McLennan County, Texas (District Courts, civil and family cases): McLennan County Distric…
Judges Susan Kelly (54th), Thomas West (19th), Peter Rusek (74th), Gina Long (170th), Ryan Luna (414th) and Alan Bennett (474th) · District Courts of McLennan County, Texas
Verified October 1, 2026
- Citation
- McLennan County District Courts Local Rule 1.21 (Use of Technology by Lawyers and Self-Represented Litigants)
- Order date
- June 1, 2026
Summary
A lawyer who uses AI systems 'is cautioned that certain AI systems may produce factually or legally inaccurate content'; 'If a lawyer chooses to employ AI systems in representing a client, the lawyer continues to be bound by the requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13, and all other applicable standards of practice and must review and verify any computer-generated content to ensure that it complies with all such standards.'
What does the order require?
- A lawyer who uses AI systems 'is cautioned that certain AI systems may produce factually or legally inaccurate content'; 'If a lawyer chooses to employ AI systems in representing a client, the lawyer continues to be bound by the requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13, and all other applicable standards of practice and must review and verify any computer-generated content to ensure that it complies with all such standards.'
- 'SRLs remain responsible for the accuracy and quality of legal documents produced with the assistance of AI systems'; a self-represented litigant who uses AI 'continues to be bound by the requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13 and must review and verify any computer-generated content to ensure that it complies with all such standards.'
- 'All SRLs and attorneys who utilize any form of artificial intelligence for legal research, drafting, or analysis in connection with a case before this Court are subject to imposition of sanctions as allowed by law for failure to comply with this Local Rule.'
Practice areas: state civil, state family
What the rule requires
Rule 1.21 of the Local Rules for the District Courts in McLennan County (effective June 1, 2026), “Use of Technology by Lawyers and Self-Represented Litigants,” addresses AI systems such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Bing AI Chat.
For lawyers, it cautions that “certain AI systems may produce factually or legally inaccurate content,” and provides: “If a lawyer chooses to employ AI systems in representing a client, the lawyer continues to be bound by the requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13, and all other applicable standards of practice and must review and verify any computer-generated content to ensure that it complies with all such standards.”
For self-represented litigants, it provides that they “remain responsible for the accuracy and quality of legal documents produced with the assistance of AI systems,” and that a self-represented litigant who uses AI “continues to be bound by the requirements of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 13 and must review and verify any computer-generated content to ensure that it complies with all such standards.”
It closes: “All SRLs and attorneys who utilize any form of artificial intelligence for legal research, drafting, or analysis in connection with a case before this Court are subject to imposition of sanctions as allowed by law for failure to comply with this Local Rule.”
The rule requires no disclosure or certification of AI use.
Scope and posting
Rule 1.21 is part of Rule 1, “Civil Cases,” which Rule 2.01 applies to family law cases. The rules are signed by the judges of the 54th, 19th, 74th, 170th, 414th and 474th District Courts. Under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 3a(c), “To be effective, local rules, forms, and standing orders must be published on the Office of Court Administration’s website.” The OCA local-rules portal lists the rules as posted May 29, 2026.