Louisiana

informal

Summary

Louisiana has no formal LSBA AI ethics opinion but produced the most consequential AI evidence legislation in the country (Act 250, effective August 2025) and two sanctions cases (Fifth Circuit Fletcher v. Experian, February 2026; E.D. La. Walker matter, February 2026) binding Louisiana practitioners. A Supreme Court General Counsel letter (January 2024) confirmed existing rules are sufficient, and LSBA Opinion 19-RPCC-021 (2019) on technology due diligence applies directly to AI vendor selection.

Applicable ABA Model Rules

Rule 1.1
Rule 1.6
Rule 3.3
Rule 5.1
Rule 5.3

Carrier Implications

LSBA endorsed malpractice carrier changed to Old Republic Lawyers Specialty Insurance (ORLSI) effective January 2026. Act 250 creates a specific statutory standard against which attorney conduct can be measured in malpractice claims involving AI-generated evidence.

This summary is informational only. Verify the primary source before relying on this entry. Bar rules differ meaningfully by state. Consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Louisiana has no formal bar ethics opinion specifically on AI but has produced the most consequential AI evidence legislation in the country. Act 250 (effective August 1, 2025) amends La. Code Civ. Proc. Article 371 to impose a statutory verification duty for AI-generated evidence in all civil proceedings, with self-disclosure obligations, a pretrial challenge mechanism, and contempt exposure for counsel who knew or should have known evidence was falsified or AI-manipulated.

The Louisiana Supreme Court General Counsel confirmed in a January 2024 letter to the LSBA that existing professional rules are sufficient for AI. LSBA Public Opinion 19-RPCC-021 (2019) on technology competence applies directly to AI vendor diligence. Two sanctions cases now bind Louisiana practitioners: Fletcher v. Experian (5th Cir. February 2026, $2,500 sanction against attorney Heather Hersh) and the Walker matter (E.D. La. February 2026, Judge Brandon Long, $1,000 fine plus mandatory CLE). Louisiana’s civil law jurisdiction also amplifies AI hallucination risk because tools trained on common law will frequently misanalyze Civil Code questions.

Bottom line for a 5-50 attorney Louisiana firm: Act 250 creates a statutory verification duty for AI-generated evidence in all civil proceedings with contempt exposure for non-compliance. The Walker sanctions case ($1,000 fine + mandatory CLE, E.D. La. February 2026) establishes the enforcement baseline for AI-hallucinated citations.

Last verified: April 24, 2026