How to Use AI as a Paralegal: Tips for Getting Started
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the legal profession and raising ethical questions. Paralegals should understand how to use AI effectively to increase productivity while safeguarding confidential client information and complying with ethical obligations.
Here are several practical tips to help you begin using AI as a paralegal confidently and responsibly in your work.
Learn About Different AI Tools
You may already use AI in your personal life, but there are many powerful AI tools available beyond ChatGPT.
Here are a few of them:
Gemini
Gemini has multiple applications, including research assistance, document analysis, and image generation. It can help you conduct research, organize information, and generate reports.
Claude
Claude is best known for automation and writing code. It can also help streamline research, drafting, and other time-consuming tasks.
Gemini Notebook
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) is great for learning, designed to help users organize their own source materials. You can upload documents, notes, or other materials, and Gemini Notebook can summarize information, answer questions based on those sources, and help explain complex concepts.
Become Aware of Legal-Specific AI Tools
In addition to exploring general-purpose AI tools, become familiar with AI platforms designed specifically for legal professionals. Here are a few examples:
LexisNexis Protégé™
LexisNexis Protégé™ is an AI assistant designed specifically for the legal profession. It can assist with legal research, summarizing information, drafting documents, and automating routine tasks. When used in accordance with your firm’s policies, it is designed with legal workflows and data security in mind.
Clio
Clio is a comprehensive legal practice management platform that incorporates AI features to support case management, operations, billing, and client communications. Clio includes security features designed to help law firms protect confidential information while supporting ethical legal practice.
CoCounsel Legal
CoCounsel Legal can assist with legal research, document review, drafting, and document analysis. Its integrations with established legal research resources help support more informed and efficient legal work.
Use AI Ethically
AI introduces a new realm of ethical concerns. Before you begin to use AI as a paralegal, keep in mind a few important principles:
Check With Your Supervisor
Before using AI for work-related tasks, receive the approval from your supervisor and learn about your organization’s AI policies. Ensure that you understand and follow your organization’s AI governance and confidentiality policies.
Protect Confidential Information
Review the privacy, security, and data retention policies of any AI tool before using it for legal work. If an AI tool does not meet your organization’s security requirements, avoid entering confidential or client-specific information. Firm-approved legal AI tools with appropriate security safeguards may be suitable for certain client-related tasks, subject to your organization’s policies and applicable ethical obligations. Always comply with applicable laws, ethical rules, and your organization’s policies.
Review All Outputs
Always verify AI-generated information against authoritative legal sources before relying on it. Carefully review all AI-generated drafts, summaries, and analyses before using them. Human oversight remains essential because AI systems can generate inaccurate or fabricated information, often referred to as AI hallucinations.
Consider Your Environmental Impact
Although using AI as a paralegal can significantly improve productivity, it also requires substantial computing resources that consume electricity. Use AI thoughtfully and encourage discussion with other legal team members in your workplace. You can reduce unnecessary AI usage by following certain guidelines, such as writing clear prompts with sufficient context, avoiding repeated requests for the same task, using advanced reasoning features only when needed, and continuing related conversations within the same chat session when appropriate.
Practice With AI as a Paralegal
Like any other professional skill, effective AI use improves with practice. The best way to learn is to begin experimenting with AI as a paralegal on appropriate, low-risk tasks. For example, you can use AI to summarize documents, assist with legal research, organize case materials, draft first versions of documents, review contracts or pleadings for consistency, and identify expert witnesses.
For additional ideas and best practices, check out NALA’s article: A Paralegal’s Guide to Leveraging AI-Powered Legal Technology.
Ready to Build Your AI Skills?
If you’re interested in gaining a deeper understanding of using AI as a paralegal, consider Blackstone’s AI Skills for Paralegals online course. For $149.00, you will learn how to:
- Explain the capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence tools within legal workflows, including risks related to accuracy, ethics, and professional responsibility.
- Apply structured prompt engineering techniques to generate accurate, task-specific outputs for legal drafting, research support, and document analysis.
- Analyze AI-generated legal content to identify errors, inconsistencies, and risks by comparing outputs against primary legal sources.
- Evaluate the ethical implications of AI use in legal environments, including confidentiality, data security, and compliance with professional standards.
- Design AI-assisted workflows that integrate appropriate tool use, verification steps, and human oversight in paralegal tasks such as discovery, case organization, and document drafting.
The self-paced course provides 3 hours of CLEs for NALA and NALS recertification. Preview the course here or get started today and begin building practical AI skills for today’s legal workplace.
