AI-Generated Filings Rise in Federal Courts

Federal judges and legal experts said they are seeing more AI-generated documents submitted by people representing themselves in court. The documents arrive as neatly formatted complaints accompanied by dozens of additional pages that cite case law and statutes. Court clerks must still read, caption, and docket each page even when the material is later dismissed.

Workload Increase U.S.

District Courts receive roughly 300,000 new lawsuits each year, with another 42,000 filed in the courts of appeal. One third of that total comes from pro se litigants, according to data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. A study by two doctoral candidates found the share of non-prisoner pro se cases rose from 11 percent five years ago to 16.8 percent in 2025.

The same study reported that the share of pro se complaints flagged as likely AI-generated text increased from nearly zero in 2019 to more than 18 percent in 2026. Staff attorney Steven Donohue said the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota recorded a roughly 50 percent rise in non-prisoner filings beginning around March 2025.

Cases now include allegations of false arrest, malicious prosecution, and domestic disputes that were once filed only in state court.

Access and Limits Judge Michael Y. Scudder of the Seventh U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that AI presents promise for expanding access to justice for those without counsel. Some judges are also discussing limited internal uses of AI to help chambers manage volume. A spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said the office is aware of the issue and is gathering information on its effects.

Several courts have issued standing orders warning that use of generative AI may expose filers to penalties. The individual, age 69, continues to prepare additional documents from a coffee shop while living out of a car.