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Sanctions watch

Every incident where a lawyer got caught filing AI-fabricated citations. The Hall of Shame.

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858
Incidents tracked
265
Incidents in 2026
$2,417,608
In fines, where reported
214 of 858 report an amount

The curve

Incidents per month

Last 18 months of published incidents, by the date of the court's order.

Apr 2025 Sep 2026

Charting 450 of 858 incidents; the rest are undated or fall outside this window.

Blamed by name

ChatGPT 151 Claude 9 CoCounsel 8 Copilot 8 Gemini 8 Lexis+ AI 6 AI-assisted legal software 4 Westlaw Precision 4 ChatGPT-4o 2 ChatOn 2 Eve 2 Google AI 2 LEAP 2 Perplexity AI 2 AI Overviews 1 Archie 1 Centient AI 1 ChatGPT-4 1 ClearBrief 1 CoCounsel, Westlaw Precision, Google Gem 1 Descrybe.ai 1 First Drafts 1 GPT-3.5 1 Ghostwriter Legal 1 Google Scholar 1 Grammarly 1 Grok 1 Irys 1 Legal Genius 1 LegalAI 1 MX2.law 1 OpenCase 1 Strongsuit 1 vLex Fastcase 1

Counts only incidents where the filing court or the reporting named the tool.

Hall of Shame

All Fined 251 Caught, not sanctioned 199 Warned 125 Referred to the bar 101 Reprimanded 86 Outcome unclear 56 Filing dismissed 37 Suspension 2 Upcoming sanction 1
Caught, not sanctioned ChatGPT-4o
A Stanford professor relied on ChatGPT-4o to draft his declaration, which cited two nonexistent sources and misattributed an author's name, and the court struck it.
Minnesota state challenge · MN
legalnursepdx.com ↗
The file →
  • A Stanford professor on the state's side in the Minnesota challenge was involved.
  • He used ChatGPT-4o to help draft a declaration with two nonexistent sources and a misattributed name.
  • The court struck the declaration after plaintiffs sought exclusion.
  • Minnesota state court in a challenge to the state deepfakes law.
  • The page says the state sought a do-over citing excusable neglect.
Caught, not sanctioned Grammarly
An attorney withdrew after filing an opposition brief alleged to contain non-existent caselaw, fake quotations, and incorrect legal assertions.
Smith v. Athena Construction Group, Inc.
hlc.com ↗
The file →
  • Smith v. Athena Construction Group, Inc.; an attorney representing a relator
  • Opposition brief allegedly contained non-existent caselaw, fake quotations, and incorrect legal assertions
  • The attorney withdrew; no court sanction is stated on the page
  • Federal FCA matter; court not named on the page
  • Page says the attorney used Grammarly and Lexis+
Fined $10K ChatGPT
Two law firms faced sanctions after submitting ChatGPT-generated briefs that contained nine fabricated citations out of 27 total authorities.
ChatGPT-generated briefs
proplaintiff.ai ↗
The file →
  • Two law firms were sanctioned for ChatGPT-generated briefs.
  • Their filings contained nine fabricated citations out of 27 authorities.
  • The page says the sanction was a $10,000 wake-up call.
  • The court and judge are not named on the page.
  • The article gives the fabrication count but no citation strings.
Fined
A District of Arizona court sanctioned plaintiff’s counsel after her opening brief contained fabricated, misleading, or unsupported citations likely caused by AI hallucinations.
Plaintiff’s opening brief sanction order (District of Arizona) · District of Arizona · AZ
“… well over the majority of the citations provided to this court in plaintiff’s opening brief were fabricated, misleading or unsupported.”
kahanafeld.com ↗
The file →
  • District of Arizona order involving plaintiff’s counsel
  • Opening brief contained fabricated, misleading, or unsupported citations
  • Court imposed severe sanctions, including apology letters and pro hac vice revocation
  • Federal court in Arizona
  • September 10, 2025 article; court said most citations were fabricated or unsupported
Fined $2K
Judge Dena M. Coggins sanctioned attorney Sepideh Ardestani for a filing with numerous nonexistent and erroneous AI-generated citations.
Sepideh Ardestani · Sepideh Ardestani · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California · CA
“"submission of a motion with numerous nonexistent and erroneous citations, coupled with her repeated failure to be forthcoming with the court, constitutes conduct that is 'akin to contempt of court,'"”
news.bloomberglaw.com ↗
The file →
  • Sepideh Ardestani was sanctioned in the Eastern District of California.
  • She allegedly used artificial intelligence to generate more than a dozen fictitious case citations in a filing.
  • The court imposed a $1,500 sanction.
  • The case was in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
  • Judge Dena M. Coggins issued the order; the article says it was docketed Tuesday.
Referred to the bar $10K
A California state appellate panel sanctioned a Pacific Palisades lawyer and reported him to the bar for AI-generated fake quotes in his opening and reply briefs.
In re Pacific Palisades lawyer · Pacific Palisades lawyer · California Second District Court of Appeal · CA
“In an apparent first, a California state appellate panel has sanctioned a Pacific Palisades lawyer and reported him to the bar for submitting AI-generated fabrications in his opening and reply briefs.”
law.com ↗
The file →
  • Pacific Palisades lawyer sanctioned in the Second District Court of Appeal.
  • He submitted AI-generated fabrications in his opening and reply briefs.
  • The court imposed a $10,000 sanction and reported him to the bar.
  • California Second District Court of Appeal, California.
  • Article dated Sept. 15, 2025; the page says this was an apparent first.
Caught, not sanctioned
The page says a Queensland case involved AI-fabricated citations in materials filed on the applicant's behalf, but it is unclear whether the applicant was represented.
QWYN and Commissioner of Taxation (Taxation and business) · Administrative Review Tribunal
qlsproctor.com.au ↗
The file →
  • QWYN and Commissioner of Taxation (Taxation and business); an unclear Queensland matter.
  • Materials filed on the applicant's behalf reportedly contained AI-fabricated citations.
  • The page does not state a sanction order for this matter.
  • Administrative Review Tribunal; Queensland.
  • The article says it is not clear whether the applicant was represented.
Referred to the bar AI-assisted legal software
Mr Dayal filed a list and summary of authorities containing entirely fabricated AI-generated case citations, and the regulator imposed practice restrictions.
Dayal · Mr Dayal · Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
qlsproctor.com.au ↗
The file →
  • Dayal; Mr Dayal, a Victorian solicitor,
  • He submitted a list and summary of authorities with entirely fabricated case citations generated by AI-based legal software.
  • The Victorian Legal Services Board imposed comprehensive practice restrictions and supervised practice requirements.
  • Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia; Victoria.
  • The page says this was the first Australian case in which referral to a regulator had been concluded.
Caught, not sanctioned ChatGPT
Two lawyers filed a ChatGPT-generated brief with fabricated court opinions and quotes, and a judge sanctioned them.
Two lawyers sanctioned in 2023
miamidadebar.org ↗
The file →
  • Two lawyers were sanctioned in 2023.
  • They filed a brief generated by ChatGPT with fabricated court opinions and quotes.
  • The page says a judge sanctioned them, but gives no amount.
  • No court, judge, or location is identified on the page.
  • The page cites ChatGPT and warns it can ‘hallucinate’ and be wholly inaccurate.

Showing 121–130 of 858.

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