Fact · Voice privacy and security
ABA Formal Opinion 512 says a general clause in an engagement letter is not enough to obtain the informed consent needed before using generative AI with client information.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“merely adding general, boiler-plate provisions to engagement letters purporting to authorize the lawyer to use GAI is not sufficient”
Formal Opinion 512: Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools, ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, American Bar Association, 2024, Section B, Confidentiality.
Open the original- What it measures
- The passage sits in the opinion's confidentiality section, which explains that informed consent must explain the risk that later users of the tool may have access to the information.
- What it does not show
- The opinion is advisory. It does not say what a specific consent form must contain.