FailedResearch digests
AI-assisted legal research dropped straight into court filings
Tools: ChatGPT
Setup, access, approval gate, failure notes
- Setup / prompt
- Attorney used a chatbot to find supporting case law for motions.
- Access required
- None; output pasted into filings
- HITL checkpoint
- Required cite-check skipped
- Outcome & failure notes
- Five fabricated citations led a federal judge to reprimand and disqualify three Butler Snow attorneys and refer them to the bar. One of many 2025 sanctions. Any agent-generated citation must be opened and read before use.
- Evidence type
- Court order + legal press
Source: ABA Journal · 2025-07 · Checked 2026-10-19