Your AI is Not Equal to My Law Degree – What to Do When Clients Go Rogue
Category: On Demand
Member Price: $184
Non-Member Price: $230
Areas of Law: For All Attorneys, Technology
Featured Speaker
Moderator
- Ayesha Krishnan Hamilton, Esq.
- Hamilton Law Firm PC, Princeton
Presenters
- W. Lois Kahagi, Esq.
- W.Lois Kahagi Family Law Services, Iselin
- Joshua Lenon, Esq.
- Lawyer in Residence, Clio
- Jennifer M. Mohamed, Esq.
- Managing Member, Law Office of Jennifer Mohamed LLC, Flemington
- Brad Wetherall
- Chief Operating Officer, Esquire Digital, Medford
In March 2026, the Hon. Jed S. Rakoff of the Southern District of New York issued a decision that served as both a wake-up call and a warning for lawyers and their clients. In United States v. Heppner, the court held that a defendant's AI-generated legal queries and an attorney's responses to those queries were not protected by the attorney-client privilege or the work product doctrine.
As generative AI becomes increasingly accessible, more clients are turning to these tools to better understand their legal matters. That instinct is understandable– legal proceedings are deeply personal, and clients want to ask informed questions and actively participate in their cases. But when AI becomes part of the attorney-client relationship, it can introduce unexpected legal, ethical, and strategic risks.
This timely program brings together experienced attorneys and technology professionals to examine the growing role of AI in client communications. The panel will discuss the potential pitfalls of client-generated AI research, the implications for privilege and confidentiality, and practical strategies for advising clients on the responsible use of AI. Attendees will leave with actionable guidance for protecting privileged communications, managing client expectations, and leveraging AI in ways that enhance, rather than undermine, legal representation.
Topics Include:
- How to Define AI and the Terminology
- The Ethics of AI including the NJ Supreme Court Directive, Relevant RPC’s and Billing Practices
- Using AI for Attorney Advertising
- Hallucinations – How to Avoid Them, Detect Them and Deal with AI Gaslighting
- AI Tracking Using Watermarks – What Will this Mean for the Practice of Law
- How Should We Guide or Warn our Clients on the Use of AI
- How to Avoid Attorney Malpractice – Three “Must Do’s and Don’ts”
- Effectively using AI in our practices
- When Is AI-Generated Work Discoverable - The U.S. v. HEPPNER decision
- Practical Ways Lawyers Should Use AI and Helpful Tools