June 1, 2026 (in 3 days): New York: 22 NYCRR Part 161 takes effect, system-wide AI policy for all UCS courts →

AI Usage Log Template (Firm Register)

A printable firm-wide register of AI tool use by attorney, matter, and platform. Pairs with the per-matter Verification Log and the Policy Template, Section 3.

The verification log is the per-document artifact a court or carrier asks for after a specific filing is challenged. The usage register is the cross-matter index a firm brings into renewal: which AI tools are in use across the firm, on which matters, by which attorneys. Most firms maintain this as a shared spreadsheet; the template below is the column set and signing cadence to pin to it. Have a licensed attorney in your state confirm the register before adoption.
On this page
  1. Why a usage log
  2. What to record
  3. The register template
  4. How to maintain the register

Why a usage log

Malpractice carriers have moved from "do you have an AI policy" to "what AI tools are in use, and who is using them on what." A policy without a usage register answers the first question but not the second. Sean Burke (Managing Director, Jencap), in IA Magazine (March 2026), frames the underwriter conversation as "How are you utilizing AI?", which is a cross-matter inventory question, not a policy question.

The register also operationalizes ABA Formal Opinion 512's supervision framework under Rules 5.1 and 5.3. A managing partner who cannot say which tools are in use across the firm cannot supervise their use. The usage register is the artifact that makes supervision auditable.

What to record

One row per use of an AI tool on firm or client work. "Use" means a session in which firm or client information was put into the tool, or in which the tool's output is incorporated into firm or client work product. Casual personal use of consumer AI tools on non-firm matters is out of scope for the register and is governed by the Policy Template, Section 5.

  1. Date. The date of the AI session.
  2. Attorney or staff. The person responsible for the use, by name and role.
  3. Matter and matter number. The matter the work was for, with the firm's matter number for retrievability.
  4. Tool and version. The AI tool used and its version (for example, "Lexis+ AI, Protege January 2026 release"; "ChatGPT, GPT-5 via firm enterprise account"). Tool aliases that hide the underlying model (vendor wrappers, MCP-routed agents) should record the underlying model where known.
  5. Tier. Tier 1, 2, or 3 from the approved-tools list in Policy Template, Section 3.
  6. Use case. Drafting, research, summarization, analysis, contract review, deposition prep, or other. Free text where "other" is checked.
  7. Data classification. Public, Internal, Confidential, or Highly Sensitive, from Policy Template, Section 6. The register cross-checks that no Confidential or Highly Sensitive data went into a Tier 2 or 3 tool.
  8. Client consent obtained. Y / N / N/A. Where Section 6 of the Policy Template requires informed consent, the row references the signed Informed Consent Form in the matter file.
  9. Verification log filed. Y / N / N/A. Required when AI-assisted work was filed with a tribunal, sent to a client, or sent to opposing counsel. The row references the per-matter Verification Log.
  10. Incident. Y / N. If Y, the row references the Incident Log entry.

The register template

The form below is the register header and one blank row. Most firms keep this as a shared spreadsheet (one workbook for the firm, one row per use, locked-down access for the AI Committee or Managing Partner). The printable header below is the form an underwriter or auditor expects to see if asked to inspect the register.

FIRM AI USAGE REGISTER

Firm: ____________________________________________

Period covered: ____________________ to ____________________

Register custodian: ____________________________________________

Columns (one row per AI use):

  • Date of use
  • Attorney or staff (name, role)
  • Matter and matter number
  • AI tool and version
  • Tier (1 / 2 / 3) from approved-tools list
  • Use case (drafting / research / summarization / analysis / contract review / other)
  • Data classification (Public / Internal / Confidential / Highly Sensitive)
  • Client consent obtained (Y / N / N/A)
  • Verification log filed (Y / N / N/A)
  • Incident reference (incident log entry, if any)

Sample row (illustrative):

2026-04-15 | J. Smith, Partner | Acme v. Doe, 2026-0142 | Lexis+ AI v.2026.04 | Tier 1 | Research | Confidential | N/A | Y, VL-2026-0142-03 | N

Quarter-end attestation:

By signing below, the register custodian attests that the rows above are a true and complete record of approved AI tool use during the period stated, to the best of the custodian's knowledge after reasonable inquiry.

Custodian signature: ____________________________________________

Print name: ____________________________________________

Date: ____________________________

How to maintain the register

  1. One workbook, firm-wide. The register is a single file (shared spreadsheet, governance database table, or matter-management module field), not per-attorney logs that have to be reconciled. Per-attorney logs miss the cross-matter view the renewal binder needs.
  2. Entry at the time of use. Rows are added when the AI session happens, not at the end of the month. Firms that batch entries lose information about the use case and data classification.
  3. Quarter-end review. The register custodian (typically the Managing Partner or AI Committee chair) reviews the register at quarter end and signs the attestation block. Quarter-end review is the cadence the Quarterly Attestation assumes.
  4. Cross-link to verification logs. Where a row's "verification log filed" is Y, the row records the verification log identifier so the per-matter artifact and the cross-matter register can be matched at audit.
  5. Cross-link to incidents. Where a row triggered an incident, the row records the incident-log identifier and the row is highlighted for review at quarter-end.
  6. Retain through the malpractice tail. The register is responsive to a malpractice claim or sanctions inquiry years after a matter closes. Retain at least as long as the longest matter file in the register.

Related on this site

Other resources

Register mapped to Policy Template Section 3, ABA Formal Opinion 512 (July 2024), and carrier underwriting practice as reported in IA Magazine, March 2026. Last verified 2026-04-29.