Technological competence
Also: technology competence, duty of competence
A lawyer's duty to understand the tools they use well enough to use them safely.
The fuller definition
Professional conduct rules in many jurisdictions expect lawyers to understand the benefits and risks of the technology they use. For AI, that includes knowing what a tool can access, what it may store, and how to verify its output.
- Know
What the tool does and stores
- Test
On material you can check
- Supervise
Verify material output
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
Before adopting a drafting assistant, a lawyer tests it on a fictional record, reads the data-handling terms, and sets a verification routine.
The distinction that matters
Competence does not require building systems. It requires understanding enough to supervise their use and the resulting work.
Related terms
Confidentiality
Keeping private material from people who may not see it. Check who can read, store, or share what you put into a tool.
Reliability & securityEvaluation (eval)
Testing an AI tool on a set of tasks to see how well it actually does.
Agents & automationHuman in the loop
A design where a person reviews or approves what the AI does before it counts.
Where it is taught
What courts expect when you use AISource and further reading
LSO Rules of Professional Conduct — competenceThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.