Digital White Papers

© ILTA and Thomson Reuters 2026. Objectives This guide is intended as a starting point for lawyers and legal professionals who are considering incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their work. It is a synopsis of a fast-moving landscape and designed to be broadly applicable — across prac- tice areas, both in-house and private practice, and regardless of firm or department size. How to Use This Document This white paper is a primer, not a playbook, that aims to: • Describe the current state of AI adoption in legal practice • Explain the core AI platforms and types • Identify the general circumstances in which AI tools are appropriate for legal work • Examine professional responsibilities, including accuracy concerns and ethical considerations • Explore what lies ahead for the profession's use of AI • Provide a glossary of key terms and technical concepts (see Appendix A) Current State & Background Artificial intelligence has moved from the margins of legal practice to the center of the profes- sion's technolo conversation in a remarkably short period. Adoption Is Uneven AI adoption across the legal profession varies dramatically by firm size, practice area, client base, and individual practitioner. However, lawyers at every level — whether they use AI themselves or not — are now likely to at least be on the receiving end of AI-assisted work product from oppos- ing counsel or clients. Legal AI Tools Are Still Evolving While some legal AI tools have accumulated a substantial body of industry protocols and case law, Generative AI (GenAI) tools capable of drafting documents, summarizing opinions, and answering legal research questions are far newer, and Agentic AI systems that can execute multi- step legal workflows with limited human intervention are newer still. Consensus in the legal industry on what these tools can reliably do, boundaries for applicable use, and lawyers' professional responsibilities in using them is an ongoing process that is still in the early stages. Development of legal AI tools and their usage is evolving rapidly and continually changing. A I G U I D E L I N E S E R I E S | A I G U I D E F O R L E G A L P R O F E S S I O N A L S : A F O U N D A T I O N A L O V E R V I E W 2

• Cover