AI use is becoming ubiquitous, even for attorneys with years of experience. It can save time, help organize information, and extract data from large documents in a pinch. But it’s not perfect, and there are some cases where it’s simply best to dispense with AI altogether, and hit the books the old-fashioned way. But when is that line crossed?
We interviewed several ILAs who use AI daily, and here’s how they’ve weighed in on the dos and don’ts of AI use in the office.
AI is fantastic as a very specific and reliable grammar and spell checker. It’s great for brainstorming and giving feedback on material you’ve already written.
But it’s not you. It’s not a human with clients, cases, and a trial coming up. Make sure you’re delegating manageable, smaller tasks to AI while handling the bulk of research and strategizing on your own.
Each AI software has its own strengths and weaknesses. Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, and CoPilot work similarly, but have been found to be better or worse at certain tasks. You may find that Google’s AI is much easier for you to work with than OpenAI’s, for example.
See which programs work best for your needs, and experiment with different tech companies to see which software gives you the best results.
Go with the paid, premium, or pro version of an AI. They’ll always be better, more careful, and more helpful than the free versions available to the public. As AI companies increasingly seek to make money out of their products, payments will be increasingly used as a way to access better versions, smarter answers, and more efficient algorithms.
Never rely on a free version of AI for your work, especially as that work involves legal tasks.
Prompting is an art form. Sometimes, a few simple words get you exactly what you want; other times, the software requires clear, extremely specific prompting. Here’s the general rule:
Use general prompts when you’re trying to understand a new concept, law, or idea. They’re best for giving you a bird’s-eye view or a summary of new information.
Use very specific, detailed prompts when document drafting, ensuring your results say exactly what you want them to and exclude any information you don’t need.
Did a specific prompt do a great job of helping you adjust the tone of an email? Great. Save it! Create a library of especially helpful and effective prompts to better understand what types of input AI can best understand and work with.
Be aware that prompts that work well for one company’s software may not be as effective for another’s. Experiment, and make lists of helpful prompts for each software you use.
AI is optimized to give answers that sound appropriate. That’s how it’s trained. It struggles to admit “I don’t know” and can make things up rather than acknowledge that it needs more information.
Lawyers have encountered this when doing legal research, and the results have been devastating for some attorneys. Be aware that AI is not omniscient. It’s not always correct simply because it’s fast and efficient. Check its work, check its answers, and keep your own brain power front and center.
AI can struggle to repeat the same task over and over. Weirdly (and rather alarmingly), AI can also suffer from apparent “emotional breakdowns” when you give it the same complex task over and over.
Computer scientists are divided as to what causes this (Is it a sign of self-awareness? A glitch?), but examples exist of AI seeming to go into downward spirals when it struggles with a task.
To avoid this, make prompts specific without making them overly complicated or confusing. Avoid giving AI the same tasks in short succession to help the software maintain focus and stay useful. This can also help the software avoid the kinds of spirals that can induce hallucinations.
Don’t feed specific, sensitive client data into AI. This is especially true of any sensitive client-related video and images. Remember, everything you put into AI is passed on to and saved by the company. Now, it’s out of your control and out of the client’s control, too.
While certain privacy settings can be toggled on for better protection, it’s best to be safe rather than sorry.
The healthiest way to use AI as an attorney is to think of it as a can opener— not a chef. You’re the attorney. You’re the one diving into relevant cases, preparing to handle the insurance company or the prosecution at the negotiating table, and preparing for trial.
The more you know about AI, the better and more wisely you can use it. Be thoughtful, be confident, and keep your mind and your experience at the helm of your legal work.
AI is fantastic at data summary and time-saving tasks. But it can’t substitute a human being doing thoughtful research for a client. As a result, careful lawyers have found that it’s best to log off and hit the books the old-fashioned way when legal research is involved.
Remember, the meat of legal research should be handled by a human who won’t hallucinate information, sources, or case law. This allows you to not only confirm the authenticity of information, but get a better sense of its context, both legally and practically.
A good rule of thumb: If your client needs this information for negotiations, legal strategy, or for trial, hit the books the old-fashioned way.
AI is changing the world, but can never replace your skill, experience, and the human vantage that you bring to legal work. The wisest lawyers use AI as a tool. They understand its limits, know how to prompt it effectively, and know that even the best and latest software needs to be checked for accuracy in its responses.
Keep these 10 points in mind, learn through experience as you leverage AI in the office, and remember that your true value as an attorney should always be enhanced, not replaced, by any LLM.
Want to modernize your legal practice with AI, but not sure how to get started? Book a call with one of our Legal Support Specialists, and we’ll help partner you with the right support.
Grace Singh is a writer and editor for DocketWorks. She enjoys bridging services and client needs in ways that are meaningful, memorable, and human-focused, even as technology continues to change. When she’s not at her home office, she enjoys nature walks, reading, and brewing coffee.