Kaufman Ops

AI settings for a small law firm in Rhode Island

Checked against the source documents on October 26, 2026

Rhode Island's interim AI guidelines say to read a tool's terms of use and privacy policy first, including whether it keeps your inputs after you cancel. The settings that answer that are on the main checklist. This page says which ones Rhode Island points at, and why.

What Rhode Island has said

Rhode Island Supreme Court: Interim Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Generative AI by Rhode Island Lawyers, 2026-06-17.

  1. Confidentiality. Rule 1.6: all representation-related information is confidential; open tools store inputs and outputs, closed systems do not (p. 4).
  2. Competence. Rule 1.1 cmt. [6] as amended: remain aware of the nature, capabilities, applications and limitations of GAI; hallucinations noted (p. 1).
  3. Supervision. Rules 5.1/5.3: partners are responsible for firm GAI use; set permissible-use policies, train staff, vet contractors (p. 6).
  4. Fees. Bill only actual time spent; routine GAI costs are overhead; specialty tool costs chargeable if client requests or matter requires; no billing for GAI training (p. 3).
  5. Disclosure. Consider disclosing GAI use in engagement agreements; must disclose when client asks or client data is input; no general duty to tell courts (p. 3).
  6. Verification. Review all GAI output, verify citations and statements of fact or law, fix errors before filing (p. 6, Rules 3.1/3.3).

The line about the tool itself. Before any GAI use, read the Terms of Use and privacy policy to learn whether confidentiality is preserved and enforceable, breach notice is given, and inputs are retained after service ends (p. 4). (Guidelines p. 4 (Rule 1.6 section); also p. 6 of the 14-page order PDF)

One line from it: "does not change the ethical responsibilities of lawyers" (p. 1, introduction, second 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. R.I. Supreme Court Rules Article V, Rule 1.1, Comment [6] as amended by order of 2026-06-17: benefits and risks associated with existing and developing.

Court rule on AI in filings: In re Amendments to Article V, Rule 1.1 and Adoption of Interim Generative AI Guidelines (2026 R.I. LEXIS 88), 2026-06-17. What it asks of the signer: verify (advisory guidelines); Rule 1.1 Comment [6] technology amendment is binding.

In motion: Guidelines are interim and expressly subject to ongoing revision; current versions to be posted on courts.ri.gov. 2026-06-17 source; Supreme Court Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts (Executive Order 2025-06) studies AI's impact on the courts and the practice of law; progress report to the Chief Justice was due Feb 27, 2026; no public report located 2025-09-03 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

Nick Kaufman

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.