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Regulation Tracker / United States (federal)

ABA Formal Opinion 512: Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools

American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility

last revised 2024-07-29last verified 2026-09-031 versioncountry page →

Ethics opinionIn forceCompetenceConfidentialityClient consentVerification dutySupervision

map categories:Bar guidance on generative AITechnological competenceClient data in AI toolsClient consent and transparencyDuty to verify AI outputSupervision of AI workBilling for AI workVendor due diligence

The American Bar Association's first formal ethics opinion on generative AI, issued 29 July 2024, applies the Model Rules to lawyers across the United States. It covers competence, confidentiality with informed client consent for self-learning tools, candor to tribunals, supervision of staff and vendors, and fees. It is permissive with cautions and has no successor opinion.

Applies to
lawyers, firms
Effective
29 Jul 2024
Current version
Original · 29 Jul 2024
Last verified
03 Sept 2026
Official text
www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_respon…

What the document requires

  • Lawyers must understand the benefits and risks of the generative AI tools they use (Rule 1.1).
  • Informed client consent is required before entering confidential information into a self-learning tool (Rule 1.6).
  • Output must be verified before it is relied on or filed (Rules 1.1, 3.3).
  • Managerial and supervisory lawyers must establish policies for AI use by staff (Rules 5.1, 5.3).
  • Lawyers may not bill clients for time saved by AI or for learning to use a tool (Rule 1.5).

Version history

VersionDateWhat changedSource
Originalcurrent2024-07-29First version recorded.official

Related court incidents on the record

Sources

Cite this record

SafeLegalAI Legal AI Regulation Tracker, "ABA Formal Opinion 512: Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools" (American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Original, 2024-07-29), safelegalai.com/regulation/us-federal/aba-formal-opinion-512 (accessed 2026-10-07). Data: CC BY 4.0.

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