Ai, Legal

Ethical Considerations in Legal AI Applications: Navigating the Future of Legal Technology 

June 20, 2025

As AI becomes a regular part of legal work, it brings both benefits and serious ethical concerns. This blog explores the key issues—bias, accuracy, confidentiality, and accountability—and outlines best practices for using AI responsibly in law. With guidance from the ABA and a focus on clear policies and training, legal professionals can embrace AI without compromising ethics.

Transforming Law—Responsibly with AI

The legal field is going through major changes as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a regular part of everyday work. Lawyers are now using AI to save time and avoid boring tasks like legal research and reviewing documents. But with these new tools come important ethical questions that must be addressed before AI is used widely across the profession. As we move through 2025, these issues are more important than ever.

The Four Pillars of Legal AI Ethics

Bias and Fairness

One of the biggest ethical concerns with using AI in law is bias. AI works by studying large sets of data to find patterns. If that data has bias, the AI will also be biased. This can lead to unfair results and go against the idea of equal treatment in the legal system.

Accuracy and Reliability

AI tools, especially generative AI (GenAI), have limits that lawyers need to understand. Sometimes, AI makes up information that sounds correct but is actually wrong—this is called a “hallucination.” In law, where accuracy is very important, this can be dangerous.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Protecting client privacy is a key part of being an ethical lawyer. Lawyers need to make sure that using AI won’t risk exposing private client details. The American Bar Association (ABA) says lawyers must always think about how AI could affect their duty to keep client information safe.

Responsibility and Accountability

It’s still unclear who is responsible when AI produces content. But the ABA makes it clear: lawyers are responsible for anything they submit, even if AI helped create it.

Best Practices for Ethical AI Integration in Legal Practice

Putting Strong Safeguards in Place

  • Make sure client information stays private by checking AI tools for any risk of data leaks.
  • Keep an eye on outside companies that provide AI services to ensure they follow the rules.
  • Create clear rules and policies for how AI should be used in your legal team.
  • Know what AI can and can’t do to use it properly and stay skilled.

Working Together Across Teams

  • Lawyers should read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policies for any AI tools they use.
  • Work closely with IT and cybersecurity experts to understand how AI may affect your practice.
  • Focus on training so everyone knows how to use AI properly and understands its limits.

Careful Supervision is Key

  • Review all work that AI helps produce to make sure it’s accurate.
  • Protect client privacy when using AI in any task.
  • Make sure your team knows how to use AI tools the right way.

The Evolving Landscape of AI Ethics in Law 

The use of AI in the legal field is growing rapidly, bringing both opportunities and challenges. As AI tools become more common, legal professionals must address ethical concerns like bias, accuracy, client confidentiality, and accountability. The American Bar Association released its first formal opinion on generative AI, stressing that existing ethical rules still apply. This evolving landscape calls for clear policies, proper training, and close supervision to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI in legal practice.

Conclusion

As AI continues to shape the future of law, ethical awareness must keep pace with technological progress. Legal professionals have a responsibility to ensure that AI is used in ways that uphold fairness, accuracy, and confidentiality. By following clear guidelines, working closely with tech experts, and supervising AI tools carefully, law firms can embrace innovation without compromising ethics.