Story perspectives

Attorneys Sanctioned for Submitting AI-Fabricated Legal Citations

10/17/2025

Summary

Story summary

New York attorney Michael Fourte submitted court filings containing AI-generated fabricated citations.
He admitted using unvetted AI despite denying it earlier, shifting blame to his staff.
Judge Joel Cohen sanctioned Michael Fourte for these errors.
UK barrister Chowdhury Rahman cited fictitious asylum cases for two Honduran sisters.
Judge Mark Blundell found Rahman's submissions misleading and considered reporting him to the Bar Standards Board.

History

Historical Context

The American Bar Association issued guidelines in 2016 emphasizing the ethical use of technology in legal practice, amid rising concerns over AI reliability. Notably, attorney Michael Fourte faced backlash for submitting AI-generated citations without verification, while UK barrister Chowdhury Rahman was scrutinized for misleading asylum case submissions. These incidents underscore the need for stricter regulations in the legal profession regarding technology use.

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Story summary

New York attorney Michael Fourte submitted court filings containing AI-generated fabricated citations.
He admitted using unvetted AI despite denying it earlier, shifting blame to his staff.
Judge Joel Cohen sanctioned Michael Fourte for these errors.
UK barrister Chowdhury Rahman cited fictitious asylum cases for two Honduran sisters.
Judge Mark Blundell found Rahman's submissions misleading and considered reporting him to the Bar Standards Board.

1 / 2