CBA Record January-February 2026

January/February 2026 CBA

AI & the LAW

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Draft Faster, Not Looser: A Practical Guide to AI for Transactions Deepfakes, Dockets, and Due Process: Navigating AI in Domestic Violence Court AI and the Fourth and Fifth Amendments: Can Your AI Assistant Compromise Your Rights of Privacy and to Remain Silent? How Do We Solve a Problem Like Hallucination? A Proposed Technology-Neutral Rule Plus: AI Tips and More!

January/February 2026 • Volume 40, Number 1 CONTENTS

CBA RECORD

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Editor’s Briefcase Embracing the New Year by Nikki Marcotte

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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Exhibit AI: Practical Tips for the Legal Profession By Justice Rena Van Tine

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President’s Page AI 2035: Why the Legal Profession Must Embrace Artificial Intelligence Now by Judge Nichole C. Patton

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Guardrails for AI in the Legal Profession: How Law Schools, Lawyers, and Courts Can Use It Responsibly By Joel Bruckman Draft Faster, Not Looser: A Practical Guide to AI for Transactions By Benjamin Altshul

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CBA News

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14 Chicago Bar

Foundation Report

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Deepfakes, Dockets, and Due Process: Navigating AI in Domestic Violence Court By Judge Megan Goldish

16 The Pulse

46 Practical Ethics

Fake Cases, Real Consequences: What Noland v. Land of the Free Means for Generative AI Use by Trisha Rich

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AI and the Fourth and Fifth Amendments: Can Your AI Assistant Compromise Your Rights of Privacy and to Remain Silent? By Chip Mulaney

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How Do We Solve a Problem Like Hallucination? A Proposed Technology-Neutral Rule By Justice Michael B. Hyman

48 Nota Bene

Rethinking Law School Teaching: Generative AI and Legal Education By Kathleen Dillon Narko

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

50 LPMT Bits & Bytes A Quick Overview of the ARDC’s AI Guide by Kevin Thompson

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Unchecked AI By Gavin Phelps, YLS Chair

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Meet the New Legal Crisis. It’s the Same as the Old One. By Andrew P. Stevens

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The Environmental Costs of Generative AI By Katherine Hanson

The CBA Record (ISSN 0892-1822) is published six times annually (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/ August, September/October, November/December) for $10 per year by The Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, Illinois 60604-3997, 312/554-2000, Subscriptions for non-members are $25 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, Illinois. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CBA Record , c/o Membership, Chicago Bar Association, 321 South Plymouth Court, Chicago, Illinois 60604. Copyright 2026 by The Chicago Bar Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The opinions and positions stated in signed material are those of the authors and not by the fact of publication necessarily those of the Association or its members. All manuscripts are carefully considered by the Editorial Board. All letters to the editors are subject to editing. Publication of advertisements is not to be deemed an endorsement of any product or service advertised unless otherwise stated.

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or send a note to membership@chicagobar.org with your new contact information. Thank you!

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nikki Marcotte Kirkland & Ellis LLP ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anne Ellis 2E Services, LLC SUMMARY JUDGMENTS EDITOR Daniel A. Cotter Aronberg Goldgehn YLS JOURNAL EDITORS J. Kopczyk Attorney at Law CBA RECORD

EDITOR’S BRIEFCASE

BY NIKKI MARCOTTE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Embracing a New Year

I t’s the start of another year, which means many folks are emerging from the holiday haze while trying to ward off the desire to hunker down and hibernate through the enduring Chicago winter.

Katherine Hanson First District Appellate Court

Daniel J. Berkowitz Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston & Zimet LLP Jacob B. Berger Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC Amy Cook Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Anthony F. Fata Kirby McInerney LLP Clifford Gately Quarles & Brady Meredith A. Geller Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Judge Jasmine Villaflor Hernandez Circuit Court of Cook County Kaitlin King Hart David Carson LLP Theodore Kontopoulos Internal Revenue Service Kathryn C. Liss DePaul University College of Law Marissa Longoria Circuit Court of Cook County’s Clerk’s Office Clare McMahon Reed, Centracchio & Associates, LLC Pamela Sakowicz Menaker

In an effort to fight these urges each Janu ary, we often find motivation in looking to the future: We reflect on the previous year, take stock of our personal and professional lives, and use that information to set goals and intentions for the new year. We attempt to pitch what isn’t working and refocus our energy elsewhere. We make it our mission to do or try something new, like finally taking that trip abroad, starting that new hobby, eating better, exercising more, reconnecting with family and friends, making intentional career moves…the list goes on. This January is no different for me, as I’m sure it isn’t for many others. In reflecting on 2025, I joyously celebrated several major milestones (getting married, traveling to new countries, and becoming the Record’s new Editor-in-Chief). On the other hand, 2025 was equally challenging. I suffered some brutal losses and had to navigate some difficult life decisions along the way. Mais c’est la vie , as they say. While I’m not usually one for resolutions, I do have an annual ritual that my best friend and I have been doing for years: We pick one word that best reflects our mood and how we wish to show up in the new year. My word for 2026 is embrace . Much like my gender on any given day, embrace takes on many different forms. It can be an act of hugging someone you love, welcoming someone into your inner circle, fearlessly accept ing new and creative ideas, or courageously facing unexpected change. That’s my hope for 2026. I want to hug my friends and family more and tell them how much they mean to me. I want to spend more time on hobbies I enjoy and traveling with my spouse. I want to participate more actively in my communities and welcome new people into the fold. I want to be that person who encourages and nurtures big, creative ideas. I want to be bold in the face of personal and professional challenges that will come my way. 2025 may have been a doozy, but to 2026, I say: Bring it on. I’m ready. Are you? As I leave you to ponder what your word is for the new year, I’m very excited to tell you a little about this edition of the Record . In it, we tackle artificial intelligence—a sig nificant issue that our profession needs to embrace actively in 2026 and beyond. Judges, professors, and attorneys share their tips on how to use AI practically, effectively, and ethically; they warn about the pitfalls of using AI without appropriate guardrails; and they challenge all of us to think about the implications of AI use in today’s world.

