The Florida Bar’s free Clio Work: what to record
Florida is the first state bar to hand its members a legal AI tool as a member benefit. Many small Florida firms will try AI at work for the first time because of it. The tool is free. The duties that come with using it are the same as ever.
What the program is
In June 2026 the Florida Bar and Clio announced a Preferred Bar Program. Eligible members get four months of unlimited access to Clio Work, Clio’s AI workspace, and then limited access for the rest of the agreement. It comes with live and on-demand training and a certification course. Members can register interest now; according to Clio, access opens to registered members later this year. Check the Bar’s page for eligibility and dates.
What doesn’t change
A free tool carries the same obligations as a paid one. Two Florida sources set them.
- Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 24-1 addresses confidentiality, competence, supervision, fees and advertising when lawyers use generative AI. It is advisory, and it applies to whichever tool you pick.
- Florida’s court rule on citations, in effect since June 15, 2026, has the person signing a filing certify that the authorities cited exist and are cited accurately, and lets judges sanction fabricated or misdescribed citations. See the Florida rules page.
Most small firms haven’t written this down yet
Clio’s own 2026 report on solo and small firms found that 57% of solo firms and 55% of small firms have no AI policy at all (Clio, 2026 Legal Trends for Solo and Small Firms). A free tool arriving at thousands of firms at once is a good moment to change that.
What a firm should be able to show afterwards
When a judge, a client or a carrier asks how AI was used on a matter, the useful answer is specific, not general. Before the trial starts, decide how your firm will keep track of:
- which AI tools staff may use, including Clio Work and anything they already use, such as ChatGPT or Copilot;
- what client information may go into each one;
- on which matter each AI use happened, and who did it;
- who checked the citations in anything that was filed, and when;
- whether the client was told, where your policy or the fee arrangement calls for it.
Our AI policy template covers each of these and is free to adapt.
Use Clio Work. Keep one record across every AI tool.
Candor logs each AI use to the matter, whichever tool did the work, flags citations that may need a second look, and records the attorney’s sign-off. If your firm turns on Clio write-back, each logged use is also added as a note on the Clio matter, so the record sits where your team already works.
This is a reference summary of publicly announced programs and published rules, compiled from the sources linked above. It is not legal advice. Program details can change; confirm them with the Florida Bar. Candor is software, not a law firm, and is not affiliated with Clio or the Florida Bar. Clio and Clio Work are trademarks of their owner.