AI tools and client data

Is Clio's AI safe for client data?

Short answer: Whether Clio's AI is safe for client data turns on which plan your staff are on, which account they signed in with, and what you have told them they may put in it — not on the product itself. On Starter, Core, Signature and Elite, Clio says it does not train its models on what staff type, by default. Every fact on this page is Clio's own, quoted from its own pages and dated, and where we did not find a statement this page says so rather than filling the gap. Obsidian Ridge's free 30-day AI security assessment shows which AI tools your staff actually use.

By Kfir Yair, CISSP. Published . Updated .

See which AI tools your staff use

Plan by plan, in Clio’s own words

The AI built into Clio Manage: it drafts bills and client updates, pulls dates out of documents and answers questions about a matter. It is not an app anyone installs — it is already inside the practice-management system, reading the matters that are in it. Clio shipped it as Clio Duo; the help article that announced that name now resolves to “AI Features in Clio Manage”.

What you are askingStarterCoreSignature and Elite
Trains the vendor's models by defaultNo. Clio states it platform-wide, not per plan, and names external models specifically.“Data is never used to train AI models or for any other external purposes.” source, read No. Clio says the firm's own data never reaches an external model, and points at its terms for the detail.“Your data is never used to train external AI models.” source, read No. Clio says the firm's own data never reaches an external model, and points at its terms for the detail.“Your data is never used to train external AI models.” source, read
How to turn training offNot found in the pages we read.An administrator can switch the AI off for the whole firm, and only an administrator can. It covers Clio Manage and Clio Grow together.“Administrators can turn off AI access for the entire firm with the Firm-level AI access setting.” source, read An administrator can switch the AI off for the whole firm, and only an administrator can. It covers Clio Manage and Clio Grow together.“Administrators can turn off AI access for the entire firm with the Firm-level AI access setting.” source, read
How long data is keptClio publishes no period of its own. What it does publish is that the model providers behind the AI keep nothing.“Zero-retention agreements with LLM providers; your data is never used to train models.” source, read Clio publishes no period of its own, and says the model providers behind the AI keep nothing.“Zero-retention agreements with LLM providers; your data is never used to train models.” source, read Clio publishes no period of its own, and says the model providers behind the AI keep nothing.“Zero-retention agreements with LLM providers; your data is never used to train models.” source, read
What an admin can see or controlNot found in the pages we read.A firm-wide log of what the AI did, for 90 days, naming the user it acted for.“The AI Event Log in your firm’s Settings provides a record of your AI actions in Clio over the last 90 days…” source, read A firm-wide log of what the AI did, for 90 days, naming the user it acted for.“The AI Event Log in your firm’s Settings provides a record of your AI actions in Clio over the last 90 days…” source, read
Single sign-onNot found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.Single sign-on arrives on Signature, not before, so a Starter or Core firm manages Clio passwords itself.“Sign in with your IdP of choice. Supports SSO options including Okta, Google, and Azure.” source, read
Business Associate AgreementNot found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.
Where the data is processedYour query may be processed outside your own jurisdiction. Clio says the result comes back to your region afterwards.“Depending on where your firm is located, AI features in Clio may process your queries on servers located outside your home jurisdiction” source, read Your query may be processed outside your own jurisdiction. Clio says the result comes back to your region afterwards.“Depending on where your firm is located, AI features in Clio may process your queries on servers located outside your home jurisdiction” source, read Your query may be processed outside your own jurisdiction. Clio says the result comes back to your region afterwards.“Depending on where your firm is located, AI features in Clio may process your queries on servers located outside your home jurisdiction” source, read

An empty cell is not a reassurance and not a criticism. "Not found in the pages we read." means the Clio pages listed under Sources, read on the dates shown, do not answer it — so there is nothing for us to repeat, and something for you to ask Clio before client information goes near it.

What this means for

The duty does not change because the tool is new. What changes is where the client information ends up.

  • Law firms. A client confidence pasted into a personal account has left the firm’s control. Our law firm page sets out the duties we build evidence for; the decision here is whether a personal account may touch a client matter at all.
  • Dental and medical practices. We didn't find a BAA statement in the pages listed below; ask Clio before any patient data goes in. See dental practices.
  • CPA and accounting firms. Your written information security plan has to describe the tools people actually use, not the ones you approved. See accounting firms.
  • Financial advisers. Client account data in a personal assistant is the exposure; see financial advisers.
  • Software teams. A coding assistant reads the repository and can run commands, so the question is what it can reach, not what it was asked. See what AI agents on work laptops can reach.

How to tell which version your staff use

The plan is the whole answer, and you cannot tell from the outside. Three ways to find out, in order of how much they prove.

  1. 1. Ask

    Quick, free, and incomplete. People forget the tool they installed once and the account they signed in with.

  2. 2. Look at the billing and the admin console

    This finds what the business pays for. It does not find a personal account, which is the one that matters here.

  3. 3. Look on the computers

    A tool somebody installed themselves never appears in an IT list. Obsidian Ridge’s free 30-day AI security assessment takes a quiet inventory for 30 days and shows what each tool could reach, then a CISSP goes through it with you. See the assessment, or read a sample set of findings.

Settings to check today

From Clio’s own documentation. Each one is a change somebody can make this afternoon.

  • Check whether the AI is on at all before you write a policy about it. Clio ships it from Core upward, so a Starter firm has nothing to govern yet.“AI included on plans from Core up.” source, read
  • The AI inherits your existing matter permissions, which means those permissions are now what stops it reading a matter. If they are loose, tighten them first.“AI features in Clio adhere to your existing Clio Manage permissions and will not surface data or matter details from files…” source, read
  • Read the AI Event Log before an audit asks for it, not during one. It holds 90 days and no more.“Under Details, click View for database IDs, user details, and IP address information.” source, read

Worth knowing

  • Switching the AI off narrows document search as a side effect, which is the cost of the decision rather than an argument against it.“That choice also narrows document search to file names and metadata, so a matter review or discovery search returns fewer keyword matches.” source, read
  • On HIPAA, Clio puts the obligation back on the firm and tells you to take advice before using the AI. We found no statement that Clio signs a Business Associate Agreement.“Consult with your internal compliance team or legal counsel before using AI features, especially if your firm has specific data residency or HIPAA obligations.” source, read

Questions we get asked

Is Clio's AI safe for client data?

Whether Clio's AI is safe for client data turns on which plan your staff are on, which account they signed in with, and what you have told them they may put in it — not on the product itself.

On Starter, Core, Signature and Elite, Clio says it does not train its models on what staff type, by default.

Every fact on this page is Clio's own, quoted from its own pages and dated, and where we did not find a statement this page says so rather than filling the gap.

Does Clio train its models on what we put into Clio's AI?

On Starter, Core, Signature and Elite, Clio says it does not train its models on what staff type, by default. On Starter: No. Clio states it platform-wide, not per plan, and names external models specifically.

Clio's own words: "Data is never used to train AI models or for any other external purposes." (read 2026-11-03).

On Core, Signature and Elite: No. Clio says the firm's own data never reaches an external model, and points at its terms for the detail. Clio's own words: "Your data is never used to train external AI models." (read 2026-11-03).

How long does Clio keep what we put into Clio's AI?

On Starter: Clio publishes no period of its own. What it does publish is that the model providers behind the AI keep nothing.

Clio's own words: "Zero-retention agreements with LLM providers; your data is never used to train models." (read 2026-11-03).

On Core, Signature and Elite: Clio publishes no period of its own, and says the model providers behind the AI keep nothing.

Clio's own words: "Zero-retention agreements with LLM providers; your data is never used to train models." (read 2026-11-03).

Can an administrator read what we put into Clio's AI?

On Starter: Not found in the pages we read. On Core, Signature and Elite: A firm-wide log of what the AI did, for 90 days, naming the user it acted for. Clio's own words: "The AI Event Log in your firm’s Settings provides a record of your AI actions in Clio over the last 90 days…" (read 2026-11-03).

Will Clio sign a Business Associate Agreement for Clio's AI?

We didn't find a BAA statement in the pages listed below; ask Clio before any patient data goes in.

How do we find out which version of Clio's AI our staff are using?

Clio sells this to practices rather than to individuals, so there is no personal account to find.

What decides the answers above is which plan your practice is on and what your own administrator has switched on, both of which are in your subscription and your admin console rather than on anybody's laptop.

Obsidian Ridge's free 30-day AI security assessment covers the tools nobody approved, which is the other half of the picture.

Sources

Clio’s own pages, with the date each was read. Nothing on this page comes from anywhere else.

All 35 tools, side by side, or run the AI tool risk checker over the ones you know about.

Other tools people ask about

Same question, different answers. The ones in the same category are the ones staff swap between.