Clifford Law Offices Kathleen Dillon Narko Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Alexander Passo Latimer LeVay Fyock LLC Trisha M. Rich Holland & Knight LLP Adam J. Sheppard Sheppard Law Firm, PC Richard Lee Stavins Buchalter Kevin A. Thompson Levin Ginsburg Rosemary Simota Thompson

Judge E. Kenneth Wright, Jr. Circuit Court of Cook County

THE CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION Sharon Nolan Director of Marketing

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And because it’s such a broad topic—and one that sparked overwhelming interest—this edition will be the first of two AI themed issues for this bar year, with the second being published just in time for the CBA’s first-ever three-day AI symposium hap pening in May. A lot of care and effort went into curating the

following pages, and I want to thank everyone who contributed and made this issue such a success. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I hope that from it, you will willingly embrace some new ideas on how you can implement AI safely and strategically into your practice.

A Special Notice to all Lawyers Who Reside in or Practice in Cook County The Moses, Bertha & Albert H. Wolf Fund

T he Chicago Bar Association manages the Moses, Bertha and Albert H. Wolf Fund to aid attorneys who reside in or practice law in Cook County and are ill, incapacitated or superannuated. Through the Fund, the CBA provides financial assistance in the form of grants and loans. Eligible recipients also include lawyers in Cook County who receive assistance from the Lawyers Assistance Program and are in need of medical assistance. For more information, contact Beth McMeen, CBA Executive Director, at 312-554-2004 or bmcmeen@chicagobar.org.

CBA RECORD 5

PRESIDENT’S PAGE BY JUDGE NICHOLE C. PATTON AI 2035: Why the Legal Profession Must Embrace Artificial Intelligence Now

The Chicago Bar Association www.chicagobar.org President Judge Nichole C. Patton First Vice President Trisha M. Rich Second Vice President Kathryn C. Liss Secretary Andrew W. Vail Treasurer Jonathan B. Amarilio Immediate Past President John C. Sciaccotta Executive Director Beth McMeen BOARD OF MANAGERS John C. Ellis Kevin Gerow Noah Graf Martin D. Gould Judge Kenya A. Jenkins-Wright Michael S. Kozlowski Francine D. Lynch Sari W. Montgomery Judge Thomas A. Morrissey Ryan M. Nolan Brandon E. Peck Gavin Phelps Justice Rena Marie Van Tine Judge Andrea R. Wood Daniel J. Berkowitz James V. Campell Elizabeth Carpenter Gina Crumble Steven R. Decker Nishá N. Dotson

from electronic filing systems to digital discovery. But these changes are merely the opening chapter of a much larger story. I chose the year 2035 because it’s close enough to demand our immediate atten tion and action, yet far enough to give us the runway we need to build the infra structure, education, and ethical frame works that will guide us. In just 10 years, the newest lawyers will have grown up in a world where AI is as common as smart phones are now. They will expect a pro fession that has equipped them to harness AI’s promise effectively and ethically. But my vision extends beyond prepa ration. It’s rooted in a fundamental belief about what the legal profession represents: We are guardians of justice, interpreters of the law, and advocates for those who seek fairness in an increasingly complex world. AI doesn’t diminish these roles; it amplifies our capacity to fulfill them. Will we seize that opportunity or let it slip through our fingers while we debate whether to engage? Pillars for the Legal Profession The imperative to understand and incor porate AI into legal practice rests on three pillars: competence, access to justice, and competitive survival. First, competence. As you will learn from this issue, our ethical obligations require us to provide competent represen tation. We must keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including under standing the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology. A lawyer who cannot use AI-powered research tools or recognize when AI has been misused in

W hen I chose AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence as my theme, it wasn’t simply because AI is the technology du jour. It was because I believe we are standing at a consequential crossroads in our profession, a moment that will define how we practice law and what it means to be a lawyer in the decades ahead. AI has already transformed the legal profession and will continue to do so. The question is whether we, as legal profession als, will be active participants in shaping that transformation, or whether we will be passive observers overtaken by change we failed to understand or prepare for. My journey to this theme began by observing the rapid acceleration of tech nological change across every sector of our economy and society. As a Circuit Court Judge, I’ve witnessed firsthand how tech nology has already reshaped legal practice,

