Why Take Action Now?
The AI Act has major impact on the legal sector
August 2025
First obligations for AI systems affecting the administration of justice come into effect
Justice = High-risk
AI that influences legal outcomes or provides advice falls under the strictest AI Act rules (Annex III)
Fines up to €35 million
Or 7% of global annual turnover — plus disciplinary consequences for lawyers
Professional Secrecy & AI
AI systems with access to confidential legal information require additional safeguards
High-risk AI in the Legal Sector
These AI applications fall under strict AI Act requirements (Annex III)
Legal Predictions
AI systems that predict the outcome of legal cases or assess legal risks — direct impact on access to justice.
Contract Analysis & Review
AI that analyses contracts, identifies risk clauses or automatically generates contracts — professional liability.
Automated Legal Advice
Chatbots and systems providing legal advice to consumers — responsibility and quality requirements.
E-discovery & Investigation
AI for searching large volumes of documents in legal proceedings — evidence integrity and completeness.
Specific Challenges for Legal Service Providers
The AI Act brings unique compliance questions for the legal sector
Professional Secrecy & Data Privacy
Lawyers have confidentiality obligations. How do you use AI without compromising client data? Can data go to cloud providers?
Professional Liability
If AI-generated advice is incorrect, who is liable? The lawyer, the firm or the AI provider?
Access to Justice
AI in the administration of justice is high-risk (Annex III). How do you ensure AI improves rather than restricts access to justice?
Quality Assurance
Legal AI must be accurate. How do you test and validate AI output in a domain with major consequences for individuals?
Disciplinary Standards
The Bar Association sets codes of conduct. How do these relate to AI Act obligations?
Training Data & Bias
Legal AI trains on historical rulings. How do you prevent historical bias from being reinforced in legal advice?
AI Act Compliance Roadmap
Practical steps for legal service providers
AI Inventory
2-4 weeksMap all AI tools used in legal practice. From research to contract analysis.
Risk Classification
1-2 weeksDetermine per system whether it affects the administration of justice and is therefore high-risk under Annex III.
Gap Analysis
3-6 weeksCompare current work processes and AI usage with AI Act requirements and professional rules.
Remediation
3-12 monthsImplement quality controls, human oversight, client information procedures and documentation.
Ongoing Monitoring
OngoingSet up processes for quality assurance of AI output and disciplinary compliance.
What Makes Legal AI Different?
Sector-specific considerations
Annex III Classification
AI in the administration of justice is explicitly high-risk — regardless of the type of legal service
Dual Regulation
Legal AI falls under both AI Act and professional regulations of the Bar Association
Confidentiality
Professional secrecy places additional requirements on how AI systems handle legal data
Societal Impact
Legal AI decisions affect fundamental rights — the bar for quality and fairness is set extra high