You won’t believe the excuses lawyers have after getting busted for using AI

Lawyers caught using AI to generate fake case citations are offering increasingly desperate excuses to avoid sanctions, ranging from claims of being hacked to blaming difficult laptop window-toggling. Despite judges repeatedly stating that simply admitting AI use and showing humility leads to lighter penalties, many lawyers instead fabricate stories about malware, login issues, or accidental drafts. Courts have imposed fines ranging from $150 to over $85,000, with one judge calling it an "epidemic" of misconduct.