Abstract

The emergence of agentic AI systems — autonomous software agents capable of planning, executing multi-step tasks, and operating with minimal human oversight — represents a qualitative shift in the deployment of artificial intelligence within legal practice. Unlike prior generations of legal AI tools, which functioned as discrete instruments requiring attorney direction at each step, agentic systems introduce a new operational paradigm: the AI as actor rather than instrument.

This paper examines the structural, ethical, and regulatory implications of agentic AI deployment in law firms. We analyze how agentic systems challenge foundational assumptions embedded in the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, including the requirements of competence, supervision, confidentiality, and candor. We argue that the agentic law firm — a firm in which AI agents perform substantive legal tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously — is not a distant hypothetical but an emerging operational reality that existing professional responsibility frameworks are ill-equipped to govern.

We propose a framework for understanding attorney obligations in agentic environments, distinguishing between delegation, supervision, and abdication of professional responsibility. We further examine how agentic deployment affects privilege, work product doctrine, and the attorney-client relationship. The paper concludes with regulatory recommendations for bar associations, courts, and legislatures seeking to adapt professional responsibility doctrine to the agentic era.

Full Paper

This paper is published on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). To read the full text, download the PDF, or cite this work, please visit the SSRN abstract page:

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Published: May 2026 — Authors: Austin, Morris & Das — View all research papers