CCBE guidance on lawyers’ use of generative AI

CCBE Guide on the use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers

I. Regulatory Summary

Requires law firms and lawyers to introduce (or strengthen) GenAI governance: confidentiality-safe tool choices, contractual due diligence, cybersecurity controls, and systematic verification of outputs. Primary impact is operational risk management and professional compliance rather than new statutory obligations.

II. Full Description

*Source file:* IT - 20251002 - CNF - Guida del CCBE sull’uso dell’intelligenza artificiale generativa da parte degli avvocati.pdf This guide discusses the use of generative AI in legal practice and links it to lawyers’ core professional principles (notably confidentiality and competence). It surveys practical risk areas (including cybersecurity threats such as prompt injection, data/model poisoning, and GenAI-enabled fraud such as deepfakes) and highlights procurement/contract issues (e.g., clauses allowing reuse of input data and ownership of outputs, and provider opacity based on trade-secret protections). The document is guidance-oriented and not written as a binding disciplinary or statutory instrument; it is intended to help lawyers identify risks and implement appropriate controls consistent with professional obligations.

III. Scope & Application

Non-binding professional guidance for lawyers on risks and professional-duty implications of using generative AI (GenAI) in legal practice. It maps GenAI risks (including cybersecurity and fraud/deepfakes) and connects them to core professional principles such as confidentiality and professional competence. It also highlights procurement/contractual issues (e.g., terms allowing reuse of inputs) and transparency limitations where providers invoke trade-secret protections.

IV. Policy Impact Assessment

Primary Focus: legal profession genai guidance