S.D.N.Y.: Individual Rules and Practices in Civil Pro Se Cases, Section C (ChatGPT) (Judg…
Judge Jeannette A. Vargas · U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Verified October 1, 2026
- Citation
- Individual Rules and Practices in Civil Pro Se Cases, Section C (ChatGPT) (Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, S.D.N.Y.)
- Order date
- February 18, 2025
Status and scope
Applies to pro se filers, not to attorney filings, and imposes no obligation on attorneys. It provides: 'The Court is aware that some pro se litigants will use ChatGPT to assist them with court filings.'
What the instrument requires of its addressees
- 'The Court is aware that some pro se litigants will use ChatGPT to assist them with court filings.'
- 'Those considering using ChatGPT should be mindful that while the tool can assist with grammar, clarity, and general writing, it is not a substitute for legal counsel and is not always reliable. ChatGPT has been known to provide fake case law or false information.'
- 'Pro se litigants are strongly encouraged to "check their work" and to verify the information and legal citations that ChatGPT provides.'
- Guidance to pro se litigants only: no disclosure, certification, or verification is required, and no consequence is stated.
Practice areas: federal civil
What the guidance says
Section C of Judge Jeannette A. Vargas’s Individual Rules and Practices in Civil Pro Se Cases (S.D.N.Y., Feb. 18, 2025), dated on her page, is headed “ChatGPT.” It acknowledges that some pro se litigants will use ChatGPT to help with court filings, and cautions that while the tool “can assist with grammar, clarity, and general writing, it is not a substitute for legal counsel and is not always reliable,” noting that “ChatGPT has been known to provide fake case law or false information.”
Pro se litigants are “strongly encouraged to ‘check their work’ and to verify the information and legal citations that ChatGPT provides.” The section imposes no disclosure, certification, or verification duty and states no consequence. It is addressed to pro se litigants, not to attorneys.
Primary source
Individual Rules and Practices in Civil Pro Se Cases (Vargas, J.) (PDF), nysd.uscourts.gov