Law Practice Today

The Law Practice Division

This podcast is brought to you by the Law Practice Division of the American Bar Association. 

  1. AI Hallucinations in Court The Sullivan & Cromwell Lesson

    vor 1 Tag

    AI Hallucinations in Court The Sullivan & Cromwell Lesson

    Recorded as a fireside chat at the ABA Law Practice Division Spring Meeting in San Diego, this special episode examines reports that Sullivan & Cromwell filed a brief containing nonexistent or inaccurate case citations and later apologized to opposing counsel and the court. Steve Embry, Jennifer Ellis, and Michael Eisenberg discuss why AI hallucinations continue to appear in legal filings despite widespread awareness of the risks. They point to ignored firm policies, time pressure, overreliance on confident-sounding AI outputs, and a lack of understanding of generative AI's limitations as key contributing factors. The discussion also explores how these failures relate to lawyers' ethical duties of competence, candor, and supervision. The speakers emphasize that legal citations should always be independently verified using traditional legal research tools—not AI—such as Shepardizing in Lexis or Westlaw. They also stress that proper training and experience are essential for recognizing unreliable AI-generated results. 00:00 – AI Hallucinations Hit BigLaw 00:37 – Show Intro and Disclaimer 01:16 – Sullivan & Cromwell Brief Fallout 02:19 – Why Lawyers Keep Getting Burned 04:19 – Competence Rules and Citation Checks 06:53 – Workflow Reality Check 08:55 – Training to Spot Hallucinations 10:45 – Verifying Citations Without AI Tools 12:55 – Closing Thoughts and Wrap-Up 13:02 – Podcast Outro and Resources

    14 Min.
  2. How AI Is Changing Legal Billing and Client Value

    8. Juni

    How AI Is Changing Legal Billing and Client Value

    In this Law Practice Podcast fireside chat on “Billing in the Age of AI,” host Jim Calloway is joined by Julie Bays, Director of the Management Assistance Program at the Oklahoma Bar Association, and Wendy Meadows, a family law attorney in Maryland and coaching consultant for small and solo law firms. Together, they discuss how AI is changing the way lawyers think about billing, value, and client communication. The conversation centers on the “efficiency paradox”: when AI helps lawyers complete certain tasks faster, how should that speed be reflected in the client’s bill? Wendy shares how her practice has shifted toward a hybrid billing model, using flat fees for document-based work like complaints and marital settlement agreements, while continuing to bill hourly for meetings, phone calls, and other client-facing work. Julie emphasizes that invoices should do more than request payment — they should help clients understand the value of the work performed. Even when AI makes legal work more efficient, lawyers still bring years of judgment, experience, and legal strategy to the final product. The panel also discusses the importance of clearly outlining billing structures in engagement agreements, continuing to track time even for flat-fee work, and setting limits when a matter exceeds the original scope. They also highlight the need for client disclosures around AI use, including warnings about placing attorney work product or confidential documents into public AI platforms. Finally, the conversation explores how AI-driven efficiency may help lawyers expand their ability to take on pro bono and low-bono work. Rather than viewing AI only as a billing challenge, the speakers frame it as an opportunity to improve access to justice, increase capacity, and encourage lawyers to adopt AI thoughtfully — one small step at a time. 00:00 Welcome and Overview 00:33 Show Disclaimer 01:12 Billing in the Age of AI 01:15 Meet the Panelists 01:35 Invoices as Value Proof 02:11 Hybrid Billing in Practice 03:35 Engagement Terms and Time Caps 04:24 AI Disclosures and Confidentiality 05:23 Efficiency and Access to Justice 06:22 Closing Takeaways 07:05 Outro and Resources

    8 Min.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Law Practice Division of the American Bar Association. 

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