Confidentiality risk is not solved merely by choosing a well-known AI tool. The right starting point is a combination of approved technology, minimal disclosure, local protection, human review, and a clear understanding of what the AI provider does with submitted data.
The American Bar Association’s Formal Opinion 512 identifies duties including competence, confidentiality, communication, supervision, candor, and reasonable fees when lawyers use generative AI. Your jurisdiction, client terms, and firm policy may impose additional requirements.
Read ABA Formal Opinion 512The workflow
Seven checks between the source document and the AI.
- 01
Start with permission, not the prompt
Confirm the firm-approved provider, account type, matter restrictions, outside counsel guidelines, and any client consent requirements. If the answer is unclear, stop and ask the responsible security or legal team.
- 02
Minimize the source
Use only the clauses, rows, or narrative needed for the task. Remove exhibits, signatures, metadata, and background material the AI does not need.
- 03
Replace direct identifiers
Protect names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, account details, matter numbers, and other obvious identifiers before the text reaches the AI service.
- 04
Protect business context
Add client aliases, acquisition targets, project names, pricing strategies, and distinctive internal terms manually. Pattern detection cannot know what is confidential to your firm.
- 05
Review for re-identification
Read the protected version as an outsider. A location, unusual transaction value, job title, or combination of facts may still reveal the person or matter.
- 06
Send only the protected copy
Paste the tokenized version into the approved AI tool. Avoid attaching the original document by mistake.
- 07
Verify and restore locally
Check the AI’s analysis against the source. If needed, paste the response back into LegisComply while the mapping tab is still open, then restore the original terms locally.
Worked example
Preserve the instruction. Remove the identity.
Dr. John Smith signed a $450,000 advisory agreement with Acme Inc. Please email [email protected]. Project Phoenix is confidential.
[[PERSON_1]] signed a [[AMOUNT_1]] advisory agreement with [[COMPANY_1]]. Please email [[EMAIL_1]]. [[CUSTOM_1]] is confidential.
The tokens retain roles and relationships, so the AI can still summarize obligations or suggest edits without receiving the real values.
See a complete contract walkthroughKnow when to stop
Do not use the workflow as a substitute for authorization.
Do not proceed when firm policy or client instructions prohibit the AI use.
Do not proceed when the remaining facts can reasonably identify the client or matter.
Do not rely on automatic detection for scans, images, tables, or context-specific secrets.
Do not treat AI output as reviewed legal work merely because the input was protected.
Before you press send
A 30-second final check.
The provider and account are approved.
The prompt contains only what the task requires.
Direct identifiers and confidential terms are replaced.
The protected text has been read once end to end.
The AI output will be independently verified.
Open the local protector