---
title: "Using generative AI in Washington legal practice: ethics checklist"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/us-wa-genai-ethics-checklist"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a45-us-wa-genai-ethics-checklist"
area_id: "A45"
kind: "checklist"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
law_stated_as_at: "2026-11-08"
---

# Using generative AI in Washington legal practice: ethics checklist

> Checklist of what WSBA Advisory Opinion 202505 says about Washington lawyers using AI tools, covering competence, diligence, confidentiality, communication, candour, supervision and billing, with local court AI rules…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/us-wa-genai-ethics-checklist  
Law stated as at: 2026-11-08

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

Checklist of what WSBA Advisory Opinion 202505 says about Washington lawyers using AI tools, covering competence, diligence, confidentiality, communication, candour, supervision and billing, with local court AI rules as recorded in this library's Washington record.

## Key facts

- Kind: Checklist. Steps or checks to work through and tick off.
- Practice area: [AI decision systems](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems.md)
- Jurisdictions: United States, Washington
- AI level: Yellow. You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at: 2026-11-08
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-11-08 against the 2 authorities it cites, for United States and Washington.

## When to use it

Use when a Washington lawyer or firm sets up or audits its use of AI tools, whether consumer products, law-practice products or tools that act on their own, and when onboarding lawyers and staff. Check the local court rules for each forum.

## How AI may be used

A tool may list the firm's AI tools and match them to each point; a lawyer confirms the Washington sources are current, decides whether each point is met and signs off.

**AI may:**

- List the firm's AI tools and the matters they are used on, from the firm's own register
- Match each tool to the checklist points and flag points with no control
- Draft staff reminders that quote the named Washington sources accurately

**AI must not:**

- Must not mark a point as met, a source as current or a citation as checked
- Must not decide whether a tool's terms protect confidential client information
- Must not add duties that the named sources do not state
- Must not treat this checklist as a substitute for the named sources or for a later opinion, rule or order

**The lawyer checks:**

- The current version of each named Washington source has been confirmed
- The forum's local rules, standing orders and the assigned judge's orders have been checked for AI requirements
- Federal court rules and orders have been checked separately for any federal matter
- Each AI tool's terms of use and privacy policy have been read for access to inputs, retention and training use

## Authorities

- [Washington State Bar Association, Committee on Professional Ethics, Advisory Opinion 202505 (2025-05): Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Tools in Law Practice](https://www.wsba.org/docs/default-source/legal-community/committees/committee-on-professional-ethics/ao-202505.pdf)
- [Washington State Bar Association, Ethics FAQs: ethical rules when using artificial intelligence tools](https://www.wsba.org/for-legal-professionals/ethics/ethics-faqs)

## 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/us-wa-genai-ethics-checklist 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.*