NYSBA Part 161 AI Rule: What It Means for New York Attorneys
The New York State Bar Association published guidance this week on Part 161, "Use of Artificial Intelligence," analyzing what the rule means for attorneys using AI in practice. While the full text of the final rule is under review, the NYSBA guidance addresses competence obligations, supervision of AI output, confidentiality in AI tool selection, and disclosure obligations to clients and courts. N
BY FRONTIER DESK · JULY 1, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
The New York State Bar Association published guidance this week on Part 161, "Use of Artificial Intelligence," analyzing what the rule means for attorneys using AI in practice. While the full text of the final rule is under review, the NYSBA guidance addresses competence obligations, supervision of AI output, confidentiality in AI tool selection, and disclosure obligations to clients and courts. New York is one of the highest-volume legal markets in the world, and its AI professional responsibility framework will carry significant weight as a model for other state bars. For firms with New York practices, the Part 161 guidance is now a compliance document, not commentary — it defines the professional conduct baseline for AI use across transactional, litigation, and advisory work.