AI Rules for Vermont Law Firms
Last verified July 8, 2026
Vermont has addressed lawyer AI use primarily through its existing ethics framework rather than a new AI-specific rule, backed by a formal court directive and a judiciary committee report. A separate, newly signed privacy law adds a client advisory angle your firm should be ready for. This page lays out what's actually in force.
Where Vermont Stands
The Vermont Judiciary Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts concluded in its First Annual Report and Guidance that existing ethics rules already govern lawyers' use of AI, rather than recommending a new AI-specific rule. That conclusion is backed by Administrative Directive No. 38, Policy on Artificial Intelligence, issued by the Vermont Supreme Court, which confirms the Rules of Professional Conduct apply fully to AI output.
What Your Firm Must Do
Under Administrative Directive No. 38, any AI-assisted content your firm submits to a Vermont court must be reviewed and confirmed accurate by the lawyer before filing, and your AI use must not expose confidential client information. The judiciary committee's report frames this in terms of two existing rules: document your technology competence under Rule 1.1, and review an AI vendor's terms of service before putting client data into the tool under Rule 1.6.
What's Still Pending
S.71 (Act 145), the Vermont Data Privacy and Online Surveillance Act, was signed June 16, 2026 after an initial veto. It gives consumers opt-out rights including from certain automated profiling. Applicability thresholds take effect before 2028, so your firm should check now whether its own data operations meet those thresholds, and expect client advisory work on the law from businesses that do.
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