Misuse of Generative AI in Courts - With Vicki McNamara

From Future Ready Lawyer: AI and the Evolution of Legal Practice by Armin Alimardani, Mark Bennett, Alexandra Vost

December 6, 2025 · 48 min · Season 1 · Episode 4

About this episode

The episode discusses the misuse of generative AI in courts with Vicki McNamara, highlighting its implications for legal practice.

In this episode of Future Ready Lawyer , hosts Alex, Armin, and Mark, are joined by Vicki McNamara, Senior Research Associate at the UNSW Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession, to discuss the growing global trend of generative AI misuse in litigation. The conversation centers on Vicki’s upcoming research, which identifies over 470 cases across common law jurisdictions where AI has generated "hallucinated" citations or procedurally flawed documents. The panel explores the resulting strain on court resources, the phenomenon of "verification drift" where users become too confident in AI outputs to verify them, and the potential long-term risks of eroding critical legal thinking and creativity among junior lawyers. They conclude by discussing the necessity of better public education and the "average effect" of AI on legal excellence, looking ahead to a future where AI errors may become more subtle than blatant hallucinations. Show Notes & Links Guest & Organizations Vicki McNamara: UNSW Staff Profile ; LinkedIn UNSW Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession: Website GenAI, Fake Law & Fallout Report Website Cases & Legal Resources Mentioned Mata v. Avianca…

People in this episode

Hosts: Alexandra Vost, Armin Alimardani, Mark Bennett

Guest: Vicki McNamara

Topics covered

generative AI
legal practice
litigation
court resources
legal education

Keywords

generative AI
legal profession
court cases
AI misuse
legal thinking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UNSW Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession, UNSW

Books & works: Mata v. Avianca, May v Costaras [2025] NSWCA 178