You review and sign.
Second Seat helps you verify.
Part 161 permits attorneys to use AI in preparing court filings — but places the duty of verification, and the certification, squarely on the attorney. Second Seat is a verification tool built to support that independent review. It does not make you compliant, and it does not provide legal advice.
What the rule requires
On June 1, 2026, the New York State Unified Court System adopted Part 161 (22 NYCRR Part 161), a model rule governing the use of artificial intelligence in matters before the courts. In broad terms, the rule:
- Permits attorneys and parties to use AI tools when preparing briefs, affidavits, pleadings, and other papers, and does not by itself require disclosure of that use.
- Requires any attorney or party who uses an AI tool in preparing a paper filed with, submitted to, or served in a matter to carefully review that paper and independently ensure it contains no fabricated or fictitious cases, statutes, or other material.
- Is grounded in existing obligations — including 22 NYCRR § 130-1.1 and Rule 3.3 of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct — that prohibit false material statements and frivolous arguments to a court.
- Applies statewide as a model rule, while individual judges retain discretion over their own part rules.
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice or a complete statement of the rule. Read the official rule text and the New York State Bar Association summary for authoritative detail, and consult your own professional judgment.
Where Second Seat fits — and where it stops
The rule asks you to do something specific: review each AI-assisted filing and independently confirm nothing is fabricated. Second Seat is built to make that review faster and better informed — never to perform it for you.
What Second Seat does
- Surfaces every citation in your draft or pasted document.
- Checks each one against authoritative sources across all 50 states and the federal system.
- Flags citations it cannot confirm so nothing unverified passes unnoticed.
- Gives you the information to complete your own independent review.
What Second Seat does not do
- It does not make you, your filing, or your firm compliant with Part 161 or any other rule.
- It does not certify a filing, sign for you, or replace your review.
- It does not provide legal advice or create an attorney–client relationship.
- Its results may be incomplete or in error and must be independently confirmed.
Under Part 161, the certification comes from you. Second Seat supports your review; your judgment and signature remain the certification the rule requires.
Important disclaimer
Second Seat is a citation-verification tool for licensed legal professionals. It supports — and does not replace — the attorney's independent review and professional judgment. Second Seat does not provide legal advice, does not create an attorney–client relationship, and does not make any filing or attorney compliant with any law or court rule, including 22 NYCRR Part 161. Under Part 161, the attorney or party who uses an AI tool must independently review each filing and ensure it contains no fabricated or fictitious material; that review, and the attorney's signature, are the certification the rule requires. Verification results may be incomplete or in error and must be independently confirmed. This page is a general summary, not legal advice. For authoritative detail, consult the official rule and the NYSBA summary.