{"id":18952,"date":"2025-06-11T08:01:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T06:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/blog\/lignes-directrices-ia-avocats\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T11:25:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T09:25:48","slug":"ai-guidelines-lawyers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/blog\/ai-guidelines-lawyers\/","title":{"rendered":"Comments on guidelines for the use of AI by lawyers (Avocats.be and OVB)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"18952\" class=\"elementor elementor-18952 elementor-15705\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bd95fa7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7bd95fa7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_has_onepagescroll_dot&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6906e301 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6906e301\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;ekit_we_effect_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ordevanvlaamsebalies.be\/nl\/fetch-asset?path=ovb\/Documenten\/Digitalisering\/Richtlijnen-voor-advocaten-voor-het-gebruik-van-Artifici%C3%ABle-Intelligentie.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence by lawyers<\/strong><\/a>published by <a href=\"http:\/\/avocats.be\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Avocats.be<\/a> and the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ordevanvlaamsebalies.be\/nl\/kennisbank\/digitalisering\/richtlijnen-voor-advocaten-rond-gebruik-van-artificiele-intelligentie\" rel=\"noopener\">OVB<\/a> on January 31, 2025, represent an important step forward in the use of these technologies.  <\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s our analysis and recommendations for developing this framework further.<\/p>\n<h2>The strengths of the guidelines<\/h2>\n<h3>A quest for balance<\/h3>\n<p>The guidelines strike a balance between <strong>innovation<\/strong> and <strong>ethical framework<\/strong>, giving lawyers the freedom to explore AI while reminding them of their fundamental responsibilities.<\/p>\n<h3>Highlights:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Raising awareness of the risks<\/strong> of AI models, especially LLMs<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhanced protection<\/strong> of professional secrecy<\/li>\n<li><strong>Harmonization of<\/strong> practices between Belgian Bars<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pragmatic approach<\/strong> to responsible innovation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>7 recommendations for deepening AI guidelines for lawyers<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Refining the distinction between AI tools<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Issue<\/strong>: Not all AIs are equal in terms of safety and functionality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution<\/strong>: Create a clear classification distinguishing between :<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Generic tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity &#8230;)<\/li>\n<li>Specialized legal solutions<\/li>\n<li>Autonomous AI agents<\/li>\n<li>Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) tools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Specify safety conditions<\/p>\n<p><strong>Issue<\/strong>: The notion of a &#8220;closed environment with adequate safeguards&#8221; remains unclear.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution<\/strong>: Set minimum standards for :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Local vs. cloud hosting<\/li>\n<li>Data encryption<\/li>\n<li>Access traceability<\/li>\n<li>Contractual warranties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>3. Propose evaluation criteria<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Issue<\/strong>: Lawyers lack guidance when choosing their tools.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution<\/strong>: Develop an evaluation grid covering :<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Safety level<\/li>\n<li>Reliability of results<\/li>\n<li>RGPD Compliance<\/li>\n<li>Costs and pricing models<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>4. Validation methodology<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Issue<\/strong>: How can we ensure the quality of the results produced by AI?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution<\/strong>: Set up a validation protocol including :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Systematic double-checking<\/li>\n<li>Checking quoted sources<\/li>\n<li>Process traceability<\/li>\n<li>Decision documentation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>5. Rethinking billing<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Issue<\/strong>: AI is fundamentally transforming the economics of legal services.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution<\/strong>: Anticipate the move towards :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Value-added billing<\/li>\n<li>Service categorization (human\/assisted\/automated)<\/li>\n<li>Transparency on the use of AI<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>6. Mandatory further training<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Issue<\/strong>: The rapid evolution of AI requires constant updating of skills.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution<\/strong>: Implement :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>AI training program for lawyers<\/li>\n<li>Certifications by legal specialty<\/li>\n<li>Organized technology watch<\/li>\n<li>Sharing best practices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>7. Encourage innovation<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Challenge<\/strong>: Go beyond the defensive approach to harness the potential of AI.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Solution<\/strong>: Promote :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Supervised experimentation<\/li>\n<li>Sector case studies<\/li>\n<li>Firm support<\/li>\n<li>Measuring productivity gains<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Essential definitions to be clarified<\/h2>\n<h3>Missing technical concepts<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>AI agents<\/strong>: autonomous systems capable of performing complex tasks<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAG<\/strong>: Response enrichment via external databases<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fine-tuning<\/strong>: adapting models to specific bodies of law<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Clarifying legal concepts<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;<strong>Adequate guarantees<\/strong>: precise technical and contractual criteria<\/li>\n<li><strong>Specific consent<\/strong>: How to obtain it in the AI context<\/li>\n<li><strong>Differential liability<\/strong>: Applicable regime vs. traditional sources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Specific issues identified<\/h2>\n<h3>Data protection<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Challenge<\/strong>: To reconcile the usefulness of AI with the preservation of professional secrecy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Approach<\/strong>: Favoring on-premise or sovereign cloud solutions, developing purchasing consortiums to negotiate appropriate terms and conditions.<\/p>\n<h3>Risk management<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Challenge<\/strong>: Pseudonymization does not protect against all risks of exposure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Approach<\/strong>: Secure the entire processing chain, from transcription to final analysis.<\/p>\n<h3>Job evolution<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Challenge<\/strong>: AI is fundamentally transforming certain legal practices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Approach<\/strong>: Support the transition to new value-creation models.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion: a first step towards informed adoption<\/h2>\n<p>The guidelines form a <strong>solid basis<\/strong> that now needs to be developed further.  <\/p>\n<p>The issue is no longer whether AI will transform the legal profession, but <strong>how to<\/strong> support this transformation ethically and effectively.<\/p>\n<h3>Recommended next steps<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Immediate training<\/strong> of practitioners in the challenges and opportunities of AI<\/li>\n<li><strong>Supervised experimentation<\/strong> with secure tools<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sharing experiences<\/strong> between practitioners and firms<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regular updating of<\/strong> recommendations to keep pace with technological developments<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Artificial intelligence represents a historic opportunity to improve the efficiency and accessibility of legal services.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you like to find out more?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Discover our <a href=\"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/\">Cercle IA training program<\/a> specially designed for consulting professionals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence by lawyerspublished by Avocats.be and theOVB on January 31, 2025, represent an important step forward in the use of these technologies. Here&#8217;s our analysis and recommendations for developing this framework further. The strengths of the guidelines A quest for balance The guidelines strike a balance between innovation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18588,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lawyers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18952"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18953,"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18952\/revisions\/18953"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecercle.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}