Law Society tells solicitors and clients to disclose AI use

On October 21, 2026, the Law Society of England and Wales published a practice note applying existing professional duties to AI use in legal practice. The guidance says professional responsibility cannot be transferred to an AI system, warns that AI cannot reliably validate its own output, and advises solicitors and clients to provide appropriate information about AI-generated material. Firms should convert those principles into engagement-letter language, matter-opening questions, approved-tool controls and documented human review standards. The note also raises a longer-term training issue: efficiency gains cannot be allowed to remove the work through which junior lawyers develop judgment.