AI in legal practice – how tradition meets innovation

With new guidelines from the Swedish Bar Association, it has been clarified how AI can be used in legal practice in a safe and ethical manner. Johanna Näslund, partner at Lindahl and one of the experts behind the rules, emphasises the importance of AI knowledge combined with legal judgement.

At the Lawyers' Days (Advokatdagarna) in Stockholm the other week, AI was an obvious area of focus. Johanna Näslund, partner at Lindahl and member of the working group behind the new Guidelines on AI in Legal Practice, presented together with two industry colleagues how the technology can be integrated into the lawyer's everyday work without compromising ethics or client trust.

"It's not about choosing between human and machine, but about combining the best of both worlds", says Johanna Näslund.

What the AI rules say – four central principles

The new guidelines were adopted by the Swedish Bar Association in the summer of 2025 and identify four central principles for AI use in legal practice:

Full responsibility for the advice: Regardless of whether AI is used as support in the work, the entire responsibility for the advice rests with the lawyer. AI is seen as a tool, never as a system that absolves responsibility.
Regulatory compliance: AI can only be used in accordance with applicable law. The GDPR and intellectual property rights must, for example, be taken into account.
Confidentiality always applies: Sensitive information may only be used in AI tools that guarantee that no data is disclosed in breach of the lawyer's duty of confidentiality.
Competence requirement: The law firm should adopt an AI policy for its employees. Anyone who uses AI must understand its function and limitations. Keeping up to date with the technology and its legal implications is today part of professional responsibility.

Technology that strengthens legal advice

To be able to use AI in a meaningful way requires insight into both the tools' capacity and the ethical framework. According to Johanna Näslund, it is precisely the combination of human judgement and understanding of AI's possibilities and limitations that determines the quality of future legal advice.

With the right knowledge and clear boundaries, AI can become a resource that makes advice both more efficient and more accurate, she believes.

Looking ahead: AI with human foundation

Trust remains the foundation of the legal profession. But with AI as support in legal analysis and handling of large amounts of data, advice can take new strides in precision and pace. What is decisive is how the technology is used – with judgement, competence and respect for the profession's ethical foundation.

"Being a lawyer is ultimately about trust. AI can never replace that, but used correctly it can deepen it further", summarises Johanna Näslund.