Skip to content

Regulation Tracker / Canada

White Paper: Licensee Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Law Society of Ontario · Ontario

last revised 2024-04-01last verified 2026-09-041 versioncountry page →

GuidanceIn forcePermissiveVerification dutyConfidentialityCompetenceSupervision

map categories:Bar guidance on generative AIDuty to verify AI outputClient data in AI toolsTechnological competenceSupervision of AI work

The Law Society of Ontario's April 2024 white paper on licensee use of generative AI applies the Rules of Professional Conduct and Paralegal Rules to lawyers and paralegals in Ontario. It is permissive with cautions: licensees must verify output, protect confidentiality and privilege, remain competent, and need not disclose AI use to clients solely because AI was used.

Applies to
lawyers, firms
Effective
01 Apr 2024
Current version
April 2024 · 01 Apr 2024
Last verified
04 Sept 2026
Official text
lawsocietyontario-dwd0dscmayfwh7bj.a01.azurefd.net/media/lso/media/law…

What the document requires

  • Licensees are responsible for all work product regardless of AI assistance.
  • AI output, including case citations, must be verified before reliance.
  • No obligation to disclose AI use to a client solely because AI was used, though disclosure may be appropriate.
  • Confidential and privileged information requires safeguards before entry into AI tools.

Version history

VersionDateWhat changedSource
April 2024current2024-04-01First version recorded.official · archive

Related court incidents on the record

Read our analysis: Canada's law-society AI guidance: BC, Ontario, Alberta, and the CBA →

Sources

Cite this record

SafeLegalAI Legal AI Regulation Tracker, "White Paper: Licensee Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence" (Law Society of Ontario, April 2024, 2024-04-01), safelegalai.com/regulation/canada/lso-licensee-generative-ai-white-paper (accessed 2026-09-04). Data: CC BY 4.0.

More official documents in Canada