Ethical Tech: Beyond the Duty of Competency

Grand Ballroom B

As legal technology options, opportunities, and debates grow even more robust–and complicated–with the explosion of Generative AI, using Comment 8 to Model Rule 1.1 as an umbrella concept to cover them all can be a tempting starting point. But while few would disagree with the idea that “lawyers should be competent with technology,” this sweeping statement obscures the many other ethical angles to a lawyer’s everyday use of technology in practice. Come hear about the most recent examples at the intersection of ethics and technology: supervision, confidentiality, security, privilege, billing, social media, communication, client relationship formation, advertising, and more. After a broad introduction paired with concrete case scenarios and examples, this session will equip modern lawyers with a broad framework through which to examine their own practice to gain confidence in their ability to spot the specific opportunities–and pitfalls–that may arise at the intersection of technology and ethics in their individual practice.