Hialeah council renews Westlaw subscription that adds vetted AI tools for city attorneys

The Hialeah City Council approved a five-year agreement with West Publishing Corporation (Westlaw) on Feb. 24, preserving online legal research access for the City Attorney's Office and adding Westlaw's AI research feature for attorney workflow.

Administration said the city had used Westlaw for years and that the renewed agreement includes additional services but not a higher cost in the initial year; staff described the AI tool as an accuracy-checked feature that draws only from Westlaw's cases rather than open-web models. A city representative told the council: "We don't want attorneys in the office of the city attorney relying, for example, on ChatGPT ... because oftentimes they're not accurate," and explained Westlaw's AI is designed to source from its legal database.

Mayor (role stated) noted the administration has issued a citywide AI policy. Under that policy, employees must register city email accounts used with AI tools, retain AI chat records as public records, and disclose use in submitted work product. The city said Westlaw's AI will be used by attorneys for legal research only; drafting of legislation remains the attorney's responsibility and must comply with ethics rules.

Council members asked about prior contract terms and how the new AI feature affects pricing and vendor services. Administration said the city previously renegotiated the contract and had reduced annual costs in prior years; the new agreement adds features and extends the term. The measure passed on roll call; the city said the contract includes usage monitoring and training requirements for staff.