Is it ethical to use AI on client files? ABA Opinion 512, explained
A plain-English guide to ABA Formal Opinion 512 on generative AI — what it requires of attorneys, and why on-device tools avoid the cloud-consent problem.
6 min read · February 2026
Plain-English guides on AI ethics, deadline docketing, client confidentiality, and getting matters under control — written for solo and small-firm attorneys.
A plain-English guide to ABA Formal Opinion 512 on generative AI — what it requires of attorneys, and why on-device tools avoid the cloud-consent problem.
A simple, repeatable docketing system any solo attorney can run without a calendaring department — plus how to capture every deadline buried in a new matter's documents.
The real privacy difference between on-device and cloud legal AI, and a simple framework for evaluating whether any AI tool is safe for confidential client files.
A repeatable workflow for turning a chaotic pile of new-matter documents into an organized, summarized, and docketed case file fast — without a paralegal.
A practical, category-by-category look at AI tools for solo and small-firm attorneys in 2026 — research, drafting, document organization — and the confidentiality trade-offs of each.