AI Ethics & Supervision CLE for Law Firm Partners

A Practical Guide to Responsible AI Use in Legal Practice

Generative AI is rapidly transforming legal workflows — from drafting and research to client communications and internal knowledge management. While these tools offer measurable productivity gains, they also introduce new supervisory obligations, confidentiality risks, and professional liability exposure for law firm partners.

This AI ethics CLE program is designed specifically for managing partners and supervisory attorneys responsible for overseeing AI adoption within their firms. Participants learn how to supervise AI-assisted legal work, reduce malpractice exposure, and implement defensible governance frameworks aligned with professional responsibility standards.

Unlike introductory AI programs that focus on awareness, this course emphasizes partner-level oversight, risk management, and firm-wide governance controls.

Course Information & CLE Credit Details

Duration:

120 Minutes (2.0 CLE Credit Hours)

Program Level:

Intermediate

Credit Type:

Legal Ethics / Professional Responsibility (Primary)

Secondary Credit:

Technology Competence (where applicable)

Delivery Format:

Live In-Person, Live Webcast, or On-Demand CLE

Interactive Format:

Embedded knowledge checks, applied exercises, capstone implementation

Learning Objectives: AI Ethics & Supervisory Compliance

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

Explain supervisory obligations under ABA Formal Opinion 512
Apply Model Rules 1.1, 1.6, 5.1, and 5.3 to AI-assisted legal work
Identify malpractice exposure, confidentiality risks, hallucinations, and bias
Design human review standards and quality assurance workflows
Develop foundational elements of a law firm AI governance framework
Implement defensible oversight controls aligned with professional responsibility obligations

Session Highlights: AI Governance, Malpractice Risk & Law Firm Oversight

1. Generative AI & Technology Competence

Capabilities, limitations, and supervisory duties under Rule 1.1.

2. Ethical Risks, Confidentiality & Liability Exposure

Application of Rules 1.6, 5.1, and 5.3; privilege concerns, bias risks, and malpractice implications.

3. Supervisory Protocols & Human Review Standards

Documentation practices, disclosure considerations, internal controls, and escalation procedures.

4. Firm-Wide AI Governance Frameworks

AI policy development, vendor evaluation, monitoring controls, audit procedures, and risk management systems.

5. Capstone Implementation Exercise

Apply governance checklist and supervision workflows to a real-world law firm scenario.

Bonus Resources: AI Governance Checklist & Supervision Templates

Participants receive:

AI Governance Policy Framework Checklist
AI Use Case Implementation Template
Supervision & Risk Management Reference Guide
Governance Audit & Monitoring Worksheet
Course Slide Deck & Presentation Materials

Faculty

Instructor: Harish Bhat, Chief AI Officer, Trellissoft; Adjunct Faculty, Golden Gate University Law School; Author of Demystifying Prompt Engineering: AI Prompts at Your Fingertips. Experienced in training attorneys and law firms on AI adoption, ethics, and compliance.