“Lawyer Gets Caught Using AI” stories usually have a point and laugh, “How could they be so stupid?!” vibe to them, but this one feels more like a an unexpected retirement nobody bothered to plan a party for. After decades of lawyering, it isn’t uncommon for lawyers to go out on a swan song. And why not? If you’re gonna go out, do so in a blaze of glory that capstones your commitment to the craft! Far from it, this Nebraskan attorney’s final act was more like a pigeon coo.
From 1011 Now:
According to a court opinion filed June 18, attorney James Hamilton surrendered his license while facing a disciplinary complaint stemming from his representation of a client.
The complaint alleged Hamilton made false statements and fabricated correspondence and judicial decisions while representing the client. It also alleged that, by his actions, Hamilton violated his oath of office as an attorney licensed to practice law in Nebraska and violated several provisions of the Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct.
In response to the complaint, Hamilton surrendered his license, stating he did not challenge or contest the truth of the allegations. He also waived his right to notice, appearance or a hearing.
Gotta give credit where credit is due: this is the hardest not with a bang but a whimper AI hallucination consequence I’ve ever seen. Not that we’d applaud making a big deal out of getting caught outsourcing your expertise to an LLM, we gave Steven Feldman a couple raps on the knuckles for his purple prose — hell, even a judge couldn’t resist getting in on the fun — but Hamiltion’s disdain for anything giving the appearance of effort is noteworthy. The real question is if he mustered up enough energy for a shoulder shrug a la Heisenberg:
This discipline could have been an e-mail.
Best of luck in your future endeavors. I hope they require more effort.
Lincoln Attorney Disbarred After Allegedly Fabricating Legal Documents [1011 Now]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at christopherrashadwilliams@gmail.com and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.
The post Attorney Turns In License After Lazy AI Lawyering appeared first on Above the Law.