AI Rules for Washington Law Firms
Last verified July 8, 2026
Washington's bar has already told lawyers exactly how existing ethics rules apply to AI, while a state task force and a new chatbot law point to more compliance work ahead for you and your clients. This page lays out the binding opinion first, then what is coming down the pipeline.
Where Washington Stands
WSBA Advisory Opinion 2025-05, Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Tools in Law Practice, was adopted in 2025 by the Committee on Professional Ethics and is the operative guidance for your firm. Separately, ESSB 5838 (2024, ch. 163) created an AG-administered AI Task Force that imposes no direct duties on firms, but has already produced four enacted laws in the 2025-26 biennium, with its final report due July 1, 2026.
What Your Firm Must Do
AO 2025-05 covers RPC 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 3.3, 5.1 and 5.3, and makes the lawyer fully responsible for AI output. In practice, your firm needs a verification workflow before AI-assisted work goes out the door, confidentiality vetting of any AI tool before use, client communication when AI use in a matter is significant, and billing that reflects actual time spent rather than time saved.
What's Still Pending
The AI Task Force's recommendations have already turned into four new laws this biennium and its final report lands July 1, 2026, so treat it as a preview of further compliance obligations for your firm and your business clients, not a closed matter.
Advising Clients on Chatbots
HB 2225 (2026, ch. 168) takes effect January 1, 2027, and imposes disclosure and safety duties on operators of AI companion chatbots, enforceable through a private right of action. Confirm any client-facing chatbot on your own firm's site falls outside the companion definition, and be ready to advise business clients who deploy conversational AI on their new obligations.
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