AI rules by state · CO
AI Rules for Lawyers in Colorado 2026
- AI disclosure required?
- No
- Governing guidance
- RPC 1.1 amended for AI (2026)
- Sanctions on record
- People v. Crabill (2023), suspension
- Competence rule
- Rule 1.1
- AI / technology CLE
- No tech or AI requirement
Quick answer
Colorado does not require lawyers to disclose AI use. What Colorado did, effective January 2026, was amend its competence rule 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 Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1, amended to address AI
Effective January 2026
Colorado took the unusual step of amending its competence rule rather than issuing a standalone opinion. Effective January 2026, the Colorado Supreme Court revised Comment 8 and added Comment 9 to Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1 to address the use of artificial intelligence.
The amendment makes clear that a lawyer's duty of competence includes understanding the benefits and risks of AI tools and verifying their output. Colorado also has a disciplinary case on record.
Source: Colorado Bar Association, AI and Professional Conduct
Disclosure rules
Are Colorado lawyers required to disclose AI use?
Colorado has no statewide rule requiring disclosure of AI use. 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.
Source: Colorado Bar Association, AI and 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.
Source: People v. Crabill, Colorado disciplinary decision (PDF)
Competence duty
The competence rule and AI (Rule 1.1)
The competence duty in Colorado is Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1. Effective January 2026, the rule's comments were amended to address AI directly, requiring a lawyer to understand AI tools and verify their output.
Source: Colorado Bar Association, AI and Professional Conduct
CLE requirements
Continuing legal education in Colorado
Colorado requires 45 CLE credits every three years, including ethics credit. There is no AI or technology-specific requirement as of June 2026.
Source: Colorado, CLE requirements
How to stay compliant
A practical checklist for Colorado lawyers
Colorado has both amended its competence rule 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
Legal AI rules in nearby states
Practising across state lines? Compare Colorado’s rules with its neighbors.
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 June 2026.
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