AI Misstep in Legal Briefing: Butler Snow Faces Judge’s Scrutiny for Fabricated Citations
On May 16 in Birmingham, Alabama, Butler Snow faced an order from a federal judge after the firm allegedly submitted court documents containing fabricated legal citations. The judge noted unsuccessful attempts to locate the claimed citations, raising significant concerns about the integrity of the firm’s legal research. Butler Snow, which represents a state official in a case involving a prison inmate who suffered multiple stab wounds, admitted to using generative artificial intelligence (AI) without proper citation verification. According to the firm, an attorney used AI tools, specifically ChatGPT, to enhance two motions, citing convenience as … Read more