Connecticut lawyer sanctioned after ChatGPT inserted false case citations in briefs
Attorney Gottlieb was disciplined by the Connecticut Supreme Court after ChatGPT altered case citations in his legal briefs, creating inaccurate references.
The Connecticut Supreme Court found that attorney Gottlieb, after conducting legal research with LexisNexis and confirming citations via Shepard's, copied his draft briefs into ChatGPT to improve organization. The generative AI introduced new or modified case citations, resulting in inaccurate references in the filings. Amici curiae from the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization alerted the court, prompting Gottlieb to submit errata sheets and acknowledge the mistake.
The court issued a sua sponte order requiring Gottlieb to complete twelve hours of mandatory CLE, six additional hours on ethics and AI, donate $1,000 to the CT Bar Institute, and file a compliance report, while noting no further disciplinary referral. Gottlieb and his firm expressed deep regret for the errors. The case highlights the necessity of rigorous citation verification after AI-assisted editing.
Why it matters
It shows how AI can unintentionally corrupt legal documents, prompting new oversight and training requirements.
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