Tenth Circuit proposes human-review certification for AI-assisted filings

On September 18, Reuters reported that the Tenth Circuit proposed requiring lawyers and self-represented litigants to certify that a human reviewed AI-assisted filings and independently verified authorities, quotations, citations, legal analysis and compliance obligations. Comments are due October 18, a final decision is planned for December 1 and the rule would take effect January 1, 2027, if adopted across the six-state circuit. Mid-sized firms should translate that standard into documented drafting controls that record source retrieval, reviewer identity and final approval rather than relying on a general AI policy. The proposal also raises vendor-selection stakes: products that cannot preserve cited sources and review history may create more compliance work than they remove.