Start by asking your supervising attorney, in writing, what you may use AI for, and until you have an answer, use it only on work that contains no client information: practice prompts, generic templates and public material. Learn where the line sits with a simple four-level data sheet, like the one in Know What Never Goes into AI, so you are ready the day the firm says yes.
A missing policy is not permission. Under the ethics rules, the lawyers you work for are responsible for supervising how you do your work, AI included, and client confidences belong to the client. If something goes wrong, "nobody told me not to" will not help you or the firm.
Why does the missing policy matter so much for paralegals?
- Confidentiality. Client information is protected by the lawyer's duty of confidentiality, and pasting it into a personal chatbot account is a disclosure to a vendor.
- Supervision. ABA Model Rule 5.3 makes lawyers responsible for reasonable measures so nonlawyer assistants act in line with the lawyer's obligations. Your attorney needs to know what tools you use.
- No legal advice. AI drafts can slip into predictions or advice. A paralegal sending that to a client raises unauthorized practice concerns.
- Accuracy. General chatbots can invent citations and facts. Anything filed or sent must be checked.
What can I safely do before there is a policy?
With no client information at all, you can:
- Learn prompting on made-up examples.
- Draft generic templates: a blank intake checklist, a document request list, a client-update structure with [PLACEHOLDERS].
- Summarize public material: a court's published local rules, a public statute, a bar association article, while checking the source yourself.
- Practice the workflow in a free training environment instead of on real files.
Do not paste client names, case facts, medical records, financial records or anything from a matter file until the firm approves a tool and tells you how to use it.
How do I help the firm get a policy?
Paralegals are often the ones who see where AI would save time. Bring your attorney a short proposal:
- Two or three tasks you want help with, such as intake call recaps or client update drafts.
- A suggested tool and plan, ideally a business plan that does not train on firm data by default.
- A data rule: what may go in, what never goes in.
- A review rule: an attorney approves anything that goes to a client or court.
Our guide for paralegals starting with AI and the page on using ChatGPT at work when there is no policy help you frame the conversation. Your attorney may find whether lawyers can use ChatGPT ethically useful too.
What does this look like in a real lesson?
In Know What Never Goes into AI you sort four items for Harbor & Pine Bookkeeping into four levels: a services brochure is Public, a staff memo about holiday hours is Internal, a client's payroll summary is Confidential, and a client's Social Security number on a W-9 is Restricted. You remove the Social Security number from a client email by hand, then have ChatGPT redact the rest in a Temporary chat. The catch: it gives two different people the same placeholder, so you ask it to fix that before you use the copy.
The same four levels work in a law firm. Firm marketing is Public, internal procedures are Internal, case facts are Confidential, and Social Security numbers, medical records and privileged strategy are Restricted.
Once your firm approves a tool, Summarize a Client Intake Call shows a typical paralegal task done the right way: ChatGPT turns an intake call transcript into a summary, engagement next steps with owners and dates, and a list of every person and business named for the conflict check. The request tells it to draw no legal conclusions, and running the conflict check stays with the firm. ChatGPT for paralegals covers more of these tasks.
What mistakes should paralegals avoid?
- Using a personal account "just this once" on a client file.
- Assuming redaction is perfect. Check every placeholder; AI can mix people up.
- Sending AI drafts to clients without attorney review.
- Trusting citations without pulling the case.
- Keeping it secret. Tell your attorney what you use. It protects you both.
Key takeaways
- No policy means ask first, not go ahead.
- Practice only with non-client information until a tool is approved.
- Use a four-level data rule to know what never goes in.
- Bring your attorney a short proposal with tasks, a tool and a review rule.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use ChatGPT to draft client letters?
Only once the firm approves a tool and you follow its rules, and an attorney should review anything that goes to a client. Keep confidential details out unless the firm's setup allows them.
- Is Temporary Chat safe for client information?
It keeps the chat out of your history, but it is still a vendor's service. It does not replace firm approval and a business plan that protects client data.
- What AI skill should a paralegal learn first?
Learn to write a clear prompt and to check the output against the file. Then learn your firm's data rules, so you know what you can put in.