AI Hallucinations in Courtrooms Are Causing Legal Errors and Judge Frustration

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming many industries, but its integration into the legal system is revealing significant challenges. One of the most pressing issues is the phenomenon known as AI hallucinations—instances where AI models generate false or fabricated information. In courtrooms, these hallucinations are causing serious errors in legal documents, frustrating judges, and threatening the integrity of judicial processes.

Recent high-profile cases highlight the risks. In California, a judge fined a prestigious law firm $31,000 after discovering that AI tools like Google Gemini and law-specific models produced fabricated citations and legal arguments in filings. Similarly, the AI company Anthropic submitted court documents containing incorrect legal citations generated by their own AI model, Claude. In Israel, prosecutors cited non-existent laws in a request to retain a suspect’s phone, an error they attributed to AI hallucinations.

These incidents underscore a fundamental problem: courts depend on precise, verifiable documents, yet AI-generated content often lacks reliability. Despite existing legal rules requiring lawyers to verify submissions, the pressure to meet tight deadlines and the allure of AI’s efficiency lead some attorneys to insufficiently vet AI outputs. This is especially concerning given that lawyers are traditionally meticulous about language and citations.

Experts like Maura Grossman, a computer science and law professor, note that AI hallucinations have not diminished since their emergence in 2023; instead, they have accelerated. She attributes this partly to a divide among lawyers: some avoid AI entirely, while others embrace it without sufficient skepticism. The fluent and authoritative tone of AI-generated text can mislead even experienced attorneys into trusting inaccurate content.

The legal industry faces a critical juncture. As AI tools become more embedded in legal research and document drafting, the risk that fabricated information influences judicial decisions grows. Current advice—to rigorously vet AI outputs—remains essential but insufficient as AI capabilities and adoption expand. Moreover, some AI tools marketed to lawyers claim high accuracy, yet real-world cases reveal persistent errors.

Ultimately, the challenge is twofold: improving AI reliability and fostering a culture of critical scrutiny among legal professionals using AI. The stakes are high—errors in court documents can lead to unjust rulings, undermine public trust, and incur financial penalties. As AI continues to evolve, the legal sector must develop robust safeguards and validation processes to ensure that technology enhances rather than compromises justice.

QuarkyByte provides the legal community with cutting-edge analysis and tools to detect AI hallucinations and validate AI-generated legal content. By integrating our solutions, law firms and courts can reduce errors, maintain document integrity, and uphold the highest standards of legal accuracy in an AI-driven era.