CBA Record January-February 2026

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

Judicial Concerns The increasing use of AI raises issues of accuracy and ethics for the courts. Pleadings with hallucinated or misattrib uted cases provoke sanctions and may lead to an ethics inquiry. Deepfakes, such as AI-generated images, can make the discovery process more challenging. Con versely, a party falsely labeling evidence as a deepfake will confuse juries. Efforts nec essary to mitigate these challenges raise

litigation costs, prolong trials, and erode public trust in the judiciary. These risks are not assumed. They are unfolding in every facet of govern ment. The solution is not to reject AI, but to establish guardrails, oversight, and accountability. As a start, strong federal legislation must establish the standard. Without it, government-deployed AI will not enhance democratic stability. Rather, it will undermine it.

The Young Lawyers Section wel comed 30 teams from across the country to Chicago in November for its 43rd Annual Moot Court Competition. Benedict Nsenga and Nygie Rhodes, law students at Michigan State University College of Law, were awarded Best Overall Team. Pictured from left: Scott Howie, Partner, Dono hue Brown Smyth LLC; Benedict Nsenga; Nygie Rhodes; and Judge Martin Moltz, Circuit Court of Cook County.

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The Young Lawyers Section enjoyed a festive night at its annual Holiday Social. Thank you to Romanucci & Blandin LLC and Smith LaCien LLP for sponsoring the event. Pictured from left: YLS Inclusion and Engagement Officer Joseph Nelson, YLS Program Officer Deepa Singh, YLS Commercial Litigation Committee Chair Blake Kolesa, YLS Second Vice Chair Bianca Ciarroni, YLS Immediate Past Chair Kenneth Matuszewski, YLS Chair Gavin Phelps, and YLS Director Kushtrim Ashiku.

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