AI reshapes intake — with risk
AI is transforming law-firm marketing and intake—enabling precise lead scoring, multilingual automated forms, and 'first-to-file' advantages—but courts are already sanctioning fake AI‑generated citations (Sixth Circuit), underscoring that human verification is non-negotiable. Firms are adopting AI for SEO, utilization tracking, and rapid response, even as authenticity and ethical risks grow. (mohrmktg.com, natlawreview.com)
Mohr Marketing announced a national expansion of its “Police Report Program” and broader Evidence‑First acquisition platform in March 2026, pitching law‑firm intake anchored to official incident data rather than purely digital leads. (mohrmktg.com). (mohrmktg.com) Mohr’s website describes a proprietary “AI WebTracker®” that the firm says links law‑enforcement records to online behavior and claims a “First‑to‑File” advantage in a March 27, 2026 blog post titled “The First‑to‑File Advantage.” (mohrmktg.com). (mohrmktg.com) The Sixth Circuit issued a sanctions opinion in Whiting v. City of Athens, Nos. 24‑5918/5919 and 25‑5424, dated March 13, 2026, imposing punitive fines of $15,000 on each counsel Van R. Irion and Russ Egli and ordering them jointly responsible for appellees’ fees and double costs. (findlaw.com). (caselaw.findlaw.com) The court found “over two dozen” non‑existent or misquoted authorities in the appellants’ briefs, appended a list of the defective citations to the opinion, and affirmed the district court’s sanctions in the consolidated appeals. (opn.ca6.uscourts.gov). (opn.ca6.uscourts.gov) As part of its remedial steps the Sixth Circuit required counsel to show cause and to produce copies from Westlaw or LexisNexis of every authority cited across the three appeals, highlighting the court’s investigative remedy for fabricated citations. (caselaw.findlaw.com). (caselaw.findlaw.com) The opinion expressly flagged “hallucinated” authorities and observed that AI‑generated fabrications are more likely when little or no existing authority supports an asserted principle, a point repeated by multiple firm‑level commentaries analyzing the decision. (dinsmore.com). (dinsmore.com) The ABA’s Formal Opinion 512 (July 29, 2024) already directs lawyers to assess competence, confidentiality, and communication obligations when using generative AI and to consider disclosure under Model Rule 1.4—guidance that courts and vendors cited in post‑decision analyses of the Sixth Circuit ruling. (americanbar.org). (lawnext.com)
