AI for solo lawyers in New York

Solo and small-firm lawyers in New York are using AI to draft and review contracts faster, but the ethics rules still apply. This guide covers what New York guidance says about generative AI, the New York 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 New York guidance says about lawyers using AI

The New York State Bar Association adopted the report of its Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in April 2024, and the New York City Bar issued Formal Opinion 2024-5 on generative AI in August 2024. Together they set out what New York lawyers are expected to do:

• Competence. Learn enough about a tool to understand its risks, including made-up citations and errors.
• Confidentiality. Check the vendor's terms before entering client information, and do not let a tool train on client data without informed consent.
• Supervision. Treat AI output like the work of a junior colleague: review it before it goes out.
• Fees. Bill for the work you do. Do not bill hours the tool saved.

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.

New York contract issues to check on every review

New York commercial contracts often choose New York law, so New York solos see a wide range of deal documents. Points to check:

• Non-competes and non-solicits, which New York courts test for reasonableness in time, area and the employer's legitimate interest.
• Choice-of-law and forum clauses. New York General Obligations Law sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 let larger commercial contracts choose New York law and courts.
• Limitation of liability, indemnity and consequential-damages waivers in services and SaaS agreements.

A contract review workflow for a New York 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 New York 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 New York guidance expects.

Checklist: choosing an AI tool that fits New York 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.