Ninth Circuit Turns Hallucinated Citations Into a Discipline Warning

The Ninth Circuit suspended two lawyers from practice before the court for six months after filings contained nonexistent cases, misattributed quotations, and inaccurate representations linked to generative AI use. The order warned lawyers to read everything cited, disclose hallucinations quickly and transparently, and avoid portraying AI errors as typographical mistakes. For US firms, the decision is a blueprint for what courts will expect after an AI failure: prompt disclosure, source verification, attorney-level review, and candor. The court also imposed future filing statements under penalty of perjury about whether generative AI was used and whether citations were personally checked.