Federal Judge Considers Sanctions Against Law Firm
A federal judge is considering sanctions against a prominent law firm hired to defend Alabama’s prison system after discovering that two court filings contained false case citations generated by ChatGPT. U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco held a hearing in Birmingham to question attorneys from the Butler Snow firm about the filings, which included five fabricated citations.
During the hearing, Butler Snow lawyers apologized repeatedly for the mistake, explaining that a firm partner, Matt Reeves, used ChatGPT to research supporting case law without verifying the information before adding it to the filings. The AI system had generated “hallucinations” – incorrect citations that were then included in the court documents. Four attorneys, including Reeves, signed the filings.
The firm acknowledged that their actions were “against good judgment and firm policy” and admitted there’s no excuse for using ChatGPT to obtain legal authority without verifying the sources it provided. Reeves took full responsibility for the false citations, asking the judge not to punish his colleagues. The incident has raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in legal research and the importance of verifying information.
Alabama has paid the Butler Snow firm millions of dollars to defend the state prison system in various lawsuits, including a Department of Justice lawsuit alleging violent and cruel conditions for male inmates. The specific filings in question were made in a lawsuit filed by an inmate who was stabbed multiple times at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility.
Judge Manasco expressed her concerns about the broader implications of using AI in legal filings, noting national warnings from courts about the potential for inaccuracies. She has given the firm 10 days to file a brief with the court and is considering various sanctions, including potential fines.
