Lawyers Sanctioned for Submitting ChatGPT-Written Brief with False Citations
In Brief
U.S. District Judge fines lawyers Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca $5,000 for submitting a legal brief generated by ChatGPT that included false court opinions and illegitimate quotes.
Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, the law firm representing the attorneys, respectfully disagrees with the court’s assessment and claims they made a good faith mistake.
In a New York federal court ruling, Judge P. Kevin Castel sanctioned two lawyers for submitting a legal brief written by ChatGPT. The brief contained citations referencing court opinions that did not exist and included fabricated quotes. This marks the first sanction stemming from the use of AI in the legal profession.
The U.S. District Judge in Manhattan ruled that attorneys Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca, along with their law firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, must pay a $5,000 fine. Moreover, the judge determined that the lawyers had engaged in deliberate evasion and provided misleading information to the court, demonstrating bad faith. Castel stated that they had neglected their duties by submitting the brief generated by AI in a lawsuit against Avianca Airlines.
In response to the judgment, Levidow, Levidow & Oberman issued a statement on Thursday expressing their respectful disagreement with the court’s assessment.
“We made a good faith mistake in failing to believe that a piece of technology could be making up cases out of whole cloth,”
the law firm stated.
The judge indicated that he might not have sanctioned the attorneys if they had disclosed Schwartz’s use of ChatGPT to create the opposing brief in the Avianca suit.
In May, Schwartz filed an affidavit admitting his use of ChatGPT to supplement his research for the case. He claimed ignorance of the potential falsity of the material he submitted. Screenshots showed his inquiries to the chatbot about the cited cases, which falsely confirmed their authenticity based on reputable legal databases. However, further investigation revealed the chatbot relied on unreliable sources, highlighting the need for fact-checking before sharing information online. During the court proceedings, Schwartz regretted using ChatGPT and promised to verify its authenticity in the future.
In a separate ruling on Thursday, the judge granted Avianca’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit that the attorneys had filed on behalf of Roberto Mata. Mata alleged suffering a severe knee injury during an August 2019 flight from El Salvador to New York when he was struck by a metal service tray.
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About The Author
Agne is a journalist who covers the latest trends and developments in the metaverse, AI, and Web3 industries for the Metaverse Post. Her passion for storytelling has led her to conduct numerous interviews with experts in these fields, always seeking to uncover exciting and engaging stories. Agne holds a Bachelor’s degree in literature and has an extensive background in writing about a wide range of topics including travel, art, and culture. She has also volunteered as an editor for the animal rights organization, where she helped raise awareness about animal welfare issues. Contact her on agnec@mpost.io.
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Agne is a journalist who covers the latest trends and developments in the metaverse, AI, and Web3 industries for the Metaverse Post. Her passion for storytelling has led her to conduct numerous interviews with experts in these fields, always seeking to uncover exciting and engaging stories. Agne holds a Bachelor’s degree in literature and has an extensive background in writing about a wide range of topics including travel, art, and culture. She has also volunteered as an editor for the animal rights organization, where she helped raise awareness about animal welfare issues. Contact her on agnec@mpost.io.
