3 September 2025; start date not confirmedProfessional guidanceRhode Island Supreme Court (Chief Justice)3 September 2025Last checked 31 October 2026
Jurisdiction
Rhode Island: AI rules for lawyers
Rhode Island, United States · Switch state
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What this means for lawyers
Rule 1.1 comment [6] of the Rhode Island Rules of Professional Conduct (Supreme Court Rules, Art. V) now says lawyers should keep abreast of "the benefits and risks associated with existing and developing technology". The Court's order is dated 17 June 2026.
The Court also adopted "Interim Guidelines for the Ethical Use of Generative AI by Rhode Island Lawyers". The order says they do not amend Art. V and do not carry the force of law. They are advisory and subject to ongoing revision.
Verify before filing. The guidelines say a lawyer "must review all such outputs for accuracy and correctness, verify citations and statements of fact or law" and fix errors before filing or submitting AI-assisted work (Rules 3.1, 3.3).
Confidentiality: read the tool's terms of use and privacy policy before using it for legal work, including whether it stores inputs and whether it keeps them after services end (Rule 1.6).
As at .
Telling the court and the client
- Tell the courtUnclear
Court disclosure: no rule found. The guidelines do not set a filing certification or disclosure rule, and no court-level order was found. Client disclosure/consent: depends.
Guideline text on Rule 1.4 says lawyers are not required to tell clients every time GAI is used. A lawyer "must certainly disclose" GAI use when a client asks, or when client information is entered into a GAI system, and lawyers who use GAI routinely in substantive work should consider disclosing it in the retainer or engagement agreement. The guidelines themselves are advisory.
- Tell the clientVaries
Same basis and sources as above.
What changed in Rhode Island in the last 12 months
No new or changed AI rules recorded for Rhode Island in the last 12 months.
AI instruments
Courts and tribunals
17 June 2026; start date not confirmedBinding ruleRhode Island Supreme Court17 June 2026Last checked 31 October 2026
Sources
- Rhode Island Supreme Court (Chief Justice): Executive Order No. 2025-06: Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts · last checked
- Rhode Island Supreme Court: Order amending Article V, Rule 1.1 (Competence) comment [6] and adopting Interim Generative AI Guidelines · last checked
Court AI rule changes + new tools, monthly
One email a month when a court changes its AI practice note or a tool is added to the catalogue. Your address is kept for that note. See Privacy.
Before the work starts
- Define the matter
Confirm the client’s instructions, jurisdiction, intended output and the information available before dividing the work.
- Confirm the source material
Check the work against the original records and identify omissions, contradictions and remaining information.
- Record review and approval
Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.
- Jurisdiction
Apply this guidance to the actual matter and jurisdiction. Confirm current requirements before relying on an example.
Limits on AI assistance
- Confirm firm, client and applicable court or professional restrictions before using any AI feature.