S.D. Iowa: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa: Artificial Intelligence…
Published by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa · U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
Verified September 28, 2026
- Citation
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance and FAQs
- Order date
- June 9, 2026
Status and scope
No AI-specific filing obligation: in force, but it imposes no disclosure, verification, or use restriction on attorney filings beyond existing rules. It provides: 'Parties are personally responsible for verifying the accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness of their filings', including 'the use of AI generative content.'
What the instrument provides
- 'Parties are personally responsible for verifying the accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness of their filings', including 'the use of AI generative content.'
- 'The failure to review and verify accuracy may result in sanctions under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Those sanctions could include a monetary penalty, or if appropriate, dismissal of your lawsuit.'
- 'At this time, it is not prohibited for litigants to use AI to assist them in their legal proceedings. However, the Court encourages litigants to use AI with extreme caution.'
- 'All litigants are personally responsible for verifying the accuracy of the AI generated material, including quotations, citations, paraphrased assertions, and legal analysis, before submitting it to the Court.'
- 'The Southern District of Iowa does not currently require disclosure regarding the use of AI in court filings. However, the Court could require disclosure via a Court Order should the use of AI become a problem in a specific case.'
Practice areas: federal civil
What the guidance says
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa publishes a page of guidance and FAQs on artificial intelligence. It opens with a caution: “Parties are strongly encouraged to use caution when using artificial intelligence (AI). The use of AI in litigation carries significant risks.” It then states the duty that applies: “Parties are personally responsible for verifying the accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness of their filings”, including “the use of AI generative content”, and “the failure to review and verify accuracy may result in sanctions under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Those sanctions could include a monetary penalty, or if appropriate, dismissal of your lawsuit.”
The FAQs answer three questions:
- Can AI be used? “At this time, it is not prohibited for litigants to use AI to assist them in their legal proceedings,” though the court “encourages litigants to use AI with extreme caution.” Litigants must verify “quotations, citations, paraphrased assertions, and legal analysis” before submitting AI-generated material.
- Must AI use be disclosed? “The Southern District of Iowa does not currently require disclosure regarding the use of AI in court filings. However, the Court could require disclosure via a Court Order should the use of AI become a problem in a specific case.”
- Can a nonlawyer represent someone? No: “Nonlawyers are strictly prohibited from the practice of law and representing others in federal court.”
How the tracker treats it
The page is listed as advisory. It restates Rule 11 and adds no disclosure or certification step. Its practical signal is the stated possibility of a case-specific disclosure order.