---
title: "Using generative AI in California legal practice: ethics checklist"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/us-ca-genai-ethics-checklist"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a45-us-ca-genai-ethics-checklist"
area_id: "A45"
kind: "checklist"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
law_stated_as_at: "2026-11-08"
---

# Using generative AI in California legal practice: ethics checklist

> Checklist of what the State Bar of California's 2026 Practical Guidance says about lawyers using generative AI, with the statutory duties in Bus. & Prof. Code 6068.1 and Code Civ. Proc.…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/us-ca-genai-ethics-checklist  
Law stated as at: 2026-11-08

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

Checklist of what the State Bar of California's 2026 Practical Guidance says about lawyers using generative AI, with the statutory duties in Bus. & Prof. Code 6068.1 and Code Civ. Proc. 128.7(b)(2), which start on 1 January 2027 as recorded in this library's California record.

## Key facts

- Kind: Checklist. Steps or checks to work through and tick off.
- Practice area: [AI decision systems](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems.md)
- Jurisdictions: United States, California
- AI level: Yellow. You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at: 2026-11-08
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-11-08 against the 3 authorities it cites, for United States and California.

## When to use it

Use when a California lawyer or firm sets up or audits its use of generative AI, including tools that can act on their own. For the statutory duties in detail, pair it with the California attorney generative AI compliance checklist, the court disclosure statement and the citation verification record in this library.

## How AI may be used

A tool may list the firm's AI tools and match them to each point; a lawyer confirms the California sources are current, decides whether each point is met and signs off.

**AI may:**

- List the firm's AI tools and the matters they are used on, from the firm's own register
- Match each tool to the checklist points and flag points with no control
- Draft staff reminders that quote the named California sources accurately

**AI must not:**

- Must not mark a point as met, a source as current or a citation as checked
- Must not decide whether a tool's terms protect confidential client information
- Must not add duties that the named sources do not state
- Must not treat this checklist as a substitute for the named sources or for a later opinion, rule or order

**The lawyer checks:**

- The current version of each named California source has been confirmed
- The forum's local rules, standing orders and the assigned judge's orders have been checked for AI requirements
- Federal court rules and orders have been checked separately for any federal matter
- Each AI tool's terms of use and privacy policy have been read for access to inputs, retention and training use

## Authorities

- [State Bar of California, Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct, Practical Guidance for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Law (2026 version, replacing the November 2023 version)](https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/ethics/Generative-AI-Practical-Guidance.pdf)
- [Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6068.1, added by SB 574 (Stats. 2026, ch. 858): no delegation of the practice of law to generative AI; information, verification and court disclosure duties](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB574)
- [Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 128.7(b)(2), as amended by SB 574 (Stats. 2026, ch. 858): no filed paper may contain citations the responsible attorney has not personally verified](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB574)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/ai-decision-systems/us-ca-genai-ethics-checklist and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*