For California attorneys and firms of every size. See which rules likely apply to your practice, where your gaps are, and what to do before January 1, 2027.
12 questions · about 3 minutes · free results
SB 574 is now law. Is your practice ready?
On January 1, 2027, AI accountability for California lawyers stops being a best practice and becomes a statutory duty.
Attorneys (New Bus. & Prof. Code § 6068.1)
- You cannot delegate the practice of law to AI.
- No confidential or identifying information goes into an AI tool unless access is restricted to you and the people you authorize.
What counts as identifying?
The law lists driver's license numbers; dates of birth; Social Security numbers; criminal identification numbers; addresses and phone numbers of parties, victims, witnesses and court personnel; medical or psychiatric information; financial information; account numbers; and anything sealed by court order or made confidential by rule or statute.
- You must verify AI output, including every single citation.
- You must disclose AI use to the court on documents you file, and should consider disclosure in content you publish.
Court filings (Amended Code Civ. Proc. § 128.7)
- No citation the responsible attorney hasn't personally verified.
Arbitrators (New Code Civ. Proc. § 1282.1)
- No handing off decision-making to AI.
- Parties must be told before an arbitrator relies on AI material from outside the record.
Courts
- The Judicial Council must revisit its standard on judges' AI use. No deadline is set.
“We'll figure it out later” is not a compliance plan. This check shows which California rules likely apply to your practice and where your gaps are, with a January 1 action list.
General information, not legal advice. Sources last checked Oct 12, 2026.