WHAT?
Summary:
This CLE presents the ethical challenges and opportunities for lawyers integrating artificial intelligence into their workflow—especially billing. It walks through what the ABA and the State Bar of Texas say about AI use, clarifies how attorneys must ethically record and bill AI-assisted time, and provides actionable strategies to capture value ethically and profitably. Participants will leave with a clear framework to avoid ethical missteps, safeguard client interests, and improve firm profitability using AI tools sensibly.
AI isn’t magic; its use can cut time, but you can’t bill for attorney time that wasn’t actually spent; clients expect the savings from efficiency to accrue to them. Texas ethics guidance confirms that efficiencies must benefit the client, and that billing must reflect actual work done—even when expedited by AI.
Key Takeaways:
Attendees will be able to:
Understand the ethical landscape under the ABA Model Rules and Texas Opinion 705 regarding AI use in legal practice and billing.
Identify when and how to ethically bill AI-assisted work, and avoid common traps (e.g., billing for time “saved” but not spent).
Distinguish between permissible fees (actual work/AI subscription costs) and impermissible billing practices under Texas Rule 1.04.
Implement workflows that capture legitimate billable time, including using tools like AJAX to track real activity.
Describe risk management and client communication strategies tied to AI usage, including disclosures and informed consent when appropriate.
Credit & Reporting Info:
CLE Reporting:
This course is currently pending State Bar approval
CLM Reporting:
The following credit(s) would be applicable for this session for Certified Legal Managers:
CLM® Recertification Credit: 1 hour(s) in the subject area of Legal Industry/ Business Management (LI)
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