Texas (21st and 335th Judicial Districts: Burleson, Lee, and Washington Counties): Standi…
Judge Carson Campbell (21st District) and Judge John D. Winkelmann (335th District) · 21st and 335th Judicial District Courts of Burleson, Lee, and Washington County, Texas
Verified May 7, 2026
- Citation
- Standing Order Regarding Use of Artificial Intelligence (21st and 335th Judicial District Courts of Burleson, Lee, and Washington Counties)
- Order date
- March 19, 2025
Summary
All attorneys and self-represented litigants who utilize any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting must, before using any AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the attached form certifying compliance.
What does the order require?
- All attorneys and self-represented litigants who utilize any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting must, before using any AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the attached form certifying compliance.
- The certification covers all language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments, and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI; these must be verified as accurate through traditional (non-AI) legal sources by an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Texas before submission.
- The certification states that the signer understands they are and will be held responsible and potentially sanctioned for their or their co-counsel's failure to comply.
- Failure to comply may result in sanctions under inherent court authority.
Practice areas: state civil
What the order requires
The 21st and 335th Judicial District Courts of Burleson, Lee, and Washington Counties signed this joint standing order on March 19, 2025 (filed March 26, 2025). It applies to all causes filed in the District Clerk’s Office in Burleson County, Lee County, or Washington County, Texas.
Before using any AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, attorneys and self-represented litigants must sign and submit the attached certification form. The certification confirms two things:
- All language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments, and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI were verified as accurate through traditional (non-AI) legal sources by a Texas-licensed attorney before submission.
- The signer understands they are and will be held responsible, and potentially sanctioned, for their or their co-counsel’s failure to comply.
The order recites that courts have inherent power to sanction parties for violations and may direct a court participant to show cause why their conduct has not violated a rule or order.
Scope
The order binds attorneys and self-represented litigants in cases filed in three Texas counties: Burleson, Lee, and Washington. The 21st and 335th Judicial District Courts share these counties, so a single joint order covers both courts.
Practitioner workflow
Brief templates for matters in any of these three counties should include the certification form when AI was used in legal research or drafting. The certification is filed once before any AI-generated information is submitted, not per pleading. Notably, the certification requires verification by a Texas-licensed attorney specifically; pro se litigants do not satisfy the verification step on their own (although the order separately requires their certification).
Primary source
Standing order PDF: https://www.co.burleson.tx.us/page/open/1460/0/Order%20on%20AI.pdf