AI hallucinations lead judges to scold Severna Park lawyers

Two managing partners at the Severna Park law firm Quinn Patton were reprimanded by U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher in Maryland after filing at least five legal briefs containing AI-generated fake case citations. The errors, described as 'hallucinations,' included fabricated quotes and nonexistent legal authorities, prompting Gallagher to order explanations in March. Donald Quinn and Katherine Patton confirmed the firm had used a closed AI editing system to refine legal briefs, despite claims that attorneys manually drafted their own work. The tool, intended to use only cases researched on Westlaw, allegedly converted standard citations into false quotes. The firm stopped using the AI after discovering the errors. This incident follows a prior warning from U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C., who threatened sanctions against Quinn Patton for similar AI-related citation mistakes. The cases involved three filings presided over by Gallagher, raising concerns about the reliability of generative AI tools in legal proceedings. While courts do not outright ban AI-assisted filings, judges increasingly face challenges verifying citations and often issue threats of sanctions when fraudulent content is detected. The issue extends beyond Quinn Patton, as self-represented litigants have also submitted AI-generated filings deemed 'frivolous' by Maryland judges. Legal experts warn the problem will worsen unless courts impose stricter consequences. James Rubinowitz, a New York attorney and AI-in-courts lecturer, argued that without penalties, attorneys have no incentive to slow down or verify AI-generated content. The case highlights broader tensions between efficiency and accuracy in the justice system as AI tools become more prevalent in legal practices.