Kaufman Ops

AI settings for a small law firm in Vermont

Checked against the source documents on October 26, 2026

The Vermont Judiciary's AI committee told lawyers in its first report that the main guard against disclosure is careful review of a tool's terms of service. The settings that answer that are on the main checklist. This page says which ones Vermont points at, and why.

What Vermont has said

Vermont Judiciary Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts (established by the Vermont Supreme Court), Disciplinary Rules Subcommittee chaired by Bar Counsel: First Annual Report (Guidance for Lawyers, Disciplinary Rules Subcommittee), 2025-03-01.

  1. Confidentiality. GAI use risks unauthorized disclosure; reasonable efforts required to prevent inadvertent disclosure (p. 5, II.C).
  2. Competence. Rule 1.1 cmt. 8 applies; GAI is relevant technology, so lawyers must know its risks and benefits (p. 5, II.A).
  3. Supervision. Report covers Supervision of Others and Using GAI at the Direction of a Supervisor (p. 6, II.E).
  4. Fees. GAI changes time spent; billing considerations described; communicate client cost responsibility in writing (p. 6, II.D).
  5. Disclosure. Lawyer might consider disclosing GAI use to the client; caution against relying solely on GAI to communicate (p. 5, II.B).
  6. Verification. AD 38 Sec. II: all court users expected to review and confirm the accuracy of AI output; report covers Meritorious Claims and Complying with Court Orders (p. 6).

The line about the tool itself. Guidance lists ways to guard against disclosure, especially careful review of a GAI tool's Terms of Service. (p. 5, Disciplinary Rules Subcommittee, II.C Confidentiality)

One line from it: "guidance for the bar and for judges is appropriate" (p. 4, Disciplinary Rules Subcommittee, I. Overview).

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. Put the vendor's written terms on training, retention, subprocessors and breach notice in the file. On the checklist
  7. Write the one-page staff instruction and a note for each new hire. On the checklist
  8. Keep a verification step before anything is filed. That is a procedure, not a setting, and no vendor sells it. On the checklist
  9. 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. V.R.Pr.C. 1.1, Comment [8]; adopted 2018-10-09, effective 2018-12-10

In motion: MCLE Board asked to consider whether to recommend a technology-specific CLE credit including AI; no decision found. 2025-03-01 source; Committee reports annually each March 1; second annual report (due 2026-03-01) not found on the committee page. 2026-03-01 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 nick@kaufmanops.com

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.