June 30, 2025
1pm – 2:30pm EDT
90 Minute CLE Video Webinar with Interactive Q&A
This CLE webinar will guide lawyers on navigating the challenges of using AI in law practice. The panel addresses ethical issues and privacy and security considerations. The panel also provides best practices to ensure compliance with ethical obligations and protect confidential information.
explanation
The ABA model’s Occupational Conduct Rules 1.1 requires lawyers to “provide competent representation to their clients.” Therefore, lawyers have an ethical obligation to become competent when using AI or other technologies in practice.
Client confidentiality is a central duty of a lawyer. Under Rule 1.6, “Attendant must not disclose any information regarding a client’s representation unless the client gives informed consent.” Additionally, when using AI, lawyers need to be aware of it and take action to reduce the risk of publishing client information. Furthermore, since AI relies on inputting information to train models, the platform must implement data privacy and security protection measures. Otherwise, it may mean exposure to sensitive information.
Generator AI is using time-saving tools to open new doors, but there may be issues if the technology is not checked. Limitations usually focus on the accuracy of the output and the data used to train the system. Proper monitoring is important when using AI in legal practice. To fulfill your professional duties, lawyers must provide supervision of any work products generated from AI.
Relying on AI-based work products does not fulfill the ethical obligations of professional competence if they do not understand how AI operates and do not play an active role in monitoring the work products they generate.
Listen to our panel of experts discuss the challenges lawyers face when using AI in law practice. The panel addresses ethical issues and privacy and security considerations, provides best practices to ensure compliance with the ethical obligations of lawyers and protect confidential information.
overview
Ethical Issues Competence Confidentiality Duty Supervision Duty Privacy and Security Considerations Best Practices for Ethical Compliance and Protecting Sensitive Information
advantage
The panel reviews these and other important issues.
What kind of hardware stands up against lawyers in ensuring the confidentiality of client information when using AI? What steps should an attorney take to comply with his ethical obligations? What steps should I take to ensure supervision when using AI?
Faculty
Professor Maura R. Grossman, J.D., Ph.D.
Research Professor
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo
Grossman, J.D., Ph.D. The professor is an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, the Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, and an affiliate professor at the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Vectors in Ontario, Canada. She is also the principal of Maura Grossman Law, an editoricoberry law and consulting company in Buffalo, New York. Professor Grossman is best known for his academic work on technical assistance reviews (“TAR”), which is widely cited in case law both in the US and abroad. She is also known for her appointments as a special master’s degree and/or as an expert in multiple well-known federal and state court litigation. Professor Grossman holds a JD from Georgetown University Law Center, as well as an MA and a PhD. in psychology from Derner Institute at Adelphi University.
Professor Gary Merchant
Law Professor; Faculty of Law, Center for Science and Innovation
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
Professor Merchant frequently lectures on the intersection of law and science at national and international conferences. He has written over 150 articles and book chapters on a variety of issues related to new technology. Among other activities, he serves on six National Academy of Sciences Committees, is the lead researcher of several major grants, and organizes many academic conferences on legal and scientific issues. He teaches courses in Law, Science and Technology, Genetics and Law, Biotechnology, Science, Law, Policy, Health Technology and Innovation, Privacy, Big Data and Emerging Techniques, Artificial Intelligence: Law and Ethics.
Christopher Suarez
partner
Steptoe
As an intellectual property litigator, Suarez focuses his practice on patent, copyright and trade secret trials and appeals before all levels of the US court system, including the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Patent Trials and Appeals Committee, and other administrative courts. Litigation aside, Suarez will provide counseling at the intersection of IP and emerging technologies. He writes and speaks extensively about topics at the intersection of the Internet of Things and AI, helping clients navigate challenges and opportunities with those technologies. To that end, Suarez helps clients develop IP policies and procedures, including efforts to balance patents, trade secrets and copyright protection in the context of AI and IoT technologies.
