President Trump’s New AI Memo
What the New Federal AI Directives Mean for Government Legal and Investigative Teams
The White House has spoken—and legal and technology leaders in the public sector should be paying close attention. With two new memos from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Trump administration has revised the federal approach to artificial intelligence use and acquisition.
While President Trump’s directives rescind the Biden-era executive order on AI, they don’t discard the entire prior framework. Instead, they build upon it—layering in new priorities focused on innovation, agility, and public trust.
So, what’s changed—and what remains?
The Big Picture: Innovation Meets Oversight, Still
Though the tone around AI has shifted politically, the core challenge federal agencies must face when implementing AI tools remains the same: balancing speed with safety, innovation with oversight, and efficiency with accountability. These memos attempt to strike that balance—not by starting from scratch, but by refining and reorienting the previous administration’s approach.
AI Governance: Continuity with Change
Memo M-25-21 outlines how agencies must govern their AI systems. Many guardrails from the Biden and previous Trump administrations remain in place, such as the designation of Chief AI Officers, maintenance of use case inventories, and restrictions on high-risk systems.
However, the Trump administration has introduced a more agile and innovation-focused tone. Agencies are encouraged to move quickly—but not recklessly. While they now have up to a year to document compliance with risk management practices, non-compliant systems must still be shut down.
For public sector legal professionals and investigators, the message is clear: AI tools must be innovative, compliant, secure, and ready to scale—quickly.
This raises the bar on internal coordination. Legal advisors must work closely with AI leads, maintain visibility into how AI is used in investigations, FOIA responses, and case workflows—and ensure that compliance is enforced, not just documented. Legal advisors must understand the full inventory of AI systems to identify risk exposure and ensure policies are actually enforced—not just documented.
AI Acquisition: Prioritizing U.S. Innovation with Accountability
Memo M-25-22 revamps procurement policy with an "America-first" focus, encouraging adoption of domestically developed AI tools. Still, the memo maintains key elements from previous guidance—such as requirements for competition, transparency, and defined performance metrics.
One key change: the memo sets a 200-day deadline for creating a centralized repository of pre-vetted, compliant AI procurement tools.
For in-house legal teams, this creates a dual opportunity:
Streamline compliance by leveraging trusted, pre-vetted AI solutions
Modernize procurement while aligning with emerging standards for ethical AI use
What Government Legal and Investigative Teams Need to Know
For public sector legal professionals and investigators, the message is clear: AI tools must be innovative, compliant, secure, and ready to scale—quickly.
This is where modern ediscovery platforms can offer a significant advantage.
A cloud-native ediscovery solution with built-in GenAI capabilities can help meet the specialized needs of federal litigation and investigations. Here’s how:
Support AI Governance Requirements: Cloud-based platforms offer comprehensive audit trails, risk management features, and strong governance frameworks—exactly the type of infrastructure OMB guidance emphasizes.
Accelerate Innovation, Responsibly: With tight deadlines for AI readiness, agencies need secure, U.S.-developed tools that can deploy fast without compromising on standards or trust.
Enhance Investigative Power with GenAI: GenAI capabilities can help surface insights in massive data sets, streamline document review, and speed up case timelines—while remaining compliant with federal data and privacy policies.
Developing AI Talent in Government Agencies
The new memo provides powerful opportunities for federal legal professionals looking to take on generative AI and accelerate their careers.
Building an AI-ready workforce is just as crucial as acquiring the right tools, the memo emphasizes, and leaders need to make sure they are preparing their teams for the AI future – and retaining top AI talent.
The OMB memo calls on agencies to upskill staff, attract top AI talent, and ensure accountability in how legal teams use AI. To develop internal AI capabilities, consider:
Upskill Existing Staff While Retaining and Hiring AI-Skilled Talent
Developing the skills needed to use AI effectively in the federal government will become even more important. Government legal teams should consider opportunities for training and development around core abilities such as applying AI to streamline ediscovery and investigation workflows, leveraging AI to analyze complex data, and meeting compliance and governance obligations throughout.
Beyond technical skills, agencies need legal professionals who understand how to apply AI in real-world legal contexts.
Many providers, such as Everlaw, offer education, training, and certification programs that government legal professionals can start using today.
Agencies that embrace both innovation and integrity today will be best positioned to lead tomorrow.
Agencies should regularly assess AI expertise requirements across departments to ensure they are meeting mission needs. Your platform should offer continuous support to legal teams, helping them integrate AI into their workflows and providing ongoing training to ensure that AI initiatives are fully aligned with their legal objectives.
Developing an AI-ready legal team isn’t just about technology—it’s about ensuring that the people behind the tools are equipped to use them effectively and responsibly. With the right tools, government agencies can build that expertise, bridging the gap between technology and legal practice.
What to Look for in an AI Provider
When procuring AI tools for legal use, government agencies must prioritize transparency, security, and performance monitoring. According to OMB, effective procurement is about more than just purchasing software—it’s about safeguarding data rights and ensuring ethical use over time.
Here’s what legal teams should demand from a federal AI partner:
1. Data Ownership and Security
The ability to exclusively own and fully control legal data is crucial for agencies. Your technology provider should guarantee:
Legal data is never used to train commercial AI models
Full compliance with federal security standards
2. Continuous Performance Improvement
Ongoing testing and real-world validation are essential. Select a platform that offers:
Built-in evaluation tools
Regular performance tracking
Assurance that AI outputs remain accurate, reliable, and legally defensible
3. Competitive Procurement
Finally, the OMB calls for agencies to adopt procurement practices that “encourage competition to sustain a robust Federal AI marketplace,” with a focus on interoperable AI products and services.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Government Legal Work
As Washington intensifies its focus on AI, legal and technology leaders sit at the heart of this transformation. The systems we adopt—and how we govern them—will shape regulatory compliance, public trust, and mission success.
The bottom line? The future of AI in government legal work isn’t just about smarter tools. It’s about trustworthy tools—with ethical safeguards, transparent practices, and legal accountability at their core.
Agencies that embrace both innovation and integrity today will be best positioned to lead tomorrow.
AI is reshaping the legal profession—and those who know how to harness it will lead the future of government legal work.
