Arkansas: AI rules for lawyers

What this means for lawyers

AI use by lawyers is expressly permitted, but it "does not excuse or mitigate any violation of the rules" that results from using it (Preamble [22], adopted 11 December 2025).

Rule 5.3 is retitled "Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistance", and a comment says "nonlawyer assistance" includes generative AI platforms, so the usual supervision and responsibility duties apply to AI tools.

Verify every authority. Filing in the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals certifies under Ark. R. App. P.-Civ. 11(a) that the paper is warranted by existing law. The Supreme Court has found a Rule 11 violation for AI-generated citations that could not be located and called Rule 11 sanctions mandatory.

Administrative Order No. 25 (effective 11 December 2025) tells everyone in the court system to check whether a GAI tool retains what is entered, and warns that disclosing confidential or sealed client or case information may breach the Rules of Professional Conduct, statutes and procedural rules.

As at 31 October 2026.

Telling the court and the client

• Tell the courtUnclear

  Court disclosure: no rule found. No Arkansas statewide rule, administrative order or Rule 11 amendment requiring disclosure or certification of AI use in filings was found, and no federal district or local trial-court order was located. The Supreme Court did order one attorney to disclose AI tools, prompts and uploads in a show-cause affidavit, which is a sanctions process, not a standing duty.

  Client disclosure/consent: no rule found. The adopted amendments and Administrative Order No. 25 do not require client disclosure or consent; confidentiality duties under the Rules of Professional Conduct are the relevant constraint.

  In re Adoption of Administrative Order No. 25, Artificial Intelligence, 2025 Ark. 220

  Arkansas Department of Human Services v. Ward, No. CV-25-758, 2025 Ark. 217 (show-cause order)

  In re Amendments to the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct, 2025 Ark. 221
• Tell the clientUnclear

  Same basis and sources as above.