6 January/February 2026

opposing counsel’s work, is one who fails to meet their ethical obligations. But competence goes deeper than avoiding malpractice. It means being able to more effectively serve our clients with the full range of tools available. When used competently, AI gives practitioners the power to draft routine documents in minutes, identify relevant precedents more quickly, and spot complex legal issues faster. To reject these tools means we are artificially limiting our capacity to serve. Second, access to justice. The justice gap in America is staggering. AI offers us a significant pathway to bridge the gap between need and affordability. AI powered document assembly can help pro se litigants navigate the legal system. AI chatbots can provide basic legal informa tion to people who would never step into a law office. AI can make legal services more efficient and affordable. As lawyers, we have a professional responsibility to work toward making legal services accessible to all. If we resist AI out of fear or skepticism, we are effec tively choosing to preserve a system that serves only those who can afford it. That’s not just bad policy; it’s a betrayal of our profession’s highest ideals. Third, competitive survival. Let me be blunt: Lawyers who fail to adopt AI will not survive the next decade in their cur rent form. We’re already seeing it happen. Firms that have integrated AI into their practice are completing document review in a fraction of the time it takes their

competitors. They’re conducting due dili gence more thoroughly, researching case law more efficiently, and managing their practices more profitably. Meanwhile, firms that have resisted are losing clients to competitors who can deliver better results at lower costs. This isn’t about replacing lawyers; it’s about empowering them. AI handles the routine, repetitive, or time-consuming tasks that don’t require a law degree. This frees lawyers to do what only lawyers can do: exercise judgment, build relation ships, craft strategy, advocate with pas sion, and counsel with wisdom. AI doesn’t threaten our profession; it helps us return to what our profession should always have been about. How to Embrace AI Understanding why we must embrace AI is only the first step. The harder question is how. This is why I’ve implemented 10 specialized AI working committees, each tasked with exploring a different facet of AI’s impact on our profession, including ethics, regulation, courtroom operations, law school education, solo practitioners, data privacy and cybersecurity, bias and fairness, and the future of legal work itself. These committees aren’t academic exer cises. Rather, in line with this bar year’s theme, they’re charged with producing practical guidance, educational resources, and policy recommendations that will help CBA lawyers navigate this trans formation and thrive in an AI-enhanced legal landscape.

Some will say we’re moving too fast. Others will say we’re moving too slowly. But I believe we’re moving at exactly the right pace, with purpose, with thoughtful ness, and with a clear-eyed understanding that the future of our profession depends on the choices we make today. AI As a Collective Challenge To my colleagues, I issue this challenge: Don’t wait for the future of legal practice to arrive; help create it. Take a CLE on AI. Experiment with AI tools in your practice. Join one of our working committees. Ask questions. Share your concerns. Contrib ute your expertise. Because AI 2035 needs to be our collective vision for keeping the profession vibrant, relevant, and true to its core mission of serving justice. By 2035, I envision a legal profes sion where AI is a trusted tool in every lawyer’s practice. Where judges use AI to manage dockets more efficiently while reserving their wisdom for the decisions that truly matter. Where clients receive better, faster, more affordable legal ser vices because their lawyers have learned to work alongside AI. Where the practice of law is more accessible, more efficient, and more focused on what humans do best: thinking critically, acting ethically, and pursuing justice with unwavering com mitment. That future is within our reach. Together, let’s build the legal profession that 2035 deserves and that our clients, our communities, and our successors will thank us for creating.

The Chicago Bar Association mourns the passing of Judge William J. Bauer (Ret.), a leader in the legal community for more than 60 years. He served as a DuPage County State’s Attorney, Circuit Judge of the 18th Circuit, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and Judge of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Bauer was a career-long member of The Chicago Bar Association who gave tremendously of his time and talent to the CBA and our members. The CBA is forever grateful for Judge Bauer’s contributions to and impact on our Association and the legal profession.

CBA RECORD 7

CBA NEWS

AI 2035 Symposium Set for May 2026 By Ann Glynn, CBA Public Affairs Director A t the start of this bar year, CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton shared her vision to prepare the legal profes sion for the profound impact artificial intelligence will have on the practice of law with the launch of the initiative AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

Attendees will hear from legal professionals, technology inno vators, judiciary members, and industry leaders at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the law. Networking opportuni ties designed to foster collaboration across practice areas will be available throughout the conference, and participants will gain practical insights on implementing AI tools in their practice and understanding regulatory developments. As the legal community grapples with rapid change, guidance on this emerging technology is crucial in an increasingly digital world. For legal professionals who want to stay ahead of both ethical obligations and competitive change, the symposium offers the perfect opportunity to learn, debate, and start shaping what legal practice will look like in the years to come. For more infor mation, visit Learn.ChicagoBar.org. AI 2035 Symposium sponsorship and vendor opportunities are available. Reach out to CBA CLE Director Jennifer Byrne at jbyrne@chicagobar.org for more information.

Ten interdisciplinary committees, comprising judges, lawyers, and legal industry thought leaders, are examining how AI will reshape legal research, client service, case management, judicial decision-making, and access to justice. Their efforts will culminate in the AI 2035 Symposium, a three-day deep dive into all things AI, establishing best practices, ethical guidelines, and an educational framework to map the next decade of legal practice. The landmark symposium will take place May 11-13, 2026, at VenueSIX10, 610 S. Michigan Avenue. It will feature keynote addresses from leading AI experts, interactive CLE sessions, live technology demonstrations, and panel discus sions on emerging ethical challenges.

