Published in The Legal Intelligencer
In an article published on September 3 in The Legal Intelligencer, VF Law attorney Lars Hubbard examines how lawyers can use artificial intelligence responsibly while protecting professional judgment, client confidentiality, and the accuracy of their work. His guidance is particularly relevant young and emerging attorneys adopting AI tools in drafting, research, document review, and client communications.
“AI is now an essential tool for lawyers, and a young lawyer who ignores it will be left behind but it is equally essential to recognize the tool for what it is and not to ignore its shortcomings,” Hubbard explains. “A young lawyer needs to remember that AI cannot be trusted. Every final product must be checked thoroughly and with vigilance.”
With professional reputations on the line, Hubbard recommends treating AI output as a starting point, not a substitute for legal analysis, by verifying citations, protecting sensitive information, and comparing AI-assisted edits against prior document versions. He also speaks on machine-generated client feedback and how that has increased his workload rather than lowering it.
“On billing generally, my rule is simple. If a task took twenty minutes with AI assistance, the client is billed twenty minutes,” writes Hubbard. “Some engagement letters now address AI use directly, and I recommend adding a relevant provision to yours.”
Read the story in full; click here (subscriber-based).