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AI rules by state · CO

AI Rules for Lawyers in Colorado 2026

By Sabih Siddiqi, founder of Irys and former BigLaw litigatorVerified as of September 2026
AI disclosure required?No
Competence ruleRule 1.1
AI / technology CLENo tech or AI requirement

Quick answer

Colorado does not require lawyers to disclose AI use. What Colorado did, on 8 January 2026, was amend its competence rule and its Scope to address AI directly. Colorado has also disciplined a lawyer for filing fabricated AI citations, so verification is a hard duty here.

Ethics guidance

Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, AI amendments to Scope and Rule 1.1

Adopted and effective 8 January 2026

Colorado took the unusual step of amending its rules rather than issuing a standalone ethics opinion. On 8 January 2026, effective the same day, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted three changes: a new Scope paragraph [20A], a revised Comment [8] to Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1, and a new Comment [9] to that rule.

New Scope [20A] states that technology, including artificial intelligence, plays an increasing role in practice but that its role does not diminish a lawyer's responsibilities under the Rules. New Comment [9] lists the rules an AI tool can implicate, among them confidentiality, candor toward the tribunal, supervision and reasonable fees, and states that reliance on technology does not diminish the lawyer's duty to exercise independent judgment.

Sources: Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, OARC Update January 2026, Colorado Lawyer, The 2026 AI-Related Amendments to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct

Disclosure rules

Are Colorado lawyers required to disclose AI use?

Colorado has no statewide rule requiring disclosure of AI use. The January 2026 amendments address competence and do not impose a disclosure duty. The duties of competence and candor govern, and the lawyer must verify AI output before relying on it.

Counsel should review the assigned judge's standing order in each matter.

Sources: Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, OARC Update January 2026, Colorado Lawyer, The 2026 AI-Related Amendments to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct

Sanctions on record

AI hallucination sanctions in Colorado

Colorado has a disciplinary sanction on record. In People v. Crabill (2023), the Colorado Office of the Presiding Disciplinary Judge suspended an attorney after he filed a motion containing AI-fabricated cases that he did not verify. The suspension was partly served and partly stayed on probation.

Colorado courts have also imposed a court-level sanction since June 2026. In Adams v. Matrix Providers Inc. et al. (D. Colorado, August 2026), the court issued an admonishment and a $1,000 monetary fine over an AI-related filing.

Sources: People v. Crabill, Colorado disciplinary decision (PDF), AI Hallucination Cases Database, Colorado cases (damiencharlotin.com)

Competence duty

The competence rule and AI (Rule 1.1)

The competence duty in Colorado is Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1. Effective 8 January 2026, Comment [8] was revised and Comment [9] added to address technology and artificial intelligence directly. Comment [8] requires a lawyer to keep abreast of the benefits and risks of relevant technologies.

Sources: Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, OARC Update January 2026, Colorado Lawyer, The 2026 AI-Related Amendments to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct

CLE requirements

Continuing legal education in Colorado

Colorado requires 45 CLE credits every three years, including at least 7 professional-responsibility credits of which at least 5 must be legal ethics. There is no AI or technology-specific requirement as of September 2026.

Source: Colorado, CLE requirements

How to stay compliant

A practical checklist for Colorado lawyers

Colorado has both amended its rules for AI and suspended a lawyer for fabricated citations, so verification is non-negotiable here.

Review the assigned judge's standing order and the court's local rules at the start of every matter. AI disclosure obligations generally sit at the court and judge level rather than in a single statewide rule.Verify every citation and quotation before filing, and read the underlying authority. Most AI sanctions have resulted from citations the lawyer never personally verified.Do not enter confidential client information into public AI tools without confirming how the tool handles data and, where there is material confidentiality risk, obtaining the client's informed consent.Inform the client when AI use materially affects the matter, and honor any client instruction that limits AI use.Bill only for time actually spent drafting prompts and reviewing output, not for time the tool saved.Keep any required technology or AI continuing-education credit current, and treat AI competence as part of your duty under the competence rule.When evaluating tools, look for citation grounding that ties output to verifiable authority, a vendor commitment not to train on client data, and audit trails. These reduce risk, but they do not replace the lawyer's own review.

Frequently asked

Colorado AI rules: common questions

No. Colorado has no statewide disclosure rule. On 8 January 2026 it amended its Scope and its competence rule (Rule 1.1) to address AI, focusing on a lawyer's competence and independent judgment rather than on disclosing AI use.

On 8 January 2026, effective the same day, the Colorado Supreme Court adopted a new Scope paragraph [20A], revised Comment [8] to Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1, and added a new Comment [9] to that rule. Together they confirm that competence covers the benefits and risks of relevant technology and that relying on a tool does not diminish a lawyer's independent judgment.

Yes. In People v. Crabill (2023), the Colorado Office of the Presiding Disciplinary Judge suspended an attorney for filing a motion with AI-fabricated cases he did not verify, part served and part stayed on probation.

No. Colorado requires 45 CLE credits every three years, including ethics credit. There is no AI or technology-specific requirement.

Legal AI rules in nearby states

Practising across state lines? Compare Colorado’s rules with its neighbors.

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This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, and the obligations that apply to your matter depend on your court, your judge, and your facts. Verify the current rules with the Colorado state bar and the assigned court before you rely on anything here. Last verified September 2026.

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