Lawyers Generate Fake Case Citations With LLMs

NPR reports on April 5, 2026, that lawyers are increasingly using large language models to draft filings, producing fabricated case citations and prompting disciplinary action. A HEC Paris researcher’s tally shows about 1,200 incidents worldwide—800 in US courts—with monetary penalties exceeding $100,000 and some courts requiring upfront AI-use disclosure. The trend raises legal risk for clients and is driving stricter court sanctions.