The AI Sidebar.
Deep dives into AI strategy, governance, and the future of solo legal practice.
Billing for AI-Assisted Work in a NJ Small Firm: What RPC 1.5 Actually Permits
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI tools cut research and drafting time dramatically, which is great for efficiency but awkward for billing. NJ attorneys operating under RPC 1.5's "reasonable fee" standard need a clear framework for how to charge when AI did a chunk of the work. Here's how to think through it without shortchanging yourself or overcharging your clients.
The Truth About AI Hallucinations in NJ Legal Briefs: Most Firms Have No Workflow to Catch Them
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI tools hallucinate citations, statutes, and case holdings, and NJ attorneys are on the hook when it hits the court record. This post walks through what hallucination actually looks like in legal drafting, why standard proofreading won't catch it, and the specific verification workflow solo and small NJ firms should build right now.
What Happens to a NJ Small Firm When Its AI Vendor Gets Hacked?
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI vendors are becoming prime targets for data breaches, and most NJ small firm attorneys have no plan for what happens when one hits. This post walks through exactly what your obligations are under NJ ethics rules and state law when client data held by a third-party AI tool is compromised.
Does Sending Client Files to an AI Tool Violate NJ RPC 1.6?
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
Before you paste a client's documents into ChatGPT or upload a contract to an AI drafting tool, there's a confidentiality question NJ attorneys need to answer first. Here's how to think through it practically.
Writing a Law Firm AI Policy From Scratch: A Practical Guide for NJ Solo and Small Firms
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
Most NJ solo attorneys are already using AI tools in their practice, but almost none have a written policy governing how those tools get used. Here's how to build one that actually holds up, from acceptable use rules to staff oversight to client data handling.
Stop Using AI for Client Intake Before You Read NJ RPC 5.5
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
Automated client intake powered by AI can save a solo attorney hours every week. But in New Jersey, a poorly configured intake chatbot or form-generation tool can quietly cross the line into unauthorized practice of law, and the attorney whose name is on the door is the one who answers for it. Here's what NJ small firms need to check before they automate the front door.
ChatGPT vs. Clio Duo vs. Harvey: Which AI Tool Actually Makes Sense for a NJ Small Firm?
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
General-purpose chatbots, practice management AI, and litigation-focused platforms all promise to save solo and small-firm attorneys time. But for NJ practitioners, the choice between them isn't just about features, it's about data handling, ethical exposure, and what your actual caseload looks like day to day.
Candor to the Tribunal When AI Wrote the Brief: What NJ Attorneys Owe the Court Under RPC 3.3
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI-drafted briefs and legal arguments are showing up in NJ courtrooms with increasing frequency. But when the tool hallucinating a citation is the same one that drafted the motion, RPC 3.3 candor obligations get complicated fast. Here's what NJ solo and small-firm attorneys need to understand before they file.
AI-Generated Attorney Bios and Practice Area Pages: Does NJ RPC 7.1 Have a Problem With What You're Publishing?
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
Solo attorneys and small NJ firms are quietly using AI to write their websites, bios, and practice area pages. It's fast and cheap, but RPC 7.1's prohibition on false or misleading communications about legal services creates real exposure when AI fills in credentials, case outcomes, or experience claims that don't hold up to scrutiny.
Telling Clients You Used AI: What NJ Attorneys Are Actually Required to Disclose Under RPC 1.4
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
NJ's RPC 1.4 requires attorneys to keep clients reasonably informed and explain matters so they can make informed decisions. As AI tools become routine in small-firm practice, a quiet question keeps surfacing: do you have to tell clients you used one? The answer is more nuanced than most NJ solo attorneys realize, and the consequences of getting it wrong run deeper than a malpractice claim.
IOLTA Trust Accounting and AI: What NJ Solo Attorneys Need to Know Before Automating Client Funds
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI-assisted bookkeeping tools are showing up in more NJ solo practices, but IOLTA trust accounts sit in a different category from ordinary business finances. Before you let any software touch client funds, here's what the NJ Rules of Professional Conduct and the NJLAF actually require, and where automation quietly creates compliance gaps.
Drafting Client Retainer Agreements With AI: Is What NJ Attorneys Are Producing Actually Competent Under RPC 1.1?
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI can produce a retainer agreement in under a minute. But speed isn't competence. Here's what NJ solo and small-firm attorneys need to check before that AI-drafted document goes out the door, and what RPC 1.1 actually demands when a machine does the first draft.
Conflicts Screening With AI in a NJ Small Firm: 5 Things to Check Before You Trust the Output
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI-assisted conflicts screening sounds like a productivity win for NJ solo and small-firm attorneys. But before you rely on it to clear a new client, there are some real gaps in how these tools work that could leave you exposed under RPC 1.7 and 1.9. Here's what to verify before the intake form is signed.
Supervising a Non-Lawyer Who Uses AI: The RPC 5.3 Exposure Most NJ Small Firms Haven't Thought About
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
When a paralegal or legal assistant uses AI tools on client matters, the supervising attorney is on the hook for what comes out. Most NJ small firms have set up workflows around their own AI use, but haven't thought carefully about what their non-lawyer staff is doing with the same tools. Here's where the ethical exposure sits, and what to do about it.
When AI Writes the Discovery Responses: A Practical Walkthrough for NJ Small Firms
AI-assisted, reviewed by Adam Elias
AI-assisted discovery drafting is already happening in NJ small firms, but most attorneys are winging it. This post walks through a concrete workflow, flags where RPC 3.3 candor obligations bite, and shows what a responsible review process actually looks like before anything gets signed and served.