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Relationship between AI-based contract-drafting, review and management support services and Article 72 of the Attorney Act

Ministry of Justice, Judicial System Department

last revised 2023-08-01last verified 2026-09-041 versioncountry page →

GuidanceIn forcePermissive

map categories:Consumer AI legal services

Ministry of Justice guideline of August 2023 explaining when AI-assisted contract drafting, review and management services fall outside the Attorney Act Article 72 prohibition on unauthorised legal practice. A service breaches Article 72 only if provided for remuneration, concerning a legal case, and constituting legal affairs; generative-AI services are assessed on the same framework.

Applies to
providers, lawyers
Effective
01 Aug 2023
Current version
Original · 01 Aug 2023
Last verified
04 Sept 2026
Official text
www.moj.go.jp/content/001400675.pdf

What the document requires

  • Three cumulative elements: purpose of remuneration, a 'legal case', and 'legal affairs'; absence of any one takes the service outside Art. 72.
  • Remuneration includes indirect consideration such as subscriptions or paid upsells.
  • Generative-AI-based services are judged on the same framework.

Version history

VersionDateWhat changedSource
Originalcurrent2023-08-01Published August 2023 (Reiwa 5); exact day not stated.official

Sources

Cite this record

SafeLegalAI Legal AI Regulation Tracker, "Relationship between AI-based contract-drafting, review and management support services and Article 72 of the Attorney Act" (Ministry of Justice, Judicial System Department, Original, 2023-08-01), safelegalai.com/regulation/other/jp-moj-ai-contract-review-attorney-act-72-2023 (accessed 2026-09-04). Data: CC BY 4.0.

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