Bench & Bar November/December 2025

26 november/december 2025 ABOUT THE AUTHOR T he AI Task force has been busy. We are presenting an in-person KLU session at all nine locations. We plan to meet every other month and update the KBA Board the month after each meeting. At these KLU sessions, President Todd V. McMurtry announced his desire to focus on Artificial Intelligence for the KBA. One specific activ ity we want to share in this article is the plans to host a series of Town Hall sessions in January 2026. We also plan to have an AI track at the 2026 Annual Convention in Covington. JANUARY FOUR-PART WEBINAR SERIES The current plan for the series is an one hour session every Wednesday in January. The sessions will start at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. With a caveat that the people leading these sessions could change, the sessions we have scheduled are: JAN. 7, 2026 MAKING AI WORK FOR YOU - WHEN AND HOW TO USE IT LEAD: SHELLY GILMAN JAN. 14, 2026 FROM DRAFTING TO DONE LEAD: TAD THOMAS JAN. 21, 2026 AI TOOLS FOR LITIGATORS LEAD: JEFF SALLEE WITH Increased efficiencies can be found by improving the wording of our legal briefs by making them more concise and improv ing readability. Specialized AI tools can streamline your billing or provide a first pass at contract reviews. Some tools can organize your case files in way that is faster and more accurate than a paralegal or legal assistant would. Some lawyers are using AI tools to ingest hours of deposition videos to deliver accurate transcripts, tables of con tent, summaries of the testimony, and even indications of potential contradictions. One can also use AI to help create content for websites and advertisements without paying third parties for the creative work. A final reason we want attorneys to under stand AI is that our clients are using it in their businesses and daily lives. By under standing how we can use AI, we are better able to understand how clients might be using it. Many people are using AI as a first step to meet their legal needs. If we explain the strengths and weaknesses of AI, they may trust us to represent them. If we min imize AI use as a fad, they will likely find another lawyer. AI TASK FORCE BY JEFF SALLEE UPDATE LAW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT ANNUAL CONVENTION PLANS We are planning to have an “AI Bootcamp” at the convention. This will be a series of CLE sessions to cover the basics of Artificial Intelligence. At the end of these sessions, attendees will have the basic knowledge needed to understand how AI can be used in the practice of law and how to do so ethically. Also, the convention will feature speakers who are thought leaders in the use of AI in the practice of law. CHANGES TO THE KBA MEMBERS PORTAL Executive Director John Meyers has been working with other state bars associations to see how we can be more share best-in class knowledge and practices related to AI. The Texas State Bar is leading the rest in this effort. We intend to build on their work to provide KBA members with a clearing house of AI-related advice and training. We expect to include links to the video versions of past CLE sessions and the associated written material. We hope to provide links to a curated series of other AI materials and news articles. WHY WE ARE FOCUSING ON AI AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW At a basic level, we are focusing on AI because technology is changing quickly, and we want to help Kentucky lawyers meet their ethical obligations. Under SCR 3.130(1.1), attorneys must maintain compe tence, including understanding "the benefits and risks associated with relevant technol ogy." We are still seeing almost weekly news articles involving attorneys who submit briefs containing AI hallucinations. Another motivating factor for our AI focus is the potential for AI to disrupt the prac tice of law and make you more efficient. JEFF SALLEE is a member of Western & Southern’s Infor mation Security team, which he joined after retiring from Procter & Gamble. He is an alumnus of the Defense Language Institute, received three undergraduate degrees from Purdue University, obtained his J.D. from Chase College of Law, and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of the Cumberlands. His certifications include Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Infor mation Systems Auditor (CISA). RUTH BAXTER JAN. 28, 2026 NAVIGATING THE LATEST AI DEVELOPMENTS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR LEGAL PRACTICE - AN INTERACTIVE TOWN HALL LEAD: STEPHEN EMBRY WITH MICHAEL MURRAY