Powered by artificial intelligence, pro se plaintiff employment lawsuits are on the rise; Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer managing partner discusses defense issues, strategies in new webinar
Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com
Detroit---October 14, 2026--- Beyond providing tools for efficiencies that benefit organizations, artificial intelligence (AI) has also shown a flip side that is vexing employers in a variety of ways. One is the rise of lawsuits filed by individuals who are representing themselves, known as pro se plaintiffs, using AI as an artificial attorney of sorts. Deborah Brouwer, managing partner of Detroit-based management-side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC, has been following the trend closely and is looked to as an employer resource on pro se plaintiff lawsuits.
“AI has removed the initial barrier to entry for filing a lawsuit – the cost of hiring an attorney, and the risk of an early dismissal due to inadequate filings,” Brouwer said. “Using AI can result in filings that appear to contain valid legal arguments, requests for documents, and motions – many, many motions. This can make it harder for companies to defend against such claims. Additionally, without an attorney, and in light of AI’s tendency to provide the answer sought by the requester, AI-counseled plaintiffs may have unrealistic beliefs about the strength and value of their claims.”
While pro se cases do not have a strong track record of wins – it’s the human attorney in the loop that does – Brouwer notes that these lawsuits can be particularly expensive for employers.
“Our firm’s approach has always been to work with employers to avoid litigation and its associated costs and emotional wear and tear on all involved,” Brouwer said. “But, when necessary, we will fight to win. Pro se plaintiffs cannot rely on chatbots and prior legal experience in the courtroom, but they will use options like unnecessary and costly motions to keep their case alive.”
Brouwer continues that, as part of defending against a pro se plaintiff lawsuit, employers and their counsel need to evaluate the suit carefully.
“AI hallucinates and can output biased information that appears to favor the plaintiff based on the information it is fed. It is important to dig deeper into the plaintiff’s claims before determining the best course of action,” Brouwer said.
Brouwer discusses this and other defense strategies in a webinar she co-wrote and co-presented on October 2, 2026, for myLawCLE, entitled Defending Employment Claims from AI-Armed Pro Se plaintiffs: Agency Charge through Settlement. The webinar can be viewed on demand here at no charge using the code, DECAAPSP26, at the ‘apply coupon’ section of the registration page. The code is not valid for those seeking to obtain legal continuing education (CLE) credit via the webinar.
About Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC
Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer specializes in employment litigation, traditional labor law, workplace investigations, and management consultation and training for private and public sector employers. The firm also provides arbitration and mediation services. Woman-owned and led since its founding in 1992, Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer exclusively represents management in the prevention, resolution and litigation of labor and employment disputes.
