AI rules by state · MI
AI Rules for Lawyers in Michigan 2026
- AI disclosure required?
- Case-by-case
- Governing guidance
- SBM AI FAQs (2024)
- Sanctions on record
- Reported 2026 (verify)
- Competence rule
- Rule 1.1
- AI / technology CLE
- No mandatory CLE
Quick answer
Michigan does not require lawyers to disclose AI use as a general rule. The State Bar of Michigan's AI guidance applies the existing duties of competence, confidentiality, and candor to AI, and the lawyer stays responsible for verifying every AI-generated citation before filing.
Ethics guidance
State Bar of Michigan, Artificial Intelligence FAQs
Published November 2024
Michigan's reference point is the State Bar of Michigan's Artificial Intelligence FAQs, published by the bar's ethics resources in November 2024.
The FAQs apply existing duties to AI rather than creating new rules. A lawyer must understand the tools used, protect client confidentiality, verify AI output, and bill only for time actually spent. Responsibility for the work stays with the lawyer.
Disclosure rules
Are Michigan lawyers required to disclose AI use?
Michigan has no statewide rule requiring lawyers to disclose AI use. The bar's guidance treats disclosure as a matter of professional judgment, weighing whether AI use materially affects the representation or involves client data.
Counsel should review the assigned judge's standing order in each matter, since court-level requirements vary.
Sanctions on record
AI hallucination sanctions in Michigan
Michigan's courts have begun to address AI-fabricated citations, and the duty to verify applies regardless. As of June 2026, the State Bar's guidance is the primary reference; any specific Michigan sanction decision should be confirmed against the court record before it is relied on.
Competence duty
The competence rule and AI (Rule 1.1)
The competence duty in Michigan is Michigan Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1. The State Bar's AI FAQs read this duty to require a reasonable understanding of any AI tool and independent verification of its output.
CLE requirements
Continuing legal education in Michigan
Michigan does not have a mandatory continuing legal education requirement, so there is no AI or technology CLE mandate. The competence duty still requires a lawyer to understand the tools used in the representation.
How to stay compliant
A practical checklist for Michigan lawyers
Michigan's bar has set out AI duties in plain FAQs, and the throughline is verification of AI output.
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
Michigan AI rules: common questions
Legal AI rules in nearby states
Practising across state lines? Compare Michigan’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 Michigan state bar and the assigned court before you rely on anything here. Last verified June 2026.
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