Name: AI and Ethics for Lawyers: Practical Guidance for Responsible Use
Uploaded: 2026-05-15T10:00:00-07:00
Description: Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming legal practice, with lawyers integrating these tools into research, drafting, and client service workflows. At the same time, regulators and courts are defining the ethical boundaries of their use. This program provides practical guidance to help lawyers use AI responsibly while meeting their professional obligations.

Justia Connect Webinars AI and Ethics for Lawyers: Practical Guidance for Responsible Use

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Overview AI Webinar Summary

AI and Ethics for Lawyers: Practical Guidance for Responsible Use

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming legal practice, with lawyers integrating these tools into research, drafting, and client service workflows. At the same time, regulators and courts are defining the ethical boundaries of their use. This program provides practical guidance to help lawyers use AI responsibly while meeting their professional obligations.

Topics covered include:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Legal Ethics Legal Tech

Agenda:

The Current State of AI in Legal Practice

Overview of how generative AI is being used by lawyers today, including use cases in legal research, drafting, contract review, client communications, and law practice management.

Regulatory Landscape: What Bars and Courts Are Doing

Overview of how state bar associations, courts, and regulators are responding to AI in legal practice.
Discussion of recent ethics opinions, emerging guidance, court rules, and enforcement trends, with a focus on how expectations for lawyers are evolving.

Competence and the Duty to Understand Technology

Examination of Model Rule 1.1 and the growing expectation that lawyers understand the benefits and risks of AI tools.
Practical guidance on what “competence” looks like in an AI-enabled practice.

Confidentiality, Privilege, and Vendor Risk

Analysis of Model Rule 1.6 and its intersection with attorney-client privilege in the context of AI tools.
Discussion of data handling, risks of waiver when using third-party platforms, and the implications of cases such as Heppner addressing AI use and confidentiality.
Includes practical guidance on vendor due diligence (e.g., SOC 2, data retention policies, contractual safeguards) and protecting privileged communications.

Accuracy, Hallucinations, and the Duty of Candor

Exploration of the risks of AI-generated inaccuracies and fabricated citations.
Discussion of verification protocols, supervision obligations under Rules 5.1 and 5.3, and recent court decisions sanctioning lawyers for improper AI use.
Practical frameworks for minimizing risk in research and drafting workflows.

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: May 15, 2026 10:00 AM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 AI and Ethical Implications

Greg Siskind, the speaker, discusses the challenges posed by AI, such as hallucinations, data privacy, and outdated information. He provides an example of a lawyer who faced consequences for using AI-generated false case citations. Greg notes that malpractice insurance carriers are increasingly concerned about how law firms handle AI. Courts are creating rules for AI use in legal pleadings, and regulatory oversight is expected to increase. Greg advises lawyers to educate themselves about AI tools and their implications for confidentiality and data privacy.

20:28 Competence and Communication

Greg explains the ethical considerations related to technology competence, emphasizing the need for lawyers to understand AI tools. He warns against over-reliance on AI for tasks like document review and contract drafting without human oversight. Greg discusses the importance of maintaining communication with clients and the potential risks of using AI for client interactions. He advises lawyers to be cautious about billing practices when using AI, especially in terms of time savings and fee adjustments.

30:21 Confidentiality Issues

Greg discusses the potential confidentiality risks associated with AI, particularly when dealing with sensitive legal matters. He explains that AI tools might flag certain inquiries as violations, leading to human review and potential confidentiality breaches. Greg advises using AI tools that do not involve human oversight and do not train on client data to mitigate these risks. He notes that many lawyers use free or low-cost AI tools, which may not comply with confidentiality standards.

41:50 Supervision and Professional Independence

Greg discusses the importance of supervision and professional independence when using AI in legal practice. He advises treating AI as an artificial person, requiring supervision similar to that of junior staff or paralegals. Greg warns against relying solely on AI-generated outputs without independent review by a lawyer. He emphasizes the need for lawyers to maintain control over legal matters and exercise independent judgment.

45:44 Unauthorized Practice of Law and AI Use Policies

Greg addresses the growing issue of unauthorized practice of law (UPL) related to AI tools delivering legal services. He highlights the ongoing debate among state bars about the extent to which AI tools can be used in legal practice. Greg discusses the widespread use of AI in law firms and the need for AI use policies to manage risks. He offers to share a sample AI use policy for reference.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Speaker

Greg Siskind Founding Partner
Siskind Susser, PC

Greg Siskind is a founding partner of Siskind Susser and has been practicing immigration law since 1990. He is also a co-founder of AI software company Visalaw Ventures. He received his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and his law degree from the University of Chicago. Read More ›

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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Alabama CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Alaska CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: May 14, 2031

California CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Technology in the Practice of Law

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

Delaware CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Enhanced Ethics

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Hawaii CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: May 14, 2028

Illinois CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Professional Responsibility - Ethics / Civility / Professionalism / Sexual Harassment Prevention

Earn Credit Until: May 14, 2028

Nebraska CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: May 15, 2028

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.20 Ethics/Professionalism

Earn Credit Until: May 14, 2027

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Technology Training

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2027

Ohio CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Attorney Professional Conduct

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Pennsylvania CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse

Earn Credit Until: May 14, 2028

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Difficulty: All Levels

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: April 30, 2027

Utah CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2026

Vermont CLE

Status: Approved

Format: Live (Virtual), On-Demand

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: May 15, 2031

West Virginia CLE

Status: Approved

Format: On-Demand

Credits: 1.20 Legal Ethics, etc.

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2029

This presentation is approved for one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Alabama, one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Alaska, one hour of Technology in the Practice of Law CLE credit in California, one hour of Enhanced Ethics CLE credit in Delaware, one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Hawaii, one hour of Professional Responsibility - Ethics / Civility / Professionalism / Sexual Harassment Prevention CLE credit in Illinois, one hour of Professional Responsibility CLE credit in Nebraska, one hour of Technology Training CLE credit in North Carolina, one hour of Attorney Professional Conduct CLE credit in Ohio, one hour of Ethics, Professionalism, or Substance Abuse CLE credit in Pennsylvania, one hour of Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility CLE credit in South Carolina (all levels), one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Utah, one hour of Ethics CLE credit in Vermont, and one hour of Legal Ethics, etc. CLE credit in West Virginia. This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.20 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.20 qualify as total hours of credit for Ethics/Professionalism. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.00 credit hours, of which 1.00 credit hours will apply to Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit.
This presentation is approved for one hour of Technology in the Practice of Law CLE credit in California from 2026-07-01 to 2028-06-30.

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