The Law Society of Northern Ireland’s guidance is framed as practical support for solicitors and staff who are considering or already using AI in professional practice. The Law Society says AI can assist with tasks such as notetaking, drafting emails, summarising documents, eDiscovery and simplifying complex legal issues, but stresses that its use must be consistent with pre-existing professional duties to clients and the courts. The guidance says solicitors should understand the technology before using it, maintain effective quality control over outputs and check AI-assisted research against authoritative sources.
The Law Society places particular emphasis on client data, confidentiality and privilege, warning solicitors not to upload privileged or confidential material to insecure systems. The guidance also addresses communication with clients and the risks of clients using AI for legal matters. In court-related work, the Law Society states further on how solicitors must be especially vigilant, because placing false AI-generated information before the court can have serious consequences.