You finish a client call and want to dictate a private case note before the details fade. The question is not simply whether the microphone works offline. You need to know where the audio and resulting words go, what remains on the Mac, who can see the final note, and how you will check names, figures, and legal terms before the note becomes part of a matter file.
SuprFlow can recognize speech on an Apple Silicon Mac with a downloaded model and apply its default cleanup locally. Its advanced settings also allow a hosted AI formatter that sends transcript text to a provider, so the mode you choose matters. A law firm should approve the exact configuration and destination under its own confidentiality and records rules. The ABA's Formal Opinion 512 discusses lawyers' obligations when using generative AI; it does not certify SuprFlow or any other dictation product.
Start with a matter-safe test
Use a made-up client and synthetic facts. Open the app's settings and confirm the speech language, active formatter, transcription history, and clipboard-history switch. For a local-only text path, use the default local cleanup and do not select Cloud API. If the firm permits Ollama, check that the configured endpoint is the approved local host; a custom address can point elsewhere. Then dictate into a test document in the same case-management or writing app you normally use. Confirm that SuprFlow inserts into the expected field and that the destination app's own sync and access rules are understood.
If a colleague says “the AI does not train on our client data,” ask which path they mean. Local recognition and local cleanup do not submit the words to a hosted model in SuprFlow 1.0.0. Hosted formatting is a separate provider request. The provider's contract, retention, and training terms must be checked for the exact account and endpoint. Do not use a consumer provider key with client content merely because the transcription step itself was local.
Decide whether local history is appropriate
SuprFlow saves up to 100 recent transcription entries in a local Application Support file. That is useful when text lands in the wrong window, but it is another copy of a client note to protect. Review the firm's device encryption, backups, endpoint management, retention, and deletion policy. A pasted note also exists in the destination document; clearing SuprFlow's history does not delete it there. Clipboard history is a separate setting and can retain copied material. Check it explicitly rather than assuming it follows the transcription setting.
Dictate facts, then verify them as a lawyer
Speech-to-text can mishear names, dates, amounts, citations, and negations. Formatting can further change wording. For a matter note, keep the original source available where firm policy allows, read the inserted text, and compare every material fact before saving or sending. Do not let a polished tone turn uncertainty into a fact. If you need a verbatim quote, use a mode and review method suitable for verbatim work rather than relying on an automatic rewrite. The human lawyer owns the final legal work product.
Before sending a client-facing email or filing a note, also check the recipient and the destination app. A local dictation tool can insert into a cloud document, a shared channel, or the wrong text field; its local model does not change that downstream disclosure risk.
A firm approval card
| Decision | Evidence to record |
|---|---|
| Permitted matter and data class | Which client facts may be dictated, and whether consent or notice is required under firm policy |
| Installed build | Version, macOS, Mac model, speech model, and update source |
| Text processing | Default local cleanup, approved local Ollama endpoint, or approved hosted provider and contract |
| Network flows | Recognition and formatter path, SuprFlow account checks, telemetry, updates, and model downloads verified with test data |
| Local copies | Transcription history, clipboard history, backup and device-access controls |
| Destination | Matter system, document permissions, sync policy, and recipient check |
| Review | Who verifies names, dates, amounts, quotations, and final wording |
Does offline speech recognition make SuprFlow suitable for privileged material?
It addresses one transfer path: recognition can happen on the Mac. Suitability still depends on formatter choice, local retention, device security, destination-app behavior, telemetry, and the firm's rules. Have the responsible firm owner approve the workflow before using real client information.
Can I use AI formatting and still keep everything local?
The default cleanup is local. An Ollama formatter can be local when its endpoint is the approved local server. Cloud API formatting sends transcript text and instructions to the selected provider. Check the actual endpoint and model setting, not just the word “AI.”
Does clearing history erase the note everywhere?
No. It removes the app's local history record, but a pasted document, backup, clipboard copy, recipient message, or hosted provider may retain separate copies. Follow the firm's records procedure for the complete work product.
Related guides
- Voice dictation for law firms on Mac
- Where does my dictation go?
- Does SuprFlow use dictation for AI training?
- SuprFlow vs MacWhisper
- Dragon for Mac alternatives for legal dictation
- Dictate a client-call attendance note
- Dictate and review a client email
- Law-firm dictation vendor questions