AI 2035 Executive Committee Justice Rena Van Tine, Illinois Appellate Court Judge Megan Goldish, Circuit Court of Cook County Co-Chairs

Judge Nichole C. Patton CBA President

Joel Bruckman Smith Gambrell Russell Vice-Chair

8 January/February 2026

The Chicago Bar Association

Join the CBA for an immersive experience that will feature keynote addresses from leading AI experts, interactive CLE sessions, live technology demonstrations, panel discussions on emerging ethical challenges, and networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration across practice areas. Attendees will gain practical insights into implementing AI tools in their practice, understand regulatory developments, and participate in shaping the future of the legal profession in an increasingly digital world. Each day will explore a distinct dimension of AI’s impact on the law—foundational knowledge, applied ethics and innovation, and forward-looking mastery. Attendees will be invited to attend breakout sessions across three tracks— Litigation, Transactional, and Administrative/Operational— designed to unpack AI’s impact across practice areas.

See agenda and fees at Learn.ChicagoBar.org

CBA RECORD 9

By Sharon Nolan, CBA Marketing Director C BA President Judge Nichole C. Patton’s 2025-2026 initia tive, AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, is off and running. This series dives deep into one of the most critical issues facing our profession, with expert-led sessions that critically examine AI and offer practical guidance for it. Members are invited to join any of the 10 committees to receive email notice of future meetings. View a list and sign up at www.chicagobar.org/AI2035Commit tees. Past educational sessions are available on demand at Learn. ChicagoBar.org (please note, archived versions of committee meetings do not receive IL MCLE credit)—enter “AI” into the search bar for a list of future and past meetings. Courtrooms across the country struggle with limited availabil ity of interpreters, inconsistent captioning, accessibility accom modations, and literacy challenges. Conor Malloy, Director of Innovation at CARPLS, a legal aid nonprofit, joined the AI and Courtroom Operations Committee to discuss how AI has the potential to be a bridge to improved courtroom operations, espe cially for self-represented litigants. He pointed out that AI can assist in four key areas: legal trans lation (e.g., turning an order into plain language); document simplification (e.g., summarizing an agreement for basic under standing at a grade-school level); multilingual access; and acces sibility (e.g., auto captions and more). Malloy’s presentation also included several demonstrations of AI in action, such as turning an order into a plain language document using ChatGPT. Key takeaways from the session include: l Check out apps like Speechify, a free AI voice generator, for simple language translation. For real-time transcription, try Otter.AI, Zoom, Microsoft CoPilot, and others. And the AVA app aids people who are hearing-impaired and hard of hearing. l To explore how AI can be used in the future, pilot test trans lating complex language into plain language for use by self represented litigants. Share validated AI workflows statewide and create best practices to accelerate the responsible adoption AI as a Bridge: Language Access and Accessibility in the Courtroom

of AI in the courts. Committee co-chairs are Judge Kerrie Laytin, Municipal Divi sion, Circuit Court of Cook County, and Maggie Mendenhall Casey, Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. Deepfakes and Cybersecurity Reena Bajowala, a partner at Greenberg Traurig, spoke at the AI and Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Committee about deepfakes, security and risks, and ethical application. A deepfake is a video, photo, or audio recording that seems real but has been manipu lated by generative AI, typically for malicious purposes. Bajowala noted that detection of deepfakes is a major issue because they are evolving faster than the ability to detect them. Bajowala provided several examples of security incidents during her presentation. She noted that potential risks include the right of publicity, defamation and inappropriate content, manipulation and disinformation, intellectual property, and security. Two specific areas of security concern include (1) the use of deepfakes to perpetrate a security incident or otherwise defraud individuals, such as a phishing video or audio requesting a password rest; and (2) the use of AI to create adversarial attacks on a system that result in harmful outputs, such as commandeer ing a system to create a deepfake. Other takeaways from the session include: l Proposed Federal Rule of Evidence 707, which would subject “machine-generated” evidence to the same admissibility stan dard as expert testimony, is open for public comment until February 16, 2026 (www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/proposed amendments-published-public-comment). l Mendones v. Cushman and Wakefield, Inc., provides a caution ary tale in which a California Superior Court determined audio and video submitted as evidence by the plaintiff were deepfakes. See Ariel Mendones v. Cushman and Wakefield, Inc., No. 23CV028772 (Cal. Super. Ct. Alameda Cnty. Sept. 9, 2025). Committee co-chairs are Judge Michael T. Mullen, Chan cery Division, Circuit Court of Cook County, and Ronak Shah, Molson Coors.

10 January/February 2026

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Celebrating 50 Years of CBA Membership By Ann Glynn, CBA Public Affairs Director

T he CBA is proud to recognize the 51 members who are marking 50 years of membership this year. CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton hosted a luncheon for some of those members and their families to thank them for their steadfast commitment and dedication to the legal profession and the CBA.

Pictured in the back row from left: John J. Ward, Alan M. Komensky, CBA Secretary Andrew Vail, Steven A. Felsenthal, Judge Dennis J. Burke (ret.), Judge Lewis M. Nixon, Francis P. Murphy, John C. Shepard, David C. Julian, James M. Kramer, and Barry S. Silver. Seated from left: Justice Mary Jane Theis, Lee T. Polk, CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton, CBA First Vice President Trisha M. Rich, and Jay S. Nelson. Not pictured: Arthur H. Anderson, Jr., David Arnburg, Robert I. Berger, Michael A. Buck, Joan S. Cherry. James E. Dahl, John Deppe, George T. Drake, Mark B. Epstein, Eve C. Epstein, Richard R. Fabbrini, Jeffrey M. Feingold, Alan H. Garfield, Jeffrey M. Goldberg, Bruce D. Goodman, Patricia K. Hogan, Joseph S. Holtzman, John K. Hughes, David W. Inlander, Gerald L. Jenkins, Louis C. Keiler, LeRoy C. Klemt, Laurence J. Kline, Louis I. Lang, Alan M. Levin, Frank A. Marino, John H. Mays, Robert T. Palmer, John E. Regan, Roger D. Rudich, Steven E. Silverman, Jeffrey M. Simon, Aaron Spivack, David G. Strom, Edward E. Wicks, Sally Wildman, Norman E. Wilson, and John C. Wojteczko.

