Watch These Judges Rip Into Lawyers For Citing Cases That Don't Exist
Summary
On May 20, 2026, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, Justices Valerie Brathwaite Nelson and Hector LaSalle publicly reprimanded attorney Michael Sanders for submitting a brief containing at least three fictitious cases and misrepresenting the law in ten others. This incident, captured on a live stream, occurred during an appeal hearing for Judith Landberg's lawsuit against New York City. The judges also criticized opposing counsel, Ross Friscia and Elizabeth Freedman, for failing to identify these fabrications, emphasizing the professional responsibility of all attorneys to verify legal citations. While generative AI was not explicitly named, the context strongly suggests its involvement, reflecting a growing issue of AI-fabricated legal content. Sanders and his firm were ordered to show cause for sanctions, and Landberg's case was subsequently dismissed.
Key takeaway
For legal professionals drafting or reviewing court filings, you must implement rigorous verification protocols for all citations, especially when using generative AI tools. Your professional conduct rules, specifically Rule 3.3 A, mandate accuracy and prohibit false statements of law. Failing to identify and correct fabricated legal references can lead to severe sanctions, including case dismissal and disciplinary action. You also bear responsibility for flagging opposing counsel's misrepresentations to the court.
Key insights
Attorneys face severe consequences for submitting AI-fabricated legal citations, underscoring critical professional conduct violations.
Principles
- Lawyers must not knowingly make false statements of fact or law to a tribunal.
- All officers of the court share responsibility for verifying legal citations.
- Trust in the bar is fundamental to the judicial process.
In practice
- Verify all citations, even those for general principles of law.
- Alert the court immediately upon discovering misrepresentations.
- Conduct thorough due diligence on all submitted legal documents.
Topics
- Legal Ethics
- AI Hallucinations
- Professional Responsibility
- Court Sanctions
- Generative AI
- Legal Technology
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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by 404media Feed.