Colorado Makes AI Competence Explicit in Lawyer Conduct Rules

Colorado became the first US jurisdiction to adopt AI-specific amendments to its lawyer ethics rules, effective 8 January 2026. The amendments add a new Scope section and Rule 1.1 comments making clear that technology, including AI, does not reduce a lawyer's duties of competence, confidentiality, candor, supervision, communication, fee reasonableness, or independent judgment. The practical signal for firms is that AI governance can no longer live only in innovation or IT. Approved-tool policies, citation verification, billing controls, confidentiality review, and supervision protocols are now squarely professional-conduct issues.