Demystifying the Algorithm: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About AI (On-Demand)

Course Description

The legal profession is at a crossroads where “business as usual” meets the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence.  For many practitioners, AI feels like a “black box” – powerful, yet opaque and potentially risky.  This session strips away the hype and provides a grounded, practical roadmap for integrating AI into your practice.

We will move beyond the headlines to explore how AI actually works and, more importantly, how it can be used to streamline document review, legal research, and administrative workflows.  Whether you are a solo practitioner or part of a large firm, this course will equip you with the foundational knowledge to navigate the digital transformation of law with confidence.

Syllabus

1. AI Foundations: A plain-English explanation of Generative AI and how it differs from traditional legal research tools
2. The Lawyer’s Toolkit: A survey of current AI applications for contract analysis, document review, and automated drafting
3. Prompt Engineering for Lawyers: How to communicate with AI to get precise, high-quality outputs while avoiding “hallucinations.”
4. Ethical Guardrails: Navigating the critical intersections of AI with attorney-client privilege, data privacy, and the duty of competence
5. Risk Mitigation: Practical strategies for verifying AI-generated work product to ensure accuracy and compliance with court rules