A written AI usage policy
A clear, firm-specific policy attorneys and staff can actually follow, covering approved tools, acceptable use, and client-data handling.
AI usage policy consultant for law firms
Clear rules for AI, kept current as the tools change.
A written usage policy, approved-use and data rules, and review steps, in plain language your people will follow. Then I review the policy when the major tools change, so it doesn't quietly go stale with the next release.
What you get
The guardrails that make AI use defensible.
Banning AI doesn't work, and neither does telling attorneys to experiment on their own. I give the firm a standard everyone can point to.
Approved-use & data boundaries
A framework for which workflows are appropriate for AI, which stay off-limits, and what may be entered into which systems.
Human-review standards
Defined review, verification, and escalation steps so AI output is treated as assisted work product, never attorney judgment.
Rollout & documentation
Implementation guidance, training alignment, and the documentation your risk committee and GC need to sign off.
Free template
Start from my AI usage policy template.
The outline I use with firms, with starter language for each section: approved tools, client data, human review, billing, incidents, and a review cycle. Free, no email required. Have your ethics counsel review it before you adopt it.
How I build your guardrails
From unmanaged experimentation to a standard that lasts.
The fourth step is the one most policies skip. A policy written in spring can be out of date by fall.
01
Assess how AI is used today
I map where attorneys are already using AI, sanctioned or not, so your policy reflects reality instead of wishful thinking.
02
Draft policy and frameworks
I write the usage policy, approved-use matrix, and data-handling rules in plain language your firm will actually follow.
03
Roll out and document
I align training to the policy and hand leadership the documentation that risk committees and GCs expect to see.
04
Keep it current
When a major model or product changes how your tools work, I review the policy against the change and tell you what, if anything, needs to be updated.
Related reading
What I've written on AI policy.
Claude Stopped Asking Which Mode You Want. Your AI Policy Just Expired.
On September 16 Anthropic merged Claude chat and Cowork and launched Claude Docs and Slides in beta.
Zero Data Retention Is the Wrong Default for Most Law Firms
Why the "safest" AI policy may be creating the risks you were trying to avoid.
60% of Federal Judges Use AI. Does Your Firm Have a Policy?
The bench moved. The regulators moved. Your competitors moved. Here's what your Monday morning needs to look like.
Questions firms ask about AI policies
At minimum: which tools are approved, what client information may go into them, who reviews the output, which uses are off-limits, how AI-assisted work is billed, and how the policy gets updated. My free template walks through each section.
Yes, and my AI usage policy template is free. A template is a starting point. A policy holds up when it matches how your people actually use AI, which is why I start by mapping current use, sanctioned or not.
No. I write the policy with your firm in plain language and make sure it fits how the tools really work. Your ethics counsel or general counsel keeps the legal judgment and signs off.
Whenever a major tool changes what it can do or how it handles data, not only once a year. That review is part of the engagement: I check the policy against the change and tell you what, if anything, needs updating.
Yes. A policy nobody has been trained on doesn't do much, so I align training to it and hand leadership the documentation a risk committee or general counsel expects to see.
Let's talk
Give your firm guardrails it can stand behind.
Tell me your practice areas, tools in use, and risk posture. I'll outline the policy and rollout your firm needs to adopt AI with confidence.
Prefer to reach me directly? steve@intelligencebyintent.com (805) 876-4847
Please don't include confidential client information in an email.