What law firms officially tell applicants about using AI

Name: What law firms officially tell applicants about using AI
Creator: Hassan Akram
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Of 25 law firms on the WGI check list, 11 publish an official statement on AI in selection that we could locate and 14 do not. Of the 10 that address candidates' own use of AI, 10 allow AI help on the written application and 0 forbid it; 2 forbid AI in interviews and 0 allow it. 2 disclose their own use of AI in selection and 3 state that humans make the decision.

Observed 23 September 2026 on official candidate-facing pages only. The check list is purposive, not a sample: counts describe these employers only. "No statement located" means none was found on the official pages checked, not that no policy exists.

Published by Who Gets In?, the research programme of Elite Careers Strategy, a private careers advisory firm (about the relationship). Research lead: Hassan Akram. Tracker version 2.0 · method and coding rules · media and data enquiries.

Coding correction pending: on 25 September 2026 WGI found an AI rule on Baker McKenzie's UK graduates FAQ (uk-graduates.bakermckenzie.com/support/frequently-asked-questions/). The 23 September register records Baker McKenzie as "no statement located". This is a WGI coding correction, not an employer change, and it will be applied with the 23 October 2026 snapshot. Counts below are the published 23 September figures.

Magic Circle

Clifford Chance: statement located
A&O Shearman: statement located
Slaughter and May: statement located
Linklaters: no statement located on official pages checked
Freshfields: no statement located on official pages checked

Employers with a located statement (11)

Employer	Written application	Online tests	Interviews	Employer's own AI use	Human decision
A&O Shearman London (guidance also listed for Singapore, Hong Kong)	Allowed with limits AI can help with the formatting and design of your CV and help tailor it to the role you're applying for. source	General authenticity rule only We simply ask that your application and assessments reflect your own thinking, experience and abilities. source	Not stated	States AI not used We do not use AI at any point during our recruitment process; all assessments and decisions are made by our team. source	States humans decide We do not use AI at any point during our recruitment process; all assessments and decisions are made by our team. source
Ashurst (Ashurst Perkins Coie) UK FAQs on multi-market hub	Allowed with limits We recognize that AI, when used appropriately, can be a valuable tool for creating and improving the quality of your application. source	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated
Bird & Bird London	Allowed with limits AI tools may be used to proofread or enhance the clarity of your application materials. source	Forbidden AI tools should not be used to generate content or draft responses to interview questions or assessments on your behalf. source	Forbidden AI tools should not be used to generate content or draft responses to interview questions or assessments on your behalf. source	Not stated	Not stated
Clifford Chance London	Allowed with limits While AI tools can support your preparation, overreliance may weaken your application. source	Forbidden Please note that the use of AI is not permitted. source	Not stated	States AI not used We do not use AI to screen applications or make hiring decisisons [sic] source	States humans decide your application will be reviewed by a member of the team once you have passed the online assessments. source
CMS UK plus Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore programmes	Allowed with limits We recognise that AI can be a useful tool and encourage its responsible use for activities such as research and proofreading. source	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated
DLA Piper United Kingdom	Allowed with limits Integrity is essential in the legal profession, so if you use GenAI, do so ethically and transparently. source	Discouraged Using GenAI to complete assessments. source	Discouraged Reading scripted AI responses in interviews. source	Not stated	Not stated
Mishcon de Reya London	Allowed with limits We accept that candidates will be using AI tools to assist their applications but would caution you not to rely too heavily on it. source	Not stated	Not stated	Discloses own AI use Bright Apply uses information from candidates' applications to start a conversation, resulting in a tailored interview for all applicants ... source	States humans decide The AI tool will not make any decisions. All applications will be screened by humans. source
Norton Rose Fulbright United Kingdom	Allowed with limits Avoid relying on AI tools – they're fine, but we're looking for your best work, not "good enough." source	Not stated	Forbidden We want to hear authentic responses from you and therefore ask that you do not use AI tools during this process. source	Not stated	Not stated
Skadden London	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Discloses own AI use We believe that artificial intelligence-powered assessment tools provide students an opportunity to share additional information about themselves that will allow us to get to know them better. source	Not stated
Slaughter and May London	Allowed with limits We understand that AI tools like ChatGPT can be useful, however, we strongly advise you not to copy and paste AI-generated text into your application. source	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated
Travers Smith London	Allowed with limits we ask that if you wish to use GenAI to support your application, you do so responsibly. source	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated

No statement located on official pages checked (14)

Linklaters
Freshfields
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Latham & Watkins
Kirkland & Ellis
White & Case
Sidley Austin
Davis Polk
Macfarlanes
Hogan Lovells
Baker McKenzie
Simmons & Simmons
Weil
Paul Weiss

What this does not show

That AI use in interviews is undetectable or detected.
That employers without a located statement allow AI, or have no policy.
That any employer can detect AI use, or enforces its rule consistently.
That the counts describe all selective employers (the list is purposive, not a sample).
That a rule applies in every market or programme beyond the scope recorded for that employer.

How to cite

Akram, H. (2026). What law firms officially tell applicants about using AI. Who Gets In? AI Rules Tracker v2.0, observed 23 September 2026. https://whogetsin.com/trackers/ai-policy/law. Data: JSON · CSV · CC BY 4.0 · corrections.

Other sector views: banks · consulting and Big Four firms · all 67 employers