Bench & Bar May/June 2026

PRESIDENT'S PAGE

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So long, Farewell, Good night. Auf Wiedersehen, BY TODD V. MCMURTRY

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"S o long, farewell” is a Rogers and Hammerstein song for the 1959 musical, “The Sound of Music,” sung by the Von Trapp Family characters. As choreographed, the song has the chil dren seeming to repeatedly exit and reenter the stage. This draws out the ending, leaving the viewer wondering when the scene is finally going to end. This is what being the president of the Kentucky Bar Association can feel like, especially in a year as tumultuous as mine – when is the show going to be over? At the time of writing, I am over 10 months into a 12-month term. Practically, I have one more board of governors meeting and the annual convention. Then it is the next person up, who happens to be Matt Cook from Bowling Green. Last year, when I started this run, Rhonda Black burn was downright giddy to pass the gavel. Now, I understand why. Trying to lead an organization like the KBA, despite the high quality of the staff and full-time leaders, is not so easy. And in a year when the legislature sought to dramatically change how the bar association func tions or does not function, the time and stress piled on. Every day or week presents a new series of meetings, Zoom calls, phone calls, and emails to keep things moving. Most of the moving parts are ini tiatives that either I or a former president initiated. The staff is extremely helpful in implementing the vision of the president but keeping things on track requires a lot of time and attention. That said, I would like to review what I did that worked and what did not. I will close with a look forward to explain how things are changing.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI). I said it was going to be big and dramatic, and it has been. So, I scored this prediction as an easy A. AI is rocketing forward, and although it may not be affecting your practice just yet, it will. When an attorney with a little guidance and prompting is able to produce an excellent rough draft of nearly any legal document in minutes, those who figure out AI are going to have an advantage. If you have not started your AI transition, it is not too late. Make plans to join us at our annual convention (www.kybar.org/2026ac) to learn more about AI and its impact on our profession.

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may/june 2026