Guardrails for paralegals

When you finish, you can say what never goes into a consumer AI tool and how to use AI inside your firm's rules.

Confidentiality comes first

Clients trust your office with some of the most private facts of their lives. Never paste client names, case numbers, medical details, financial records, privileged emails or anything marked confidential into a consumer AI tool. Many free tools may store what you type or use it to improve their systems, depending on settings and terms.

Only use a tool your firm has approved for that kind of data. Approval usually means the firm has reviewed the contract, the data handling and the security. If you are not sure whether a tool is approved, the answer is not yet. Ask your supervising attorney or the person who handles technology and compliance.

Supervision and the licensed professional

Under professional-conduct rules in many places, lawyers remain responsible for the work of the staff and the tools they use. That means the attorney decides, and your job is to give accurate, checked support. Professional bodies in several countries have issued guidance on AI. Look up what yours says and follow it. This course is not legal advice and cannot replace your jurisdiction's rules.

Also remember the line on legal advice. Paralegals do not give it, and neither does the AI on your behalf. If a client asks, “What are my chances?”, the answer is that you will pass the question to the attorney. An AI answer to that question is not a shortcut.

Accuracy, bias and invented sources

AI can sound sure and be wrong. In real cases, lawyers have submitted filings containing case citations that an AI tool made up, and courts have responded with warnings and penalties. So the rule is simple: every citation, quotation, date and statute that comes from AI is verified by a person at the source before use.

Bias is quieter. An AI summary may stress some facts and drop others, or describe people in a loaded way. When you summarize testimony, compare the summary against the original for what was left out. Ask yourself whether you would feel comfortable if the witness or the opposing side read both.

Disclose, document and know when to say no

Some courts and clients require disclosure of AI use, and some forbid it for certain filings. Check the local rules and the engagement terms before you rely on it. Inside your office, keep a short note of how AI was used on a task, such as “first-pass summary, checked against pages 12 to 40”. That protects you and the attorney.

Say no, politely, when a request would put client data into an unapproved tool, when there is no time to verify, or when someone wants AI to decide something that needs a lawyer. A good line is: “I can use it for a first draft once the tool is approved, and I will check every cite before it goes out.”

Practice now

Find your firm's or employer's AI policy. If there is none, write three questions you would ask your supervising attorney about approved tools and data.
Write a two-sentence polite refusal you could use if someone asks you to paste a client file into a free chatbot.

Use any AI assistant you have. Do not paste private, client or patient information into it.

Check yourself

1. A colleague wants to paste a client email thread into a free chatbot. What is the main problem?

2. Who is responsible for the final legal work?

3. Which is the safest way to handle a case citation from AI?

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AI-drafted. Checked by an automated validator and a separate AI reviewer; a person has not read every lesson. Translations and tutor answers are AI-made. Found a mistake? Tell us. AI can be wrong. General information only, not professional advice. Not affiliated with any AI company named. Current University is not accredited.