AI settings for a small law firm in Minnesota

Checked against the source documents on October 26, 2026

Minnesota's OLPR guidance says boilerplate engagement letter language isn't enough when AI touches a client matter, and that a lawyer should know whether vendors use generative AI. The settings that answer that are on the main checklist. This page says which ones Minnesota points at, and why.

What Minnesota has said

Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility (Director Susan M. Humiston), published in Bench and Bar of Minnesota and hosted by the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board: Ethics guidance for generative AI use, 2024-09.

1. Confidentiality. Many tools retain inputs as part of learning, risking disclosure of client information; risk exists even with in-house tools (p. 2).
2. Competence. Reasonable understanding of the tool's capabilities and limitations, not expertise; self-study suffices; ongoing because the technology changes (p. 2).
3. Supervision. Firms should adopt a policy on whether and how generative AI may be used and train staff; lawyers should understand whether outside vendors use generative AI and ensure it is consistent with ethical duties (pp. 2-3).
4. Fees. Explain in advance, preferably in writing, if clients pay for tools; efficiency gains must show in hourly bills; never bill more time than actually spent or time caused by inexperience (p. 3).
5. Disclosure. Be ready to explain AI use when asked; sometimes disclose unprompted, for example when AI meaningfully shapes advice such as jury selection (p. 2). Court: no Minnesota rule requires disclosure in filings.
6. Verification. Check AI output for accuracy before it reaches a tribunal; hallucinated citations implicate candor rules; relying on others does not remove the duty (p. 2).

One line from it: "Generic, boiler-plate language in engagement agreements is an insufficient way" (p. 2, confidentiality paragraph).

The settings that answer it

1. Use the business plan, not a personal one. On Claude Pro, Claude Max and ChatGPT Plus, training on chats is each user's own setting. On Claude Team, ChatGPT Business and Microsoft 365 Copilot with a work sign-in, business data is not used for training by default. On the checklist
2. Turn off the training and feedback exceptions an admin can still turn off (Claude feedback, ChatGPT personal accounts that are still in use). On the checklist
3. Set retention on purpose instead of taking the default. On the checklist
4. Turn on single sign-on so a lawyer who leaves loses access the same day. On the checklist
5. Decide on connectors, apps and agents before staff add them. On the checklist
6. Pick a rule on memory, and teach temporary or incognito chats for one-off matter questions. On the checklist
7. Put the vendor's written terms on training, retention, subprocessors and breach notice in the file. On the checklist
8. Write the one-page staff instruction and a note for each new hire. On the checklist
9. Keep a verification step before anything is filed. That is a procedure, not a setting, and no vendor sells it. On the checklist
10. Decide what the engagement letter says about AI use and billing. That is yours to write; I only flag that the opinion raises it. On the checklist

Rules around it

Technology competence: Yes. Minn. Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, cmt. [8], adopted verbatim 2015-02-24 (per LexisNexis state survey; primary order not opened)

In motion: None found. LPRB Board Opinions index ( source; no opinion on AI. LPRB news page newest items are 2026-10-12 (Client Security Board vacancy) and 2026-10-01 (Order Promulgating Amendments to the Rules on Lawyers Professional Responsibility, 2026-09-30), neither about AI. source

What this page is not

This is a tech settings page, not legal advice. The state document above is the ethics half and it is yours to read and decide on. I am not a lawyer. I link the source so you can check me.

Send me one screenshot

Crop out client names, send me a screenshot of your Claude, ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 admin settings page, and I'll write back what I'd change. Free. I never need a login.

If you want this kept current for your firm, that is the monthly desk: I watch these settings as the vendors change them and as your state changes its guidance, answer staff questions in writing, usually within one business day, and write up setup notes for each new hire. $500 a month, cancel any month.

Email [email protected]

Who wrote this

I'm Nick Kaufman. I've spent six years in customer-facing technical support for SaaS, payments and CRM software, including three years at Tier 2 on a CRM built for financial advisors, whose firms work under SEC and FINRA rules. I'm not a lawyer and I don't give legal advice. I set up software so it does what the people responsible for it decided it should do.

Other states: the full list.