Legal AI Risk & Governance
Adopt AI without increasing malpractice, ethics, or discovery risk.
Artificial intelligence is already embedded in legal practice. Drafting, research, and summarization are faster than ever. What has not changed is who remains accountable when errors occur.
SPM Advisors helps law firms and legal departments implement AI governance, insider-risk controls, and human-in-the-loop verification standards so AI use remains defensible, ethical, and insurable.
We do not sell AI tools.
We ensure their use does not create liability.
The Reality Law Firms Face
Most firms do not lack interest in AI. They lack controls, documentation, and defensibility.
AI Is Already Being Used
Whether formally approved or not, AI tools are already being used for research, drafting, and summarization. The question is not whether AI is present, but whether its use is governed.
Courts Sanction Lawyers, Not Software
When AI generates hallucinated citations or inaccurate legal analysis, the lawyer signs the filing. Recent sanctions have made clear: reliance on AI is not a defense.
Insurers Assess Governance
Professional liability insurers are increasingly asking about AI policies and controls. Innovation claims do not reduce premiums. Documented governance does.
Uncontrolled AI Use Becomes Evidence
In malpractice or disciplinary proceedings, the absence of AI policies becomes evidence of negligence. What you did not document can be used against you.
Why Legal AI Governance Is Different
AI governance in law is not the same as AI governance in business. Generic technology policies do not address the unique obligations and risks that legal practice creates.
SPM Advisors specializes in legal-specific AI risk, not general AI strategy. We understand privilege, discovery, supervision requirements, and the professional discipline framework.
Legal Environments Introduce:
- Privilege and confidentiality obligations
- Discovery and preservation risk
- Ethical supervision requirements (Rules 5.1 & 5.3)
- Sanctions and professional discipline exposure
- Client communication duties (Rule 1.4)
- Competence standards (Rule 1.1)
What We Deliver
Practical governance that protects your practice without impeding innovation.
AI Usage Policies
Comprehensive policies aligned with ABA Model Rules and state bar requirements. Clear guidance on approved use cases, prohibited activities, and documentation requirements.
Privilege-Safe AI Workflows
Workflows designed to maintain attorney-client privilege and work product protection when using AI tools. Clear boundaries for what can and cannot be processed.
Human-in-the-Loop Standards
Verification protocols ensuring meaningful human review of AI-generated work. Documentation standards that demonstrate professional judgment, not rubber-stamping.
Insider-Risk Controls
Controls addressing unauthorized AI use, shadow IT risks, and the insider threat of well-intentioned but ungoverned AI adoption by attorneys and staff.
Discovery-Ready Governance
Documentation and retention policies that anticipate discovery obligations. Governance that helps rather than hurts when AI use becomes relevant to litigation.
Insurer-Defensible Documentation
Records and policies structured to support professional liability coverage. Evidence of reasonable governance that insurers and regulators expect to see.
Incident Response Planning
Prepared responses for AI misuse or error. Clear protocols for when something goes wrong, from internal remediation to client notification and regulatory disclosure.
Approved Use Case Framework
Clear categorization of AI applications by risk level. Guidance on what requires additional review, what is permitted, and what is prohibited.
Is This Right for Your Firm?
This Service Is Designed For
- Law firms using or planning to use AI tools
- Managing partners concerned about sanctions and liability
- General counsel overseeing AI-assisted work
- Firms facing insurer or regulator scrutiny
- Practice groups seeking structured AI adoption
This Is Not For
- Firms looking for AI tools or automation builds
- "Experiment only" pilots without accountability
- Price-driven buyers seeking generic policies
- Organizations wanting AI strategy consulting
How Engagements Work
A structured approach to risk management, not consulting sprawl.
AI Risk Assessment
Identify exposure across governance, privilege, supervision, discovery, and insurance posture. Understand where your current practices create risk.
Governance Implementation
Policies, workflows, verification standards, and insider-risk controls tailored to your practice areas and firm structure.
Ongoing Oversight
Annual reassessment, insurer support, and incident response advisory. Optional retainer for firms wanting continuous governance.
Engagement Ranges
Pricing reflects professional liability exposure, not hours worked. These ranges provide guidance for budgeting purposes.
AI Risk Assessment
Comprehensive review of current AI use, policies, and exposure. Detailed findings and prioritized recommendations.
Governance Implementation
Full policy development, workflow design, verification standards, and training. Complete documentation package.
Ongoing Oversight
Annual reassessment, policy updates, insurer coordination, and incident response support.
Prices shown are example ranges. Final pricing requires individual scoping based on firm size, practice areas, current AI adoption, and specific requirements.
Why SPM Advisors
The adult in the room, not the futurist.
Security & Insider Risk Background
Deep experience in security, insider threat, and incident response.
High-Risk Environment Governance
Experience designing governance for regulated, high-stakes environments.
Court & Insurer Understanding
Practical knowledge of what courts and insurers actually expect.
Defensibility Focus
Emphasis on what protects you, not what sounds impressive.
Legal AI Trust & Governance Center
Our Approach to AI Risk in Legal Environments
At SPM Advisors, we treat artificial intelligence as a risk-bearing system, not a novelty or productivity shortcut. In legal environments, AI use implicates professional responsibility, confidentiality, discovery obligations, and insurance coverage. Our approach is designed to ensure AI use remains defensible, ethical, and auditable.
We do not develop or sell AI tools.
We design the controls that govern their use.
Governance Principles
Human Accountability
AI does not replace professional judgment. All AI-assisted work must remain subject to human review, verification, and accountability.
Confidentiality & Privilege Protection
Client information must remain protected regardless of technology used. We design privilege-safe workflows that prevent inappropriate data exposure or model training risk.
Reasonable Reliance
AI may assist, but it must never be relied upon blindly. Verification standards, escalation thresholds, and documentation are mandatory.
Auditability & Documentation
If AI use cannot be explained to a court, regulator, or insurer, it should not be deployed. Our frameworks emphasize traceability and defensible documentation.
Proportional Oversight
Controls are tailored to firm size, practice mix, and risk profile. Governance should reduce risk without obstructing legitimate legal work.
Alignment With Professional Standards
Our AI governance approach aligns with widely recognized professional obligations, including:
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (U.S.)
- SRA Principles and Codes of Conduct (U.K.)
- Common insurer expectations for professional liability risk management
These standards do not prohibit AI use. They prohibit incompetence, lack of supervision, loss of confidentiality, and misleading conduct — regardless of whether a human or a machine caused it.
Security & Insider Risk Controls
AI introduces new insider-risk dynamics, including:
We design insider-risk controls that focus on behavioral risk signals, not surveillance, and that respect professional ethics and attorney–client privilege.
Incident Readiness
Even well-governed environments experience incidents. Our frameworks include:
- Defined response procedures for AI misuse or error
- Documentation standards for post-incident defensibility
- Insurer- and counsel-ready narratives
Preparedness reduces severity. Silence increases exposure.
Our Commitment
We approach Legal AI governance with the same rigor applied to high-risk security and compliance environments. Our objective is simple:
Enable the responsible use of AI while reducing professional liability exposure.
Serving Virginia Law Firms
We work with firms across the Commonwealth to implement defensible AI governance.
We do not tell firms whether to use AI.
We ensure its use does not create uninsurable liability.
Frequently Asked Questions
AI doesn't replace lawyers.
Unaccountable AI use replaces careers.
Discuss AI Governance for Your Firm
Confidential, no-obligation discussions for firm leadership and general counsel.
Schedule a Confidential ConsultationInitial consultations are complimentary for Virginia law firms.