The CBA Municipal and Law Committee welcomed Joe Steadman from Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila to present“From Shlensky to National League Ball Club: The Litigious History of Lights at Wrigley Field.” Pictured from left: Judge Joseph Panarese, Circuit Court of Cook County (Co-Vice Chair); Judge Thomas Morrissey, Circuit Court of Cook County (Co-Chair); Marissa D. Longoria, Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (Co-Vice Chair); Joseph Steadman; Michael R. Lufrano, Chicago Cubs; and Judge Michael Zink, Circuit Court of Cook County. To join the committee and receive notice of future meetings, visit www.chicagobar.org (under Committees) or send an email to membership@chicagobar.org.

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CLE & MEMBER NEWS Start the new year with intention. Whether you’re looking to expand your network, sharpen your skills, or take the next step in your career, your CBA membership provides the tools to grow in 2026. With 70 practice area committees and 29 Young Lawyers Section committees meeting monthly—most via live webcast, with in-person and hybrid options—there are countless ways to stay current and expand your relationships. Kickstart 2026: Your Guide to Making the Most of Your CBA Membership

Over 50 new meetings are available each month featuring judges, legal experts, and business leaders. And best of all, meeting pre sentations are free and offer about one hour of free IL MCLE credit if watched live (most meeting presentations are also archived at learn.chicagobar.org, but archives do not qualify for IL MCLE credit). Meeting participation also allows you to connect with colleagues and other thought leaders to share information, develop new business relationships, meet potential mentors, create support networks, and more.

Save on LexisNexis, LawPay, AAA, Clio, Cosmolex, Infotrack, Mycase, Simple Law, SoFi Tabs3, TimeSolv, UPS, legal software, and more! Visit www.chicagobar.org/save for more information and links to our discount providers. These programs have been negotiated to Save Money on CBA Member Discount Programs

provide savings and special offers as a value-added benefit of your CBA membership. Make the most of your membership investment and check out these savings.

We Want to Hear from You! Share Your Expertise and Build Your Network

• Write for the @theBar blog, email yls@chicagobar.org • Participate in our legislative program, email jvyverberg@chica gobar.org • Offer tips/training on law practice management and legal technol ogy, email cle@chicagobar.org • Evaluate judicial candidates, email plubinski@chicagobar.org • Mentor a young lawyer, email eanderson@chicagobar.org If you have questions about other ways to participate in the CBA or the Young Lawyers Section, please email membership@chicagobar. org. Thank you for sharing your time and talent!

Join us in creating valuable resources by sharing your expertise, insights, and stories. By sharing your experiences, you can inspire others, build your professional reputation, and contribute to the growth of our community. These also provide great exposure and well-deserved recognition for participating members. Here are just a few ways to contribute and establish yourself as a thought leader in the legal community. • Speak at seminars and practice area committee meetings, email cle@chicagobar.org • Submit an article to the CBA Record , email CBARecord@chicagobar.org • Submit an article to the YLS Journal , email cba.ylsjournal@gmail.com

Update Your Contact Info, Employment Setting, and Practice Areas to Receive Updates

If you recently moved, joined a new firm, created a new email account, changed practice areas, etc., please take a moment to update your member profile. Add your employment setting and practice areas to receive notices regarding seminars and other

events that relate specifically to you. You can do this online at www.chicagobar.org in your membership account. If you have any problems logging in or updating your profile, email membership@ chicagobar.org.

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CBA RECORD 13

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

A Year of Innovation and Impact: The CBF in Action in 2025 By Emme Veenbaas I n a year marked by new legal challenges for people in need and the dedicated organizations that serve them, the CBF was a powerful force for good thanks to your dedicated partnership and support. Together with your fellow CBA members and our broader legal community, you helped thousands of people get critical legal assistance and continued to build a fairer and better justice system for everyone. Below are some highlights of the important work you made possible this year.

training and resources and connecting residents with reliable, plain-language tools to navigate the legal system.

Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt The CBF continues to play a lead role in the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt (CCLAHD) program, a groundbreaking county wide initiative serving people facing eviction, foreclosure, consumer debt, and related chal lenges. A report released this

Court Access Library Project In 2025, the CBF launched the Court Access Library Project, a pilot program to expand access to the courts through public libraries across Illinois. Recognizing libraries as essential com munity hubs for information and assistance, the project provides library patrons with space and equipment to appear in court remotely, access legal information, e-file documents, and receive guidance from trained librarians. The initiative is an innovative partnership between the Illinois Secretary of State and the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, led by Judge Jill C. Marisie and a dedi cated steering committee. With their guidance, the project has supported the 18 libraries in the pilot by providing specialized Key members of the Court Access Library Project, from left: Roya Samarghandi, The Chicago Bar Foundation; Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford; Judge Jill C. Marisie, Circuit Court of Cook County; Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton; Judge Jorge Ortiz, 19th Judicial Circuit; Lindsey Dorfman, Glenview Public Library; Jill Roberts, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts; and Anna Claussen, Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.

