M.D. Pa.: Standing Order on Use of Generative AI (Magistrate Judge Leo A. Latella, M.D. P…
Magistrate Judge Leo A. Latella · U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Verified September 30, 2026
- Citation
- Standing Order on Use of Generative AI (Magistrate Judge Leo A. Latella, M.D. Pa.)
- Order date
- June 10, 2025
Summary
Any party, whether appearing pro se or through counsel, who utilizes any generative AI tool in the preparation of any document to be filed in any matter pending before Judge Latella must include with the document a Certificate of Use of Generative AI.
What does the order require?
- Any party, whether appearing pro se or through counsel, who utilizes any generative AI tool in the preparation of any document to be filed in any matter pending before Judge Latella must include with the document a Certificate of Use of Generative AI.
- The certificate must disclose the specific AI tool that was used.
- The certificate must disclose the portions of the filing prepared by the AI program.
- The certificate must certify that a person has checked the accuracy of any portion of the document generated by AI, including all citations and legal authority.
- Failure to comply with this Order may result in sanctions.
- '[A]ll parties and counsel are directed to review the conclusions on pages 15 and 16 of the Joint Formal Opinion of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Philadelphia Bar Association regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence and be mindful of their ethical and professional obligations before this Court.'
- The linked opinion is the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Philadelphia Bar Association Joint Formal Opinion 2024-200.
Practice areas: federal civil
What the order requires
Magistrate Judge Latella’s standing order applies the M.D. Pa. shared “Certificate of Use of Generative AI” template (also used by Judge Mehalchick, and formerly by Magistrate Judge Caraballo) to any document filed in any matter pending before him. The certificate must disclose the specific AI tool, the AI-drafted portions, and certify human review for accuracy including citations and legal authority. The order also directs “all parties and counsel” to review the conclusions on pages 15 and 16 of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Philadelphia Bar Association Joint Formal Opinion on artificial intelligence (Joint Formal Opinion 2024-200).
M.D. Pa. chambers cluster
Three M.D. Pa. judges (Latella, Caraballo, Mehalchick) adopted the same operative template, with the same “Certificate of Use of Generative AI” requirement and the same sanctions backstop. Magistrate Judge Caraballo has since replaced the certificate with a caution to verify AI-prepared facts and citations; see Caraballo. See also Mehalchick.
Quotable line
“Failure to comply with this Order may result in sanctions.”