AI chat on a law firm website: what Texas lawyers should know

AI chat can answer prospective clients at any hour, but it touches confidentiality, supervision, and advertising duties. Here is what the ABA and the State Bar of Texas have said and how to set it up responsibly.

What the ABA said

ABA Formal Opinion 512, issued July 29, 2024, does not create new rules. It applies the existing Model Rules to generative AI: competence, confidentiality, communication with clients, candor to tribunals, supervision of staff and tools, and reasonable fees.

For intake tools, confidentiality and supervision matter most. Information a prospective client types into a chat can be confidential, and the firm is responsible for what its tools tell people.

What Texas said

The State Bar of Texas Professional Ethics Committee issued Opinion 705 in February 2025. It says a lawyer must reasonably understand how an AI tool works before using it, must not expose confidential information to tools that are not secure, must verify what the tool produces, and may not bill for time not actually spent.

A checklist for intake chat

• Choose a vendor whose terms say your chats are not used to train its models, and know where data is stored.
• Keep the chat to screening and scheduling. It should not give legal advice or predict outcomes.
• Say clearly that the visitor is talking with an automated assistant and that no attorney-client relationship exists yet.
• Ask only for what you need to route the inquiry and run a conflict check, not the full story.
• Have a person review transcripts regularly and fix answers that are wrong or unclear.
• Write down which tools are approved and who supervises them.

Advertising rules still apply

What the chat says about your firm is part of your marketing. Statements about results, specialization, or fees should meet the same Texas advertising rules as the rest of your website.

Frequently asked questions

Is it allowed to use AI chat on a Texas law firm website?

Neither opinion forbids it. Both require the lawyer to understand the tool, protect confidential information, and supervise what it does. Check the current rules and opinions or ask the State Bar ethics helpline for your situation.

Should the chat collect details of the case?

Only enough to screen the inquiry, check conflicts, and book a time. Detailed facts are better gathered by a person once the firm is ready to take them.

Sources

• American Bar Association, Formal Opinion 512: Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools↗
• State Bar of Texas, "Ethics opinion offers principles for lawyers' ethical use of AI"↗
• Texas Lawyers' Insurance Exchange, "Changes to Texas Lawyers Advertising and Solicitation Rules: The Highlights"↗