Neil Steinkamp from the global advi sory firm Stout presents on the broad impact of the unique program serving people facing eviction in Chicago and Cook County.

year from global advi sory firm Stout high lighted how CCLAHD’s Early Resolution Pro

gram in the Circuit Court, working with a City of Chicago “Right to Counsel” pilot for evictions, has created a unique and effective model to ensure unrepresented tenants can access high-quality legal assistance tailored to their circumstances. The report found that this approach is making a clear, positive impact in promoting housing stability and improving access to justice across Cook County. Since its inception, CCLAHD has served more than 110,000 people and continues to help court users con nect more easily to legal assistance and mediation when they need it most.

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Patton Legal Aid Training Academy

website where nonprofits can go for the latest information and resources on the changing legal environment, as well as connec tions to pro bono legal advice and assistance.

The CBF’s Legal Aid Academy was relaunched with a new name and an expanded mission thanks to a transformational gift from Steve and Linda Patton. The Patton Legal Aid Training Academy provides high-quality training and professional development for legal aid lawyers and profession

Representatives from the National Alli ance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago present on Crisis Intervention and De escalation through the Patton Legal Aid Training Academy.

Pictured at the Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon: from left, Co-Chair Marlon Lutfiyya, Neal Gerber & Eisenberg LLP; Judge Veronica O’Malley, 19th Judicial Circuit; Missy Turk Firmage, Chuhak & Tecson P.C.; Spencer Haydary, Law Center for Better Housing; Cynthia Cornelius, Cabrini Green Legal Aid; Rich Klawi ter, DLA Piper LLP (US); Michelle Vodenik, Chicago-Kent College of Law; Co-Chair Chantal Kazay Rivera, McDonald’s Corporation; and Kathy Malamis, Zurich North America.

als, helping them deliver exceptional client service, grow in their careers, and strengthen community ties without adding strain to limited budgets. The academy offers coordinated training programs and cus tomized courses designed to address the unique challenges legal aid professionals face. Training covers a wide range of skills, from trial practice and deposition techniques to presentation skills and effective client service.

CBF Advocacy and Events Bring Our Legal Community Together

Investing in Justice Campaign

In a year marked by significant challenges for pro bono and legal aid, the Chicago legal com munity came together around our common cause of ensuring everyone has access to neces sary legal help, not just people who can afford it, and made a record-breaking impact. With the leadership of Krist Werling, a partner at

Pictured at the Fall Benefit: from left, Co-Chairs Rob Cimo of Berke ley Research Group, LLC and Shawn Ronda of Greenberg Traurig LLP, with CBF Board President Tom Panoff of Sheppard Mullin.

Krist Werling

McDermott Will & Schulte, more than 130 law firms, corpo rate legal departments, and other legal organizations participated in the campaign to raise awareness and essential funding. More than 4,200 legal professionals contributed over $1.56 million (a new record) to support legal aid and related initiatives. To date, the campaign has generated more than $20 million—and lever aged millions more in additional support—to strengthen the pro bono and legal aid organizations serving the entire Chicago area, enabling them to provide critical legal assistance for thousands of people each year. Nonprofit Legal Support Project The CBF launched the Nonprofit Legal Support Project in response to heightened federal scrutiny affecting nonprofits’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, along with new compli ance risks stemming from recent executive actions. The Nonprofit Legal Support Project is a partnership between the CBF, Forefront, and the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. A distinguished advisory committee of nonprofit and law firm experts oversee the initiative and play key roles. The project is part of a broader Nonprofit Resilience Hub at Forefront and includes a dedicated and curated web page on Forefront’s

The Illinois delegation at the annual ABA Day in Washington

Thousands of legal professionals came together for the CBA/CBF Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon, the annual Fall Benefit, and Passport to Chicago to celebrate the CBF’s mission of creating a fairer and more effective justice system. The CBF also again led legal community delegations to Wash ington, D.C., and Springfield to advocate for legal aid and access to justice issues.

Emme Veenbaas is The Chicago Bar Foundation’s Senior Manager of Communications & Events.

CBA RECORD 15

THE CBA PULSE

BY BETH McMEEN, CBA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The CBA and the Coalition of Chicagoland Bar Associations sponsored a reception to celebrate outgoing Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans’s many outstanding years of service to the court and his excellence in leadership to the legal profession. Pictured from left: Coalition Vice-Chair and LAGBAC Immediate Past President Adam Zebelian, AABA First Vice President Tae Kim, HALA Vice President Judie Smith, President-Elect of the National Conference of Bar Presidents Juan Thomas, Immediate Past CBA President John C. Sciaccotta, Judge Evans, CBA President Judge Nichole C. Patton, HLAI President Julio Acosta, WBAI President Katie Twardak, and Decalogue Society President Alexander Marks.

Enjoy a Musical Night Out The CBA Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, comprising mem bers of Chicago’s bench and bar, will perform a concert on Sat urday, February 28, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Cathedral (Wabash & Huron). All members and their guests are invited to the performance. $20 advance tickets ($15 students) are on sale at https://CBAfeb26.eventbrite.com. AI 2035 Symposium The symposium, AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judi ciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, is a landmark three-day convening that will bring together over 500 lawyers, technology innovators, judiciary members, and industry leaders to explore artificial intelligence and the law. Taking place May 11-13, 2026, this immersive experience will feature keynote addresses from leading AI experts, interactive CLE sessions, live technology dem onstrations, panel discussions on emerging ethical challenges, and networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration across practice areas. Sponsorship and registration information can be found at chicagobar.org/AI2035, or contact CLE Director Jennifer Byrne at jbyrne@chicagobar.org with questions. New Year, New Insurance? The CBA Insurance Agency has been providing quality insurance solutions to attorneys and law firms since 1993, including legal

malpractice, health, cyber, and life insurance. The start of a new year is a great time to examine your coverage and to get a free quote to see if you can save money. Visit www.cbainsurance.org for complete information on the offerings. Email Tyler Sill at tsill@ chicagobar.org to schedule a call to go over your individual needs. Reinvent Your Legal Career The CBA’s Career Advancement Program featuring career coun selor Kathy Morris of Under Advisement Ltd. is in full swing. CAP is designed to help members of all experience levels and backgrounds move forward in their careers. Morris has been help ing lawyers of all skill levels and practice areas navigate the Chi cago legal job market for decades. Her next one-on-one career counseling day will be held on January 28, and her next career focused CLE is scheduled for February 26. You can find registra tion details at www.chicagobar. org (under the Careers tab). Alliance for Women Are you a member of the CBA’s Alliance for Women Committee? In addition to monthly meetings, the Alliance also sponsors social events such as Wine Down Wednesdays and the Girl Scouts’ Project Law Track. All members are welcome to get involved with the group, whose programming focuses on advancing women in the law. To join, go to www. chicagobar.org/committees or email info@chicagobar.org with your name and member number.

16 January/February 2026

Congratulations To the recipients of the CBA’s 2025 Edward J. Lewis II Lawyers in the Classroom’s Fourth Annual Civic Appreciation Awards: BatesCarey LLP and Chase Elementary … Public Interest Law Initiative honored the following at its 2025 Annual Awards Lun cheon: PILI Intern Alumni Award: Arturo Hernandez ; PILI Fellow Alumni Award: Judy K. He ; Pro Bono Initiative Award: Greenberg Traurig; and Distinguished Public Service Award: Jus tice Mary Jane Theis … along with former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel , John C. Sciaccotta , Aronberg Goldgehn, co-founded the WINGS Men’s Alliance, an initiative created to mobilize men as allies, advocates, and leaders in the effort to end domestic vio lence and build safer, more equitable communities… Amundsen Davis LLC hired Terence P. Smith as a partner in the firm’s labor and employment service group… and Goodman Law Group added Elizabeth Hady as a senior litigator. Karbal, Cohen, Economou, Silk & Dunne LLC’s Senior Part ner and Equity Member Newton C. Marshall was installed as President of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys for the 2025-2026 year… Dorsey & Whitney opened a Chicago office and added Domingo P. Such III and Lucy Park as partners… Lavelle Law welcomed Anthony V. Letto, Michael B. Boland, James P. Berg, and Jacob N. Rotolo as associates... and Four Clif ford Law Office partners were named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America: Robert A. Clifford, Keith A. Hebeisen, Kevin P. Durkin , and Bradley M. Cosgrove . Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP added Joseph Forchetti, Mat thew J. Nealon , and Alexa Spitz as associates… Beerman LLP

hired John P. McKeown, Scott Pelletier , and Justin R. Smith as associates focusing exclusively on family law… Corboy & Deme trio partner Conrad C. Nowak received the 2025 Chicago Sister Cities International Volunteer of the Year Award, which recognizes a volunteer committee member who has played an important role in furthering Chicago Sister Cities International’s mission… Goldberg Segalla added Patrycia Piaskowski as an associate to its product liability practice group… and Charles F. “Chuck” Smith joined JAMS, a provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The Law Bulletin Media’s 40 Under Forty 2025 Illinois Attor neys to Watch: Jonathan Cavins, Brennan Butler LLC; Priscilla Centeno , Frazier & McGrath; Huiyi Chen , Jenner & Block LLP; Kyle Cooper , Tabet DiVito & Rothstein LLC; Gail Eisenberg , Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd.; Jesse Footlik , Peck Ritchey, LLC; Andrew Mason , Smith LaCien – Trial Lawyers; Julia Mazur , Katten; Alexander Passo , Latimer LeVay Fyock LLC; Eirene Salvi , Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.; Melissa Turk Firmage , Chuhak & Tecson, P.C.; LeDeidre Turner , Commonwealth Edison Com pany; Melanie VanOverloop , Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOver loop, P.C.; and Abe Wehbi , Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. Wallace Miller promoted Jessica Wieczorkiewicz , who is in the firm’s mass tort practice, to parter, and Smith LaCien hired Matthew S. Leonard as a litigation attorney. Condolences To the family and friends of U.S. District Court Judge William J. Bauer (ret.), and John E. Corkery , former UIC Law Dean and Professor Emeritus of Law.

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CBA RECORD 17

AI 2035

EXHIBIT AI: PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION

By Justice Rena Van Tine

A rtificial intelligence has moved from gimmick to genuine utility in the legal profession. Here are some tips for law yers looking to leverage AI in their practices. Key References l Illinois Supreme Court AI Policy (January 1, 2025) https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/News/1485/Illinois-Supreme Court-Announces-Policy-on-Artificial-Intelligence/news-detail/ l Illinois Supreme Court Judicial Reference Sheet (January 1, 2025) https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/News/1485/Illinois-Supreme Court-Announces-Policy-on-Artificial-Intelligence/news-detail/ l Illinois ARDC Attorney’s Guide to Implementing AI (October 1, 2025) https://www.iardc.org/EducationAndOut reach/ArtificialIntelligence Risk Management l To minimize risk, remember that AI is fast, not necessarily authoritative. It is great at speed, structure, and recognizing patterns from whatever database it can access, but it remains heavily reliant on human expertise for context, accuracy, strat egy, and ethics. l Ensure data security and compliance with related legal require ments and good business practices. AI tools often require access to sensitive client information, thereby necessitating strict adherence to data protection laws. Implement strong cybersecurity measures and remain informed about the cur

rent regulations governing AI use in the legal field. l Remember to also comply with any related ethical standards, including taking the necessary steps to protect client confiden tiality and privilege. Since AI inquiries and searches are not confidential, be sure to redact names and unique identifiers when necessary. Tag AI-assisted drafts and keep a record of prompts and outputs for internal work product and privilege tracking. Rather than starting with anything that might be considered sensitive, run tests with synthetic or public data. l When starting out using AI, strive for high-impact, low-risk wins such as a rewrite of a first draft. Lawyers report success in having AI produce or refine letters, blog posts, discovery responses, biographies, engagement letters, fee proposals, client alerts, and internal policies. The key in making such tools work well is to treat outputs as starting points, not final work product. Prompts and Use Cases l When prompting AI, be specific about the requested task, target audience, appropriate jurisdiction, identified con straints, ideal tone, and preferred format. Input examples and a style sample when possible. Ask for structure and tell it if you want bullet points, tables, paragraphs, or quotes, and pin cite sources when appropriate. Ask the model to list assumptions, flag uncertainties, and separate facts from inferences. ❍ For example, lawyers often use AI to summarize long

18 January/February 2026

THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND THE JUDICIARY IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

transcripts, medical records, contracts, and discovery dumps. When prompting for such a summary, opt for specificity: “Summarize this 300‑page transcript into key issues, admissions, and impeachment points with page cites. Limit to 15 bullet points.” l AI also has been used successfully to generate plain language client summaries. Try generating such a summary and, if appropriate for clients who are nonnative English speakers, translating the content into another language—taking care to omit names and unique facts to protect confidentiality. Be mindful that with highly specialized or technical translations, checking the accuracy of the translation could be an issue if you’re not fluent in the subject language. l Lawyers have successfully turned lengthy agreements into crisp issue lists. However, the quality and accuracy of AI-generated issues depends on your verification skills. Use AI to frame issues that you may miss, not to finish them. ❍ For example: Lawyers have used AI in assisting with contracts by generating redlines against their playbooks, suggesting fall back provisions, and flagging deviations for attorney review. Legal Research l Never accept citations or quotes at face value. When using AI for legal research, it’s crucial to verify every citation with West law, Lexis, or Fastcase and a citator. There is no substitute for

reading the cases so you can avoid misquotes, hallucinations, or misattributions. Require AI to give you direct quotations with citations and links. Then, always take the time to double check the content against the official source and verify what you’ve cited. The Future AI is evolving rapidly. Staying open to new technologies while using your human touch and legal training have the potential to further facilitate your practice by saving you time, effort, and money. Attending AI technology confer ences, subscribing to legal technology journals, and attend ing CLE programs that address AI issues can be invaluable. The bottom line is that AI will not replace your legal judg ment and analytical skills. AI will reward lawyers who design clear processes, verify relentlessly, and protect client trust. Start small, measure, and standardize. Then scale what works—always keeping yourself in the loop to analyze and verify.

Justice Rena Marie Van Tine serves on the Illinois Appellate Court, First District; she is a member of the CBA Board of Managers and is Co-Chair of the Executive Committee for AI 2035: The Legal Profession and the Judiciary in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

AI Guardrails in Law Schools

I f tomorrow's lawyers graduate without understanding how AI works, the pro fession will struggle to adapt respon sibly. This is particularly important when recognizing that law students are likely to be more proficient in the use of AI tools than seasoned lawyers. Here’s how some Illinois law schools are leading the way to address this issue: l The University of Chicago Law School has integrated AI into its first-year legal research and writing curriculum. Stu dents now use AI tools in the second semester—but only after mastering tra ditional research methods in the first. The law school has also launched an AI lab where students can design and build AI tools for legal services delivery. l Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law offers new courses such as “Arti ficial Intelligence and Legal Reasoning,” which teaches students to deconstruct

legal reasoning and engineer AI applica tions. l Chicago-Kent College of Law offers a JD Certificate in Legal Innovation and Technology, which includes coursework in AI and law. Students in the program engage with both the practical applica tions of AI and the ethical implications of its use. l The University of Illinois College of Law offers similar courses to that of Chicago Kent and has developed faculty guid ance on teaching AI effectively. These programs share a common phi losophy: AI literacy is not optional, and students must use AI to enhance—not replace—“thinking like a lawyer.” Stu dents must learn how to test AI's accu racy, recognize when human judgment must take over, and understand the ethi cal constraints that govern its use. Assign ments that pair AI-generated analysis with

traditional research methods teach critical thinking by exposing AI’s limitations. Most law schools across the country have also established clear policies govern ing AI use, and more should follow suit. These policies, which generally mirror plagiarism standards, specify when AI is permitted, when disclosure is required, and how violations will be handled. — By Joel Bruckman

CBA RECORD 19