Illinois has enacted Public Act 104-0801, introducing statutory limits on the role of entities owned, operated or controlled wholly or partly by people who are not licensed attorneys, including management services organisations. Such entities may not interfere with lawyers’ professional judgment, control the disclosure of client records or attorney-client communications, or exercise specified powers over…
New Mexico Supreme Court approves skills-based route to lawyer licensing
The New Mexico Supreme Court has approved a skills-based examination as an optional alternative to the traditional written bar examination. Under the new route, an eligible graduate of an accredited law school will receive conditional authority to practise, complete 675 hours of supervised legal work within one year and undergo midpoint and final reviews. The…
California Supreme Court seeks views on Community Justice Worker programme Short version
The California Supreme Court has directed the State Bar of California to circulate a proposed rule of court for public comment on the creation of a Community Justice Worker programme. The proposal would permit trained nonlawyers to work alongside, and under the supervision of, lawyers at approved legal aid organisations, providing free and limited legal…
Rhode Island Supreme Court issues AI rules for lawyers and judges
The Rhode Island Supreme Court has amended its professional competence rule and adopted interim guidance on the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers and judicial officers. The amended rule requires lawyers to keep up to date with changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with existing and…
State Bar of California consults on AI amendments to professional conduct rules
The State Bar of California is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct addressing lawyers’ use of artificial intelligence. The proposals were approved for a 45-day public comment period by the Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct on 13 March 2026, ending close to two weeks from now on…
U.S. Judicial Conference considers new rule on AI-generated evidence
The federal judiciary in the United States is moving to tighten rules for AI-generated evidence. In mid-2025 the Judicial Conference’s advisory committee mentioned they are considering drafting a new Federal Rule of Evidence (Rule 707) on machine‑generated evidence. The proposed Rule 707 would treat machine generated outputs to the same admissibility standards as all other…
United States Supreme Court in Florida moves to limit American Bar Association role in law school oversight
The Florida Supreme Court’s 5-1 ruling on 15 January 2026 removed the ABA as the sole accrediting agency for law schools whose graduates can sit for Florida’s bar. The order allows the court to consider other federally recognized accrediting bodies (none of which currently accredit law schools) in future. The Court said the change aims…
Washington becomes latest state to test legal practice reforms
Washington State has become the latest U.S. jurisdiction to experiment with regulatory reform in the legal sector by relaxing restrictions on who can practise law. Beginning as early as October 2025, the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) will accept applications from law firms, nonprofits, and technology-driven organisations seeking to participate in a 10-year pilot programme…
Proposed amendments to Colorado’s rules of professional conduct to address artificial intelligence
The Colorado Supreme Court has invited public comment on proposed amendments to the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct (RPCs) to explicitly address the ethical and professional implications of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), in legal practice. The amendments aim to clarify lawyers’ duties of competence and diligence in an era of rapid technological change….
Texas plans to end American Bar Association’s role in state’s law school oversight
The Texas Supreme Court has signalled its intention to end the American Bar Association’s (ABA) longstanding role in accrediting law schools for bar admission purposes, marking the first such move by a U.S. state. In a preliminary order issued on 27 September 2025, the court stated its “tentative opinion” that the ABA should no longer…