EPO Law AI – Bar Compliance Statement

At epolaw.ai, we recognize the importance of aligning with the ethical duties and professional responsibilities that govern the practice of law. Our platform is designed to support lawyers while ensuring compliance with the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct, ABA Formal Opinion 512 (2024), and evolving state bar guidance on artificial intelligence.

Key Ethical Principles & How EPO Law Supports Them

1. Competence (Rule 1.1)

• What the Bar Says: Lawyers must understand the capabilities and limitations of AI tools they use.
• Our Approach: We provide documentation, training resources, and clear explanations of our platform's features. Attorneys remain the final decision-makers.

2. Confidentiality & Privilege (Rule 1.6)

• What the Bar Says: Client information must be protected from unauthorized disclosure.
• Our Approach:
  • All data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
  • Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is automatically redacted prior to AI analysis.
  • EPO Law does not use client data for model training.
  • Strict access controls and audit trails are maintained for enterprise clients.

3. Accuracy & Reliability (Rules 1.1, 3.3)

• What the Bar Says: Lawyers must verify the accuracy of legal authorities cited in their work.
• Our Approach:
  • All AI-generated analyses include citations and links to the original case law or document.
  • Users are prompted to review and confirm AI outputs before use in filings or court submissions.

4. Communication with Clients (Rule 1.4)

• What the Bar Says: In certain circumstances, lawyers may need to inform clients of their use of AI.
• Our Approach: EPO Law provides sample disclosure language and engagement letter clauses for firms that choose to notify clients about AI assistance.

5. Fees & Billing (Rule 1.5)

• What the Bar Says: Overhead costs (e.g., training or testing AI tools) should not be billed to clients.
• Our Approach:
  • We provide transparent subscription tiers (Free, Pro, Enterprise).
  • Firms retain control over how efficiency gains from AI are reflected in their billing practices.

6. Supervision & Responsibility (Rules 5.1, 5.3)

• What the Bar Says: Lawyers must supervise subordinates and vendors using AI.
• Our Approach:
  • Team Management features allow role-based permissions.
  • Enterprise accounts include audit trails and administrative oversight tools.
  • EPO Law acts as a supportive research assistant; attorneys remain fully responsible for the use of outputs.