Content
Introduction
This Applied Use Guide explains how to use AI responsibly for tasks like legal research, contract drafting, and case analysis. By combining algorithmic efficiency with professional judgment, legal teams can improve accuracy and reduce costs while upholding ethical standards.
Reason Why
AI can quickly parse large volumes of case law, spot contractual red flags, and recommend drafting language. However, reliance on AI alone risks factual mistakes, overlooked precedents, or biased interpretations—particularly if the training data or algorithms embed historical inequities. Maintaining rigorous human oversight and data accountability is pivotal to preserving legal integrity.
Key Principles
- Transparency: Let clients and colleagues know when AI assists in research or drafting, and clarify its role vs. that of licensed attorneys.
- Accuracy: Double-check AI findings or generated clauses against authoritative legal sources to avoid mistakes or out-of-date precedents.
- Fairness: Watch for biases in AI-driven legal analytics that may disproportionately affect certain demographics or underrepresented groups.
- Confidentiality: Protect privileged case information and ensure compliance with law society rules on storing and processing confidential client data.
- Regulatory Compliance: Adhere to jurisdiction-specific rules on the unauthorized practice of law, data sharing, and professional liability.
Best Practices
- Disclose AI Usage: Inform clients when AI tools assist your legal work, clarifying that final responsibility remains with human attorneys.
- Verify AI Outputs: Always have a qualified lawyer confirm the correctness of AI-based research, contract language, or case recommendations.
- Monitor for Bias: Check whether the AI’s training set or search parameters inadvertently exclude less-common precedents or minority case law.
- Protect Confidential Information: Use secure, encrypted platforms for AI-aided research; anonymize sensitive data whenever possible.
- Maintain Audit Trails: Keep clear records of which AI tools or datasets influenced decisions, aiding compliance and future review.
Specific Techniques
Technique 1: Legal Research Automation
Default Prompt: Conduct legal research on recent case law regarding intellectual property disputes.
Updated Prompt: Conduct legal research on recent intellectual property dispute cases. Clearly document sources, verify your findings against official case databases, and highlight any areas where the AI is uncertain—particularly novel or cross-jurisdiction issues.
Technique 2: Contract Drafting
Default Prompt: Draft a standard employment contract for our new hires.
Updated Prompt: Draft a standard employment contract for new hires, ensuring compliance with current labor laws. Clearly identify any boilerplate clauses generated by AI, validate these clauses through legal counsel, and note any jurisdiction-specific variations or disclaimers.
Technique 3: Case Analysis
Default Prompt: Analyze past cases to identify trends in court decisions on data privacy issues.
Updated Prompt: Analyze past cases to identify trends in court decisions on data privacy. Explain which legal databases and jurisdictions you covered, specify the date range, and call out any potential data gaps or minority judgments that may alter the overall conclusion.
Technique 4: Legal Document Review
Default Prompt: Review a merger agreement for potential legal risks.
Updated Prompt: Review a merger agreement for potential legal risks. Mark each problematic clause, provide the rationale behind that risk, and cite relevant case law or regulatory guidelines. If any segment is ambiguous or outside the AI’s training scope, flag it for human legal review.
