Artificial Intelligence: Legal Issues, Policy, and Practical Strategies

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming our world at a breakneck pace, including the practice of law. The recent rapid development of generative AI, which produces new outputs based on the data it has been trained on and prompts from users, has been heralded as a revolutionary intellectual and technological development. AI has the potential to improve many aspects of the practice of law, including increasing the speed at which many tasks can be done, boosting productivity, and reducing the amount of time spent on routine tasks. In addition, AI can help to solve one of the most pressing problems facing our legal system – the large number of people who are not able to afford a lawyer and must try to navigate the legal system on their own.

The book covers a wide range of important topics concerning AI and the law, and provides practical advice to attorneys on how to navigate these complex and rapidly evolving issues.

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Press Release

ABA releases comprehensive book outlining analyses, strategies to deal with Artificial Intelligence

CHICAGO, July 15, 2024 – The American Bar Association will release “Artificial Intelligence: Legal Issues, Policy, and Practical Strategies” on July 26, 2024. The book was created through a collaboration between the Presidential ABA Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence and the ABA Science & Technology Law Section. Contributors to the book will be on hand at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago during a special reception on Thursday, August 1 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel’s Cuvee Room.

The book arose from the work of the AI Task Force, an initiative launched by ABA President Mary Smith to address critical legal and law practice issues arising from rapid adoption of generative AI and other AI technologies. Smith noted that “This book is essential reading for lawyers of all practice areas and takes a comprehensive look at the ways AI is transforming the legal profession and the ramifications from its use.  This book not only provides critical information from a wide range of experts but can serve as a roadmap and resource for lawyers, judges and executives on how to navigate this complex technology in this rapidly-evolving area.”

The book features contributions from over 40 preeminent authorities offering practical strategies, legal analysis and reflections on the influence that AI will have on both the legal profession and the law. According to Lucy Thomson, Chair of the AI Task Force and principal of Livingston PLLC: “We created this book as a resource on a wide range of critical issues concerning AI and the law. AI will require lawyers and judges to understand how AI works, how it is developed and used, what advantages it can bring, the risks it can create and the legal and ethical issues that will arise.”

Thomson served as co-editor of the book with Cynthia Cwik, Vice Chair of the AI Task Force and a former litigation partner with Jones Day and Latham & Watkins LLP, and Christopher Suarez, a SciTech officer and partner with Steptoe LLP who practices in its Intellectual Property and AI, Data and Digital groups.|

AI is transforming our world and the practice of law at a rapid pace. AI has the potential to improve many aspects of legal practice, including increasing the speed at which tasks can be done and boosting productivity. Yet AI also presents significant challenges, including the need to protect confidential client information, establish governance frameworks to ensure accuracy and mitigate privacy, security and intellectual property risks.

Over the past year, the ABA AI Task Force has presented programs on both the promise and peril of using AI technologies in the law. SciTech, in its 50^th year, is a leading voice within the ABA on emerging technologies, including AI.

The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Authors

Joseph Blass
Professor Ray Brescia
Ruth Hill Bro
Secretary Michael Chertoff
Jeffrey Chivers
Steven Croley
Cynthia Cwik
Professor David Danks
Lothar Determann
Judge Herbert Dixon
Professor William Eskridge
Professor Hany Farid
Ivan Fong
Professor Maura Grossman
Professor Dan Ho
Peter Homoki
former Brigadier General Partick Huston
Olivia Martin
Bridget McCormack
Scott Milner
Senator Alex Padilla
Lucian Pera
Amy Perez
Natalie Pierce
Kit Rodolfa
John Rosenthal
Paul Rosenzweig
Theodore Rostow
Trooper Sanders
James Sandman
Judge Scott Schlegel
Reva Schwartz
Karen Silverman
ABA President Mary Smith
Christopher Suarez
Faiz Surani
Andrew Sutton
Lucy Thomson
Miriam Vogel
Ericka Watson
John Weaver
Maggie Welsh
Stephanie Wilson
Steve Wu