John G. Browning

@whignewtons @LoewyLawFirm Congratulations to you and Scott, and welcome back!

I’m moving back to Texas, y’all 🤠 chevron.com/newsroom/2026/…

@RobertFreundLaw As Jason Bateman’s character in the movie “ Dodgeball” might have put it, “ That’s a bold move, Cotton.”

Another lawyer in trouble for AI misuse today: Lawyer filed an appellate motion that "appears AI-generated and raises frivolous arguments, misstates the law, and cites non-existent caselaw." The lawyer responded to the court's OSC arguing a fake cite was a "clerical mistake," an "inadvertent mismatch of a real decision." "The Ohio decision counsel alleges he was trying to cite has been overruled. ... Our own cite-checking, not counsel, brings this to our attention." The lawyer submitted a "Notice of Supplemental Authority and Supplemental Facts" before the OSC. The court found that the notice "shows further misconduct" and "contains more misleading arguments." "We refer this matter to the Florida Bar for appropriate action."

@Judge_Burgess This is the lawyer equivalent of my little grandson putting a blanket over his head and calling himself “invisible.” Just doesn’t work that way, at least for adults -and especially professionals.

Deleting your ChatGPT account to cover up use of generative #AI to write a brief is not a good plan, at least not in the Northern District of Alabama. ⚖️websitedc.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Mill…

@CPY87 The cat ( or dog) always wins.

I planned to run errands this morning, but somebody has another plan for me. We’ll see who prevails in this battle of wills. Spoiler alert: my cat will win. 🤷‍♂️

As the last couple of straggler law review articles from my very busy 2025 finally make it into print ( both bearing 2025 dates that I chuckle at), I want to thank hardworking student editors everywhere. Their jobs aren’t easy. Thanks also to @FaulknerLaw for supporting scholars!

Yet another “straggler” is out - my article “ The Automation of Deportation? Evaluating the Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Immigration Law” in Vol. 77, Iss. 5 of the Rutgers L. Rev! Thanks to the editors at Rutgers, and thanks to @FaulknerLaw for supporting my work!

I’m happy to announce that one of the few remaining “straggler” law review articles from last year has finally been published: “ Read the Writing on the Wall: Why Confederate Messaging Matters in Tennessee Courthouses”, in Vol. 15, Iss. 1 of the TN. J. of Race & Soc. Justice!

@ScottKingField @dodrummond I would pay to see that, Judge - and it would be absolutely the right move. Reminds me of Tom Melsheimer’s summary judgment motion in a case in which Ross Perot, Jr. claimed that M. Cuban had diminished the value of the Mavs. Tom’s “ Motion” was a photo of the NBA Finals trophy!

Our court is hearing arguments in San Antonio this morning. I think it would be appropriate for us to hold up a poster of Wemby every time we reject an argument.

@JudgeMinor They’d be lucky to have you, Judge! And there’s some pretty darn good Mexican food and barbecue here, too!

@therealjohnbrow If they ever need to hear from an Alabama criminal appeals court judge, my boots are standing by.

I’m honored by the invitation to speak at UT Law CLE’s annual Dawson Conference on Criminal Appeals! It was to speak on AI and appeals, and it was even better to see former students, colleagues & friends, and of course fellow appellate judges from all over Texas!

Did my civic duty today and voted. Regardless of who you’re voting for or what issue you do or don’t support, please make your voice heard and vote!

@JudgeMinor Congratulations to your daughter, and to you and your wife!

Congrats to the oldest. Today, she received her Master’s in Engineering Management from John’s Hopkins University. #GirlDad #prouddad

Mixed emotions at yesterday’s @faulknerlaw graduation. So proud of our students, but I will miss them as well. My spirits were lifted by the arrival of another of my book chapters and a law review article. Now, onto the grading…

@andersonforAL @AlabamaStateBar Absolutely! That Hannah Payne v. State case also illustrates the dangers for trial court judges who put too much trust in lawyers who submit draft orders. A lawyer’s AI misuse can not only be costly for that lawyer, but can endanger our justice system. Not the only time in Ga too

@therealjohnbrow @AlabamaStateBar The example I used was that excruciating video from Georgia where the attorney is confronted by the Supreme Court with having relied on hallucinations. It truly is a powerful tool, but if used without caution can have career altering affects.

As part of my CLE presentation to the Young Lawyers Section of the @AlabamaStateBar, I suggested thinking of AI writing assistants as friendly, intelligent, always willing to help, and always - at all times - secretly plotting your destruction. Proceed, but with caution.

@Judge_Burgess Thank you!

@therealjohnbrow Very timely. Congratulations.

I’m thrilled to announce that my latest law review article, “ AI and Legal Malpractice: Are We Due For a Reckoning?” will be published this fall in the Texas A&M Law Review, Vol. 14! I was humbled to receive multiple publication offers, but decided time was right to gig ‘em!

@CPY87 Thank you! Hope you’re settling well at the new office!

@therealjohnbrow Congratulations!

@Judge_Leben @JudgeMinor Same here. On my court, each justice was assigned 2 briefing attorneys. They were not recent law grads, but career appellate attorneys. Yet as fine as they were as writers, I felt it was incumbent on me to draft the overwhelming majority of my opinions.

@JudgeMinor I was a judge on a state intermediate appellate court. Most of my clerks wrote well, but I drafted most of my opinions. The quality of law clerks on the federal courts of appeal is very high. It’s hard to imagine he can’t find good writers if that’s what he screens for.

Thoughts? “Because his law clerks draft opinions, Alito told the audience, the hardest part of hiring clerks for him is finding good writers. Educational institutions, he said, don’t do a good job of teaching students how to write.”

@AnthonyMKreis You’re way ahead of me. 60 down, 60-plus to go…

167 exams graded and submitted.