--- title: "Law firm AI use policy (master firm policy)" url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/law-firm-ai-use-policy" type: "precedent" site: "AI Law Framework" id: "a45-law-firm-ai-use-policy" area_id: "A45" kind: "policy" ai_level: "yellow" version: 1 law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-17" --- # Law firm AI use policy (master firm policy) > The master AI use policy for an Australian law practice: governance, approved tools, information classes, permitted uses by risk level, verification, court requirements, clients, billing, decisions about people,… Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/law-firm-ai-use-policy Law stated as at: 2026-10-17 Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt The master AI use policy for an Australian law practice: governance, approved tools, information classes, permitted uses by risk level, verification, court requirements, clients, billing, decisions about people, incidents, training and review. ## Key facts - Kind: Policy. A policy or procedure for a firm or client. - Practice area: [AI decision systems](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems.md) - Jurisdictions: Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, European Union - AI level: Yellow. AI can help in set ways. A lawyer checks specific points before use. - Law stated as at: 2026-10-17 - Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-17 against the 13 authorities it cites, for 6 jurisdictions. ## When to use it Adopt as the firm's master AI policy before any AI tool is used on client work, tailored to its size, tools and practice areas, and issue the short-form AI confidentiality rules for staff with it. Pair it with the approved AI tools register, vendor due-diligence questionnaire and AI incident response procedure. Review at least every six months. ## How AI may be used AI can help tailor this policy to the firm's tools, practice areas and courts, but partners decide the risk appetite, the permitted uses and the governance, and approve the final policy. **AI may:** - Populate Schedule 1 from the current court practice notes, with links, for a lawyer to verify. - Map the firm's current tools and embedded AI features into the register and the data-class table. - Produce training material and a one-page summary for staff from the approved policy. **AI must not:** - Must not set the firm's risk levels, permitted uses or data rules. - Must not state court requirements without a lawyer checking the current practice note. - Must not be given client information while drafting the policy. **The lawyer checks:** - The permitted-use table reflects the firm's actual tools, contracts and risk appetite. - Schedule 1 is current for every forum the firm appears in. - Roles are assigned to named people who have the time and authority to perform them. ## Authorities - [Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules 2015 rr 3.1, 4.1.3, 4.1.4, 9, 12.2, 19, 24 and 37](https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2015-0244) - [Legal Profession Uniform Law ss 172 and 173 (fair and reasonable costs; avoiding increased costs)](https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2014-16a#sec.172) - [Statement on the use of artificial intelligence in Australian legal practice (Law Society of NSW, Legal Practice Board of WA and Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner, 6 December 2024)](https://lsbc.vic.gov.au/news-updates/news/statement-use-artificial-intelligence-australian-legal-practice) - [Federal Court of Australia, Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Practice Note (GPN-AI), 16 April 2026](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/law-and-practice/practice-documents/practice-notes/gpn-ai) - [Supreme Court of NSW Practice Note SC Gen 23 – Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI), commenced 3 February 2025](https://supremecourt.nsw.gov.au/documents/Practice-and-Procedure/Practice-Notes/general/current/PN_SC_Gen_23.pdf) - [Supreme Court of Victoria Practice Note SC Gen 25 (The use of Artificial Intelligence by Court users), 14 May 2026](https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/areas/legal-resources/practice-notes/sc-gen-25-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-by-court-users) - [Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Practice Direction: Use of Artificial Intelligence (PD-AI), 29 May 2026](https://www.fcfcoa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-05/fcfcoa_pd_-_use_of_artificial_intelligence_-_pd-ai_-_0526v1.pdf) - [Supreme Court of Queensland Practice Direction 5 of 2025 (Accuracy of references in submissions)](https://www.courts.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/882064/sc-pd-5-pf-2025.pdf) - [Fair Work Commission, Guidance note: Use of generative artificial intelligence in Commission cases (commences 20 October 2026)](https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/resources/guidance-note-use-of-generative-ai-in-commission-cases.pdf) - [Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) Sch 1 APPs 1 (including APP 1.7 to 1.9 from 10 December 2026), 3, 6, 8, 10 and 11; Pt IIIC (notifiable data breaches)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A03712/latest/text) - [OAIC, Guidance on privacy and the use of commercially available AI products (October 2024)](https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/guidance-on-privacy-and-the-use-of-commercially-available-ai-products) - [National AI Centre, Guidance for AI adoption: foundations (six essential practices)](https://www.ai.gov.au/staying-safe-and-responsible/essential-ai-practices/guidance-ai-adoption-foundations) - [EU: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act) art 4 (AI literacy), as replaced by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2026/1744/oj/eng) ## Official form [Official form](https://www.ai.gov.au/staying-safe-and-responsible/essential-ai-practices/create-ai-policy) ## Full text and drafting notes The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/law-firm-ai-use-policy and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm. *Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*