Ethics & Bar Guidance
Formal ethics opinions, bar association guidance, and professional responsibility resources governing AI use in legal practice.
8 resources. North Carolina-specific entries appear first.
North Carolina · Free
Adopted November 2024, this is the NC State Bar's binding formal guidance on AI in legal practice. Permits AI use provided attorneys act competently, protect client confidences, and supervise appropriately. Explicitly cautions against inputting client-specific information into publicly available AI tools. The primary compliance document for NC attorneys.
North Carolina · Free
A companion ethics article from the NC State Bar providing practical framing of the AI ethics landscape for NC practitioners, written alongside 2024 FEO 1. Covers the three pillars of AI ethics compliance in North Carolina: competence, confidentiality, and supervision.
North Carolina · Free
Risk management guidance from North Carolina's lawyer malpractice insurer on integrating AI while staying within ethical and professional obligations under 2024 FEO 1. Addresses vetting AI platforms, billing considerations, and supervision requirements from the insurer's perspective.
North Carolina · Free
A January 2026 NCBA article arguing against blanket AI bans at law firms and providing a practical framework for drafting compliant AI governance policies. Includes a traffic-light classification system for permissible AI uses and addresses shadow AI risks under 2024 FEO 1.
National · Free
The ABA's first formal ethics opinion on generative AI, issued July 2024. Addresses six core obligations implicated by AI use: competence, confidentiality, communication, candor toward the tribunal, supervisory responsibilities, and reasonable fees. Required reading for any attorney considering AI adoption.
National · Free
The foundational ethics text underlying all technology competence obligations. Comment 8 states that lawyers must keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology. The basis for understanding why AI competence is an ethical obligation.
National · Free
A continuously updated 50-state survey tracking AI ethics guidance issued by state governments and bar associations. Quick-reference summary of each state's current posture with links to primary documents. Useful for attorneys who practice across state lines.
National · Free
A free aggregation of AI ethics guidance from the ABA and every state bar association that has issued guidance, with links to primary documents. Provides quick orientation to the patchwork of existing rules and flags states where guidance has not yet been released.
Resources are selected for relevance and reliability. Access status and availability may change. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement. Nothing on this page is legal advice.