Attorneys – Artificial intelligence – Citations
Attorneys – Artificial intelligence – Citations
https://masslawyersweekly.com/2026/01/27/attorneys-artificial-intelligence-citations/
Publish Date: 2026-01-27 18:01:00
Source Domain: masslawyersweekly.com
- On September 10, 2025, the U.S. District Court issued a show-cause order to attorney Roger A. Peace due to apparent AI-generated citations of nonexistent authority in the plaintiff’s submissions.
- The attorney responded, claiming the errors resulted from a version control mistake and a clerical error but did not clarify the role of AI or details about the clerical mistake.
- The Court emphasized the submission of false authority—whether by AI or not—violates professional conduct rules, including an attorney’s duty of candor.
- Given the dismissal of the case for lack of jurisdiction and failure to state a claim, the Court decided to refer the matter to the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers for potential disciplinary actions.
- The opinion highlights the implications of using AI in legal work and the importance of adhering to professional conduct rules.
