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Regulation Tracker / United States (state)

Alabama State Bar Formal Opinion 2026-01: Artificial Intelligence Use — Best Practices Under Existing Professional Conduct Rules

Alabama State Bar, Office of General Counsel · Alabama

last revised 2026-05-01last verified 2026-09-041 versioncountry page →

Ethics opinionIn forceVerification dutyConfidentialityCompetenceSupervisionClient consent

map categories:Bar guidance on generative AIDisclosure of AI use in filingsBilling for AI workClient data in AI toolsDuty to verify AI outputTechnological competenceSupervision of AI work

The Alabama State Bar's first formal opinion on AI. It applies ARPC 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 3.1, 3.3, 5.1 and 5.3 to generative and agentic AI, requires independent verification of AI citations before filing, prefers enterprise or closed AI systems, bars billing for AI time savings, and supplies a compliance checklist.

Applies to
lawyers, firms
Effective
See version history
Current version
FO 2026-01 · 01 May 2026
Last verified
04 Sept 2026
Official text
www.alabar.org/assets/2026/05/FO-2026-01.pdf

What the document requires

  • Independently verify every legal citation generated by AI against an authoritative database before filing (ARPC 1.1, 3.1, 3.3)
  • Input into most generative AI platforms is disclosure; prefer enterprise or closed systems, anonymise prompts, and obtain informed consent where risk cannot be eliminated (ARPC 1.6)
  • No Alabama rule mandates disclosure of AI use to clients in all circumstances, but proactive communication is prudent (ARPC 1.4)
  • A lawyer may bill only for time actually spent; review and judgment time is billable, time saved by AI is not (ARPC 1.5)
  • AI is to be supervised like a nonlawyer assistant; the supervising lawyer remains fully responsible for the work product (ARPC 5.1, 5.3)
  • Check each court's local rules and standing orders for AI disclosure or certification requirements before filing

Version history

VersionDateWhat changedSource
FO 2026-01current2026-05-01Initial publication; the source gives a month only (published May 2026), so the day is recorded as the 1stofficial

Sources

Cite this record

SafeLegalAI Legal AI Regulation Tracker, "Alabama State Bar Formal Opinion 2026-01: Artificial Intelligence Use — Best Practices Under Existing Professional Conduct Rules" (Alabama State Bar, Office of General Counsel, FO 2026-01, 2026-05-01), safelegalai.com/regulation/us-state/us-al-state-bar-formal-opinion-2026-01 (accessed 2026-09-04). Data: CC BY 4.0.

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