New Guidelines for Using AI To Aid Civil Legal Service Organizations
1.16.2026
Artificial intelligence can help civil legal service organizations by increasing productivity and reducing administrative burdens. The New York State Bar Association released a series of recommendations for organizations looking to utilize AI technology.
The association’s governing body, the House of Delegates, adopted a report on Friday with these recommendations from its President’s Committee on Access to Justice.
“AI can enhance the efforts of legal services attorneys and expand access to justice for underserved communities,” said Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association. “The President’s Committee on Access to Justice has developed guidelines and recommendations for organizations looking to harness this technology without compromising privacy or security.”
The report recommends that organizations first use AI for internal tasks such as research, drafting and administration, which would minimize risk while increasing attorney productivity. Client-facing applications should be developed later with a clearly defined policy and an emphasis on human oversight.
The recommendations also reference the importance of training staff not only to use AI, but to understand how to evaluate it. The report urges cautious and incremental steps.
Taa Grays, president-elect of the New York State Bar Association, and Rezwanul Islam, deputy executive director at Legal Services of Long Island, are the co-chairs of the President’s Committee on Access to Justice.
