Program
Fall 2026 AI and the Law Conference
8:15 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Preston Hall
78 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 19693
Friday, October 23, 2026
- 8:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Breakfast and Registration | Preston Hall lobby - 9:00 a.m.–9:55 a.m.
Opening Remarks and Plenary Session: A Primer on Artificial Intelligence
Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr.
Jonathan Hill, Chief Transformation Officer - 10:00 a.m.–10:55 a.m. | Breakout Sessions A
Track 1: The Standard of Practice in the Age of AI: Keeping Legal Workflows Grounded
Track 2: Leveraging Generative AI in Research and Writing: Tools and Workflows - 11:00 a.m.–11:55 a.m. | Breakout Sessions B
Track 1: Implementing AI in Your Practice
Track 2: AI Stand-ins: Chatbots and Agents - 12:00 p.m.–1:25 p.m. | Lunch & Fireside Chat
- 1:30 p.m.–2:25 p.m. | Breakout Sessions C
Track 1: AI and Environmental Protection: A Threat. A Tool. A Transformation.
Track 2: Managing the Risks and Rewards of AI in Law, Education, and Society - 2:30 p.m.–3:25 p.m. | Breakout Sessions D
Track 1: Legal Ethics and the Future of Practice in the Age of AI
Track 2: ChatGPT, Esq.—Will AI Replace Lawyers? - 3:30 p.m. | Closing Remarks
- 3:45 p.m.–5:00 p.m. | Networking Reception
Featured Session
Fireside Chat with David Curran
A fireside conversation featuring Dave Curran, Co-Chair of Sustainability Advisory and Executive Director of the Sustainability and Law Institute at Paul, Weiss, exploring timely questions and perspectives surrounding artificial intelligence and its growing impact on society.
CLE Credit Sessions
Managing the Risks and Rewards of AI in Law, Education, and Society
John Bandler, Founder, Bandler Law Firm PLLC and Bandler Group LLC
This discussion examines the risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence through the intersecting lenses of law, legal education, technology, and democratic governance. It will consider the responsibilities of lawyers, law students, and educators to engage with AI critically and ethically, while assessing its broader implications for professional practice, institutional decision-making, and society.
Legal Ethics and the Future of Practice in the Age of AI
Hon. Patria Frias-Colon, Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Term
Hon. Vito M. DeStefano, District Administrative Judge Nassau County
This session examines how New York’s Rules of Professional Conduct, Part 130, disciplinary decisions, ethics opinions, Part 161, and Unified Court System policies inform and shape the responsible use of artificial intelligence by lawyers and law firms.
Breakout Sessions
The Standard of Practice in the Age of AI: Keeping Legal Workflows Grounded
Christopher An, Esq., Voice of the Customer Manager, LexisNexis Legal & Professional
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping legal practice, with new tools and capabilities emerging at a constant pace. While these developments can be difficult to track, the professional standard of practice remains a stable framework for evaluating and integrating new technologies. This presentation examines how attorneys can apply existing standards of competence, diligence, and professional judgment to the use of AI in legal workflows. Participants will explore practical approaches to maintaining quality, managing risk, and preserving the lawyer’s role as a critical decision-maker, even as automation expands. The session will also highlight recent developments in AI-enabled legal tools as examples for understanding broader trends, with a focus on how to incorporate innovation without compromising professional responsibility.
Leveraging Generative AI in Research and Writing: Tools and Workflows
Deborah L. Heller, Assistant Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law Library
The session explores how legal professionals can responsibly use mainstream AI tools in their research and drafting. The session covers key considerations before use, including confidentiality, model selection, and applicable court rules. It then moves into live demonstrations comparing tools like Claude and Gemini for legal research tasks, followed by practical drafting workflows for clauses or agreements, client emails, and redlining. It closes with guidance on verifying AI output and understanding professional responsibility obligations.
Implementing AI in Your Practice
Frank Iannella, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Heineken USA
Jeff Sipos, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer of