AI for solo lawyers in D.C.

Solo and small-firm lawyers in D.C. are using AI to draft and review contracts faster, but the ethics rules still apply. This guide covers what D.C. guidance says about generative AI, the D.C. contract issues worth checking on every review, and a practical workflow in Microsoft Word with LexDraft.

Last checked: 16 October 2026. Bar guidance changes; read the current text from the issuing body before relying on it.

What D.C. guidance says about lawyers using AI

The D.C. Bar Legal Ethics Committee issued Ethics Opinion 388, "Attorneys' Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Client Matters", in April 2024. The main points:

• Competence. Understand the tool, or have a reasonable basis to trust it, before relying on its output.
• Confidentiality. Do not enter confidential client information unless you are satisfied the provider cannot see it and it will not resurface to other users.
• Fees. Hourly billing covers only time actually spent. AI costs can be passed through only if the client agreed in advance.
• Courts. Verify every citation and follow court orders on AI. There is no general duty to tell clients you use AI.

At the national level, ABA Formal Opinion 512 (July 2024) reaches similar conclusions: competence, confidentiality, client communication, supervision and reasonable fees all apply to generative AI.

D.C. contract issues to check on every review

Points to check in D.C. contract review:

• Non-competes: the Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020, as amended in 2022, bans non-competes for D.C. employees below an annually adjusted "highly compensated" threshold. For employees above it, a non-compete is limited to 365 days and must be in writing and given to the employee in advance.
• Consumer contracts, where the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act can apply.
• Limitation of liability, indemnity and choice-of-law clauses in the services and government-contracting agreements common in D.C. practice.

A contract review workflow for a D.C. solo practice

LexDraft is a Word add-in from Microsoft AppSource. It opens as a side panel in Word 365 (Windows and Mac), Word 2021 and Word on the web, so the contract never leaves the tool you already draft in.

1. Open the contract in Word and open LexDraft in the side panel.
2. Set the job. For an NDA, SaaS MSA, DPA or services agreement, use the matching built-in playbook. For other contracts, select D.C. and run the review so LexDraft looks for state-specific red flags.
3. Triage by severity. Findings are graded Critical, High, Medium or Low, and LexDraft flags standard terms that are missing.
4. Run the quick checks. The defined-term and cross-reference checks are rule-based and run without AI. They catch undefined terms, unused definitions and references that point nowhere.
5. Accept or reject each redline. Accepted changes land as native Word tracked changes, ready for the other side.
6. Verify and sign off. AI review can miss issues or be wrong. You, as counsel, check every output before it goes out, which is exactly what D.C. guidance expects.

Checklist: choosing an AI tool that fits D.C. guidance

• Does it train on your client documents? LexDraft does not use customer documents to train models. Read the security page for how documents are handled.
• Can you see and control every change? LexDraft proposes word-level redlines. Nothing changes in your contract until you accept it.
• Is the price predictable? LexDraft publishes its prices. The Free plan has 5,000 generated words a month with no time limit and no credit card. Professional is $99 a month or $990 a year for 100,000 words. Business is $199 a month or $1,990 a year with unlimited words.
• Does it fit how you already work? A Word add-in means no uploads, no new editor and no copy-paste between apps.
• Can you bill fairly for it? Flat-fee contract review is a natural fit for AI-assisted work: the client gets a predictable price and you keep the efficiency. Follow your state's fee guidance.

Other states

See AI for solo lawyers by state for guides to other large states, or read the seven-step contract review workflow for solo lawyers.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. LexDraft does not give legal advice; qualified counsel must review every draft. Spotted something out of date? Email support@lexdraft.ai and we will fix it.