Indie Law, a Chicago-based trademark law firm serving entrepreneurs, creatives, and growing businesses across the United States, has signed The Higher Bar, a public pledge that sets out how lawyers and legal technology companies commit to use artificial intelligence. The pledge was convened by Best Era, a law firm consulting company based in West Hartford, Connecticut. The announcement signals a growing effort within the legal industry to establish clear ethical standards for AI as the technology becomes more prevalent in legal work.
By signing, Indie Law commits to fourteen principles, including using AI to serve clients, courts, and communities with a lawyer responsible for every use; having a person check every AI output before it leaves the firm; never using AI to harass, intimidate, or bury anyone in filings; never filing evidence it can't verify is real; protecting client data and treating security as ongoing work; using AI to make its team better at their work, not to replace them; being honest about what AI can and can't do, and keeping its own voice in everything it sends; and never selling or licensing client files or case data to train anyone's AI.
"Our clients trust us with the name their business is built on," said Joey Vitale, trademark attorney and founder of Indie Law. "Signing The Higher Bar is a public way of saying that no matter what tools we use, a lawyer is responsible for the work and our clients' information stays protected."
The Higher Bar is voluntary. It creates no legal obligation and changes no rule of professional conduct. The full pledge and the list of signers are on Best Era's website. Learn more at www.indielaw.com.
Indie Law is a trademark law firm serving entrepreneurs, creatives, and growing businesses across the United States. Founded by trademark attorney Joey Vitale, Indie Law focuses exclusively on trademark law, helping clients protect their brands through federal trademark registration, comprehensive searches, and ongoing brand monitoring. With over 2,000 trademarks filed and a 99.7% success rate, Indie Law is the trademark firm other law firms trust.
The pledge's importance lies in its potential impact on client trust and industry norms. As AI tools become more integrated into legal practice, clients may seek assurance that their sensitive information is handled responsibly and that human expertise remains central. By publicly committing to principles such as human review of all AI outputs and prohibiting the sale of client data for AI training, Indie Law aims to differentiate itself in a competitive market. The voluntary nature of the pledge means it relies on public accountability rather than regulatory enforcement, which could encourage other firms to adopt similar standards to maintain client confidence. For entrepreneurs and small businesses, this development may offer greater transparency about how their legal matters are handled and reinforce the importance of choosing firms that prioritize data security and ethical AI use.
More details about the pledge and Indie Law's commitment can be found in the firm's original announcement at https://www.indielaw.com/blog/higher-bar-responsible-ai-pledge/.
