FAQ
Questions firms ask first.
ABA 512, operating-model reviews, and how efficient.esq works, in plain terms.
- What is ABA Formal Opinion 512?
- ABA Formal Opinion 512 is the American Bar Association's formal guidance on generative AI, issued in 2024. It makes clear that a lawyer's core duties still apply when AI is involved: competence, confidentiality, communication with clients, supervision, and reasonable fees. It does not ban AI. It holds the lawyer responsible for how AI is used in a matter.
- What duties does ABA 512 cover?
- Competence (understanding what an AI tool can and cannot do), confidentiality (keeping client information out of tools and vendor pipelines that are not safe), communication (telling clients how AI is used where it matters), supervision (attorney review of AI output and of the people using it), and fees (billing for AI-assisted work honestly).
- What is an AI operating-model review?
- A paid review that maps where your firm is already using AI and where policy, supervision, confidentiality, or billing discipline is starting to break down. The output is one governed workflow to fix first, not a six-month product roadmap.
- Is efficient.esq a law firm?
- No. efficient.esq is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. It provides ABA 512 readiness audits and AI operating-model reviews for firms that are already using AI. It is a product of MHSB Solutions.
- Who is efficient.esq for?
- Law firms that are already using AI and feeling the strain, where supervision, confidentiality, client communication, or pricing has not caught up to how the tools are actually being used day to day.
- How does it start?
- With the free ABA 512 self-audit, which gives a quick baseline across the four pressure points. Firms that want more can request a governed AI operating-model review.
- What happens to the answers I submit?
- The self-audit score is a browser-side signal to show where you stand; it is not a compliance certification and not legal advice. If you request a review, your details go into our intake CRM (Lawmatics) and we follow up only if there is a fit. Do not send client confidences or privileged facts through the site.