Ethics and compliance
The first question most lawyers ask is "are we even allowed to use this?" Yes. The American Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas ethics committee have both said lawyers may use cloud software and generative AI, as long as the lawyer protects client confidences, checks the work and stays in charge. Case to Close is built around those exact duties.
What the rules say
Yes. ABA Formal Opinion 512 (July 29, 2024) and Texas Ethics Opinion 705 (February 2025) allow generative AI when the lawyer understands the tool, protects confidential information and verifies the output.
How Case to Close handles it
The AI only drafts. Every draft is marked as a draft, and only an attorney can approve or reject it. Nothing goes to a client or a court on the AI's say-so.
What the rules say
Texas Ethics Opinion 680 (2018) says a lawyer may store client confidential information in cloud-based systems if the lawyer takes reasonable precautions. Texas Rule 1.05 and ABA Model Rule 1.6 require reasonable efforts to protect client information.
How Case to Close handles it
Each firm's data is walled off from every other firm in the database itself. Two-factor sign-in, invitation-only accounts, encryption in transit and at rest, and data hosted in the United States. Ask and we will send your firm a written summary of these measures for your file.
What the rules say
Texas Ethics Opinion 705 says a lawyer should be reasonably satisfied that an AI tool will not reveal confidential information to others, and otherwise should not enter it without client consultation and consent.
How Case to Close handles it
We only use AI providers that do not train on your data. Your firm's information is never used to train a model or to answer another firm's questions.
What the rules say
Both opinions say lawyers must verify AI output and cannot rely on it blindly. Texas Opinion 705 points to the sanctions in Mata v. Avianca as the warning.
How Case to Close handles it
Drafts stay drafts until an attorney reviews and approves them, and every approval is recorded in the firm's audit log.
What the rules say
The lawyer is. Texas Rule 5.03 and ABA Model Rule 5.3 require lawyers to supervise nonlawyer assistance, and both AI opinions apply that duty to AI tools.
How Case to Close handles it
Roles control who can see, add, edit and delete. A tamper-proof audit log shows who changed what and when, visible to firm owners only. Supervision is built in, and you have the record to prove it.
What the rules say
Texas Rules 1.06 and 1.09 and ABA Model Rules 1.7 and 1.9 require checking for conflicts with current and former clients.
How Case to Close handles it
Every intake runs a conflict check against your firm's own past and current parties. Only an attorney can clear it or mark a conflict. The search never looks at other firms, so your client list stays confidential to you.
What the rules say
Texas Rule 5.04 and ABA Model Rule 5.4 bar lawyers from sharing legal fees with nonlawyers.
How Case to Close handles it
Case to Close is a flat software subscription. We never take a share of your legal fees and never charge per case or per client. The San Antonio pilot is free.
Every safeguard on this page is part of how the system works, not a setting you have to remember. And when someone asks how your firm handles AI and client data, you will have the answer and the record.
This page summarizes published ethics guidance as of November 2026. It is not legal advice. Rules differ by state, so check your own state's rules or have your ethics counsel review our security summary. Case to Close is software for law firms. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.