public-facing chatbots.
Add a one-page quick guide
The formal policy can be detailed, but staff also need a short decision tree: Is the tool approved? Is the information permitted? Is the task allowed? Who reviews the output? Where is an incident reported?
Review the policy whenever the system changes
Update it after new integrations, model features, vendor terms, ethical guidance, security incidents, or material workflow changes. An AI policy is an operating document, not a one-time memo.
This article is general marketing and technology information, not legal advice. Rules, products, and platform practices change; confirm current requirements for your firm and jurisdiction.