AI and Law
How Attorneys Can Use AI Responsibly: A Practical Guide to Protecting Client Confidentiality
In February 2026, the legal profession received a stark reminder that technological convenience never supersedes ethical obligation. In the case of US v. Heppner, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) issued a ruling that effectively dismantled the assumption of privacy many practitioners have regarding artificial intelligence. Judge Jed S. Rakoff […]
Getting Paid for a Handshake? The Surprising Truth About Lawyer Referral Fees
Imagine you hire a lawyer for a complex personal injury case. After a successful outcome, you discover that your attorney paid a significant portion of their fee to another lawyer—one you never even met—whose only role was to recommend you in the first place. To many, this sounds like a questionable “kickback,” an under-the-table deal […]
The Heppner Wake-Up Call: Why Your Client’s Chatbot Conversations are the New Discovery Nightmare
On February 17, 2026, the Southern District of New York (SDNY) issued a ruling that serves as a definitive ethical and malpractice advisory for the modern era. In United States v. Heppner, Judge Jed S. Rakoff addressed a question of first impression: Are a client’s secret logs with a generative AI platform protected by privilege? […]
4 Surprising Ways AI is Reshaping the Attorney Referral Landscape
The Multi-Billion Dollar Problem You Didn’t Know You Had For most attorneys, the process of giving or receiving a client referral is a familiar mix of manual effort, gut instinct, and administrative delay. It’s a necessary but often inefficient part of the business. What’s surprising, however, is the scale of this inefficiency. The U.S. legal […]