So, what could your next visit to your solicitor look like if AI is involved and what rights do you have as a client.
Local solicitors and legal professionals will gather in Tamworth on Monday (13.7) to be updated on the rules, obligations and responsibilities surrounding the use of AI in Legal Practice.
The event will be hosted at the University of New England’s Tamworth Study Centre with Professor Mark Perry and Lecturer Fiona Burns from UNE’s Law School bringing their expertise to the session.
Fiona Burns said the legal profession is already using generative AI but solicitors need to be aware of the ethical and legal considerations of its use.
“AI will not abolish the legal profession, but it will substantially reshape how legal work is done, who does it, and how it is priced. It will automate significant parts of research, document review and drafting, and it will change client expectations around speed, responsiveness and transparency,” Ms Burns said.
“AI is not going to replace lawyers, but it will change how we work and how legal services are delivered. It will take over a lot of the routine, time-consuming tasks.
“AI is already being used in the legal profession to streamline routine tasks but its risks need to be managed by human supervision.
“AI can reduce cost and delay in some matters by streamlining routine tasks, but it introduces new risks, such as errors, hallucinated authorities and privacy issues, which must be managed through human supervision,” she said.
The free UNE sessions are part of mandatory continuing professional development requirements for legal professionals to complete each year.
Professor Mark Perry said AI education for legal professionals was “essential” to ensure they choose appropriate t ools, set limits, verify outputs, and explain methods and provenance to clients and courts.”
He said it was equally important that the public is aware of being informed on how their information is used by AI in legal proceedings.
“Your lawyer remains responsible for all work: AI is a tool, not a decision‑maker,” Professor Perry said. “Firms should check outputs before use and protect your information with clear controls on data residency, retention and vendor access, without allowing your data to train public models.
“Clients should ask whether AI will be used on their matter, for which tasks, how their data is protected, who reviews and signs off on outputs, whether usage will be disclosed and auditable, and whether they may opt out.”
Professor Perry and Ms Burns encouraged the public to have open conversations about the use of AI in their legal work and ask questions including:
· Whether and how AI is used in their matter: for research, drafting, file management, or client communication.
· How confidentiality and data security are protected when AI tools are involved, including where data is processed and stored and who has access.
· How the lawyer supervises and checks AI outputs, and how they ensure advice remains tailored and accurate rather than generic.
- Whether use of AI will reduce fees by automating routine work, and how any efficiencies are passed on to the client.
