Abstract
The access to legal services for low-income and disadvantaged individuals is quickly transforming because of the rise of generative artificial intelligence (generative AI or GenAI). While AI tools promise to provide legal information and document preparation assistance, they also raise concerns about accuracy, reliability, and the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). Much attention is on the legal profession’s resistance to AI and the regulatory responses that focus on limiting its use. This Article instead brings attention to AI resources from the perspective of a consumer of legal services. The Article critiques the profession’s restrictive stance on AI, arguing that regulators should focus on improving AI’s integration into guided legal assistance programs. By relaxing UPL restrictions and encouraging collaboration between attorneys and AI developers, the legal system can balance consumer protection with innovation, ensuring that AI serves as a tool to expand access to justice.
Keywords
AccessToJustice, UPLReform, AIinLegalAid