'Worst Example of Misconduct': Court Affirms Sanctions for Erroneous AI Cites

A California appellate panel upheld $6,000 in sanctions against a law firm for submitting a brief containing fictitious case citations generated by AI, which a trial judge described as the worst misconduct he had ever seen on the bench.

A state appellate panel has upheld $6,000 in sanctions against a Southern California law firm’s attorneys for submitting a brief marred by generative artificial intelligence mistakes in what a trial judge called “the worst example of misconduct by a lawyer that I think I’ve ever seen since I’ve been on the bench.” KEY CONTENT Legaltech News Reporting, and expert analysis of legal technology with a focus onwhat legal departments, law firms, and tech companies need to know