Month: May 2026

AI Sanctions Wave – Part 5: The Labeling Problem Courts are sanctioning lawyers for AI-generated fake citations. But how do courts know when lawyers have used AI? What counts as “AI use” requiring disclosure? The answers are less clear than the penalties. — As courts impose sanctions for AI-generated fake citations, a practical enforcement challenge…

AI Sanctions Wave – Part 4: The Judicial AI Paradox Courts are sanctioning lawyers for AI-generated fake citations. Meanwhile, 61.6% of federal judges report using AI themselves—for the same functions. — In March 2026, as courts imposed $145,000 in sanctions on lawyers for filing AI-generated fake citations, a Northwestern University study published in the Sedona…

AI Sanctions Wave – Part 3: The Sixth Circuit Line “No filing should contain citations…that a lawyer has not personally read and verified.” This tool-agnostic principle changed federal appellate sanctions. — On March 13, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a sanctions order that reverberated beyond its own jurisdiction….

AI Sanctions Wave – Part 2: Oregon’s Arithmetic One state has turned vague judicial deterrence into calculable risk. Now other jurisdictions are asking whether to follow Oregon’s formula. — When Gabriel A. Watson appeared before the Oregon Court of Appeals in December 2025, the court did something unusual: instead of issuing a vague sanction based…

AI Sanctions Wave – Part 1: The $145,000 Quarter When lawyers started asking ChatGPT to write their briefs, courts sent them home with warnings. Three years later, judges have lost patience. — In the first three months of 2026, U.S. courts imposed at least $145,000 in sanctions for lawyers who filed documents containing AI-generated fake…