AI Rules for Tennessee Law Firms
Last verified July 8, 2026
Tennessee hasn't issued a bar opinion or court rule aimed at how lawyers use AI in practice. The state's most consequential AI law so far, the ELVIS Act, regulates voice and likeness rather than legal work directly, and a separate Supreme Court order studying access-to-justice reforms is being watched for AI implications it doesn't yet address on paper. Here is what is actually enacted and what is still open.
Where Tennessee Stands
No Tennessee bar ethics opinion or court rule addresses AI use in legal practice directly. The state's one enacted AI law, the ELVIS Act (HB 2091, Public Chapter 588, 2024), is the first in the nation to create civil and criminal liability for unauthorized AI simulation of a person's voice or likeness. Separately, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued Order No. ADM2025-01403 soliciting public comment on regulatory reforms to expand access to legal representation, including paraprofessional licensing and non-lawyer ownership of firms; press coverage has flagged AI-driven legal services as a possible entrant into that landscape, though the order's own text does not mention AI. Public comments on the order closed March 16, 2026.
What Your Firm Must Do
Because the ELVIS Act creates liability for unauthorized AI simulation of voice or likeness, vet any AI voice or image generation tools used in firm marketing, client testimonials, or advertising. Expect the law to also surface in client matters involving media, entertainment, and employment where a client's own voice or likeness has been used without consent.
What's Still Pending
The Supreme Court's regulatory reform study could reshape who is allowed to deliver legal services in Tennessee, including how AI-driven offerings fit into a licensing framework that currently doesn't contemplate them. With comments closed as of March 16, 2026, firms should watch for proposed rule changes that would affect the competitive landscape rather than assume the current order itself imposes any AI-specific obligation.
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