In a landmark case concerning the professional use of artificial intelligence-enabled tools in the US, a decision has been made that will resonate widely in the legal world. Three attorneys from the Butler Snow law firm, representing the state of Alabama in cases related to the prison system, were disbarred by the court for using ChatGPT to add unverified information to the case file.

Lawyers using ChatGPT disbarred from the case

A federal court found that the inclusion of false quotations and inaccurate information in documents prepared by attorneys William Lunsford, Matthew Reeves, and William Cranford constituted serious professional negligence.

According to publicly available details of the decision, the attorneys admitted to using ChatGPT to find precedent and court precedents. However, it was revealed that they failed to verify this information before adding it to the case file.

The court found that the content of the submitted documents was not based on any actual case records. Consequently, the three attorneys were not only disbarred from the case but also required to notify all parties affected by this disregard.

The court required this sanctions decision to be communicated to clients, opposing attorneys, and judges involved in other ongoing cases. Additionally, a copy of the decision was sent to the Alabama State Bar Association to initiate potential disciplinary proceedings.

Butler Snow is known as a high-profile law firm that has long played an active role in critical cases in Alabama’s legal proceedings. In the last five years alone, the team led by Lunsford has received over $40 million in payments from the state.

However, this incident caused serious damage to the firm’s reputation and credibility. The court described the attorneys’ conduct as “extremely reckless,” noting that the incident was not only an error but also a clear breach of professional responsibilities.

This development serves as a stark warning of the potential consequences of using artificial intelligence tools without due diligence, especially in sensitive professions like law.