CBA Record January-February 2026

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