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CCBE Guide on the use of generative AI by lawyers

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe

last revised 2025-10-02last verified 2026-09-031 versioncountry page →

GuidanceIn forcePermissiveVerification dutyConfidentialityCompetence

map categories:Bar guidance on generative AIDuty to verify AI outputClient data in AI toolsTechnological competenceClient consent and transparencyData protection and legal AI

Guide published 2 October 2025 by the CCBE, which represents European bars and law societies, on how lawyers should use generative AI. It is permissive with cautions: lawyers must understand tool limitations, verify all output, protect professional secrecy and client confidentiality, and consider the EU AI Act's literacy and transparency duties.

Applies to
lawyers, firms
Effective
02 Oct 2025
Current version
Original · 02 Oct 2025
Last verified
03 Sept 2026
Official text
www.ccbe.eu/fileadmin/speciality_distribution/public/documents/IT_LAW/…

What the document requires

  • Lawyers remain fully responsible for advice and documents produced with generative AI.
  • Output must be checked for accuracy, including invented citations and misstatements of law.
  • Professional secrecy requires care over what is entered into tools and where data is processed.
  • Recommends firm-level policies, training and awareness of the AI Act's Article 4 literacy duty.

Version history

VersionDateWhat changedSource
Originalcurrent2025-10-02First version recorded.official

Read our analysis: Does the EU AI Act apply to UK law firms? →

Sources

Cite this record

SafeLegalAI Legal AI Regulation Tracker, "CCBE Guide on the use of generative AI by lawyers" (Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, Original, 2025-10-02), safelegalai.com/regulation/eu/ccbe-guide-generative-ai-lawyers (accessed 2026-09-04). Data: CC BY 4.0.

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