Wake Up Call: Australia Battles AI-Produced Fake Legal Filings

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• An Australian lawyer was disciplined for using ChatGPT to generate case citations for an immigration appeal without verifying them, resulting in 17 nonexistent cases being cited. Similar incidents have occurred across the country, prompting legal bodies to issue warnings and regulations on AI-generated legal documents. (The Guardian)
• Kansas is facing a shortage of lawyers, particularly in rural areas, prompting discussions about establishing a satellite law school in Wichita to make legal education more accessible. With the state’s only two law schools located in the northeast, many prospective students are deterred by relocation costs and disruptions. (High Plains Public Radio)
• Minnesota attorney Richard Hechter was sanctioned and fined nearly $20,000 by a US magistrate judge for copying another lawyer’s complaint in an employment discrimination case and misrepresenting legal conclusions to the court. Hechter submitted false claims that did not reflect his client’s experiences and failed to amend them despite her objections. (Minnesota Lawyer)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Evan Hudson joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett as a partner in its registered funds practice in New York.
• Peter Isajiw joined Clifford Chance as a partner in its litigation and dispute resolution team. He joins from King & Spalding.
• Dianne Bourque joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its health care and life sciences practice in Boston. She joins from Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo.
• Peter Hardy joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its litigation practice in Philadelphia. He joins from Ballard Spahr.
• Chad Nichols rejoined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld as a finance partner in its global special situations practice. He rejoins from Gibson Dunn.
• Aparna Sehgal joined Winston & Strawn as a partner in its transactions department in London.
• Drew Slone joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its public finance and infrastructure practice in Dallas. She joins from Troutman Pepper Locke.
• Tasha Cycholl, Andrew McNichol, and Lauren Ybarra joined Husch Blackwell as partners in its financial services and capital markets industry team. Cycholl and McNichol join from Kutak Rock. Ybarra joins from McGlinchey Stafford.
• John Collins III joined Katten Muchin Rosenman as a partner in its private wealth practice in Dallas.
• Julie Edelstein joined Wiggin and Dana as a partner in its litigation department and international trade compliance and white collar practice groups in Washington. She joins from the Justice Department.