D. Mont.: Pro Hac Vice Admission Condition: Generative AI Drafting Programs Prohibited (J…
Hon. Donald W. Molloy, U.S. District Judge · U.S. District Court for the District of Montana
Verified September 29, 2026
- Citation
- Pro Hac Vice Admission Condition: Generative AI Drafting Programs Prohibited (Judge Donald W. Molloy, D. Mont.)
- Order date
- June 22, 2023
Summary
Pro hac vice admission is granted 'on the condition that pro hac counsel shall do his or her own work. This means that pro hac counsel must do his or her own writing; sign his or her own pleadings, motions, and briefs; and appear and participate personally.'
What does the order require?
- Pro hac vice admission is granted 'on the condition that pro hac counsel shall do his or her own work. This means that pro hac counsel must do his or her own writing; sign his or her own pleadings, motions, and briefs; and appear and participate personally.'
- 'Use of generative AI drafting programs, such as Chat GPT, is prohibited.' (2025 orders; the 2023 order read 'Use of artificial intelligence automated drafting programs, such as Chat GPT, is prohibited.')
- The admission is subject to withdrawal unless pro hac counsel files, within fifteen days, a notice acknowledging admission on these terms.
Practice areas: federal civil
What the condition says
Judge Donald W. Molloy of the District of Montana grants motions to admit out-of-state counsel pro hac vice “on the condition that pro hac counsel shall do his or her own work. This means that pro hac counsel must do his or her own writing; sign his or her own pleadings, motions, and briefs; and appear and participate personally.”
His 2025 admission orders then state: “Use of generative AI drafting programs, such as Chat GPT, is prohibited.” The earliest order read, in Belenzon v. Paws Up Ranch, LLC, No. CV 23-69-M-DWM, ECF 8 (D. Mont. June 22, 2023), put it as “Use of artificial intelligence automated drafting programs, such as Chat GPT, is prohibited.” Admission is subject to withdrawal unless counsel files, within fifteen days, a notice acknowledging admission on these terms.
Where it appears
The same condition appears in the admission orders in Thornton v. Brandon, No. CV 25-54-M-DWM, ECF 14 (D. Mont. Sept. 23, 2025), Golden Bear Insurance Co. v. SBD Enterprises, Inc., No. CV 25-73-BLG-DWM, ECF 14 (D. Mont. Aug. 19, 2025), and Horse Butte Ranch, LLC v. CNH Industrial America LLC, No. CV 25-66-BLG-DWM, ECF 21 (D. Mont. June 30, 2025).
Scope
The condition binds the out-of-state counsel admitted by the order, in the case where the order is entered. It is Judge Molloy’s practice rather than a district rule: the pro hac vice order entered by Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto in Ailes v. Klemann, No. CV 26-14-M-KLD, ECF 4 (D. Mont. Jan. 20, 2026) imposes the same “own work” condition without the AI sentence. The District of Montana has no court-wide AI rule.
Primary source
- Belenzon v. Paws Up Ranch, LLC, No. CV 23-69-M-DWM, ECF 8 (CourtListener RECAP)
- Thornton v. Brandon, No. CV 25-54-M-DWM, ECF 14 (CourtListener RECAP)
- Golden Bear Insurance Co. v. SBD Enterprises, Inc., No. CV 25-73-BLG-DWM, ECF 14 (CourtListener RECAP)
- Horse Butte Ranch, LLC v. CNH Industrial America LLC, No. CV 25-66-BLG-DWM, ECF 21 (CourtListener RECAP)
- Comparison: Ailes v. Klemann, No. CV 26-14-M-KLD, ECF 4 (Magistrate Judge DeSoto; CourtListener RECAP)