Cloud AI and on-premise AI, side by side
| Cloud AI assistant | On-premise AI (do it yourself) | On-premise AI (managed box) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where client files are processed | The vendor’s servers | A computer in your office | A Mac mini in your office |
| Who receives prompts and documents | The vendor, under its contract | Nobody outside the firm | Nobody outside the firm |
| Model quality | Newest frontier models | Open-weight models, strong for drafts and search | Open-weight models, strong for drafts and search |
| Who keeps it running | The vendor | You or your IT provider | AdminOnsite, remotely, with logged access |
| How you pay | Per user per month | Hardware plus your time | One flat monthly price for the firm, hardware included |
Prices for cloud tools are on the per-seat cost calculator; AdminOnsite plans are on the pricing section.
What on-premise changes under Opinion 512
- Confidentiality (Rule 1.6).The opinion’s concern is whether information you enter could be disclosed or used by others. If the model runs in your office and no vendor receives the prompt, that part of the analysis rests on different facts.
- Vendor vetting (Rules 5.1, 5.3).You still supervise the tools you use, but there’s no AI company holding your matter data to vet. Anyone with remote access to the box, such as an IT provider, is still a vendor to understand.
- Informed consent.The opinion says informed consent is generally required for self-learning tools before inputting client information. Whether your setup needs it is for you and your state bar guidance to decide.
What on-premise doesn’t change
- Competence and verification (Rules 1.1, 3.3).Models can be wrong. Every draft needs a lawyer’s review, especially anything with citations.
- Communication and fees (Rules 1.4, 1.5).Telling clients when AI use matters, and billing reasonably, work the same way.
- Security.A box in your office still needs updates, disk encryption, backups and sensible folder access.
- Legal research.AdminOnsite is not a case-law database. Use a research tool for authority, and the box for drafting from your templates and searching your own files.
What size box for what size firm
Each AdminOnsite plan runs on a Mac mini sized for the office. Download sizes are for the default 4-bit builds in Ollama’s library.
| Plan | Fits about | Mac mini | Model class | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice | 5 people | M6, 32GB | 14-billion-parameter | $249 a month + $299 setup |
| Office | 10–15 people | M5 Pro, 48GB | 30-billion-parameter | $399 a month + $399 setup |
| Firm | 15–30 people | M5 Pro, 64GB | 30-billion-parameter, longer documents | $699 a month + $499 setup |
Hardware is included; the box is yours after 24 months. See the terms.
Questions to ask before you choose any AI tool
- Where are prompts and documents processed, and by which companies?
- How long are they kept, and who can delete them?
- Does anything train a model, including feedback buttons?
- Who has remote access to the machine, and is it logged?
- What does your ethics counsel or state bar guidance say about informed consent for this setup?
Questions
Is on-premise AI allowed for law firms?
Nothing in Opinion 512 bans any kind of tool. It applies existing duties to AI use. Whether a particular setup satisfies them, including consent, is for you and your state bar guidance.
Does on-premise AI remove the need for client consent?
Not automatically. Opinion 512 ties the consent question to self-learning tools and to whether client information could be disclosed or used by others. Running the model in your office changes those facts, and your state’s guidance decides the rest.
Can on-premise AI do legal research?
Not as a case-law database. A local model drafts from your templates and searches your own documents; use a research tool for authority and check every citation.
How much does on-premise AI cost for a small firm?
AdminOnsite is $249 a month plus $299 setup for about five people, $399 plus $399 for 10–15, and $699 plus $499 for 15–30, with hardware included.
Is AdminOnsite certified or compliant?
We make no compliance or certification claims. Your obligations are for you and your advisors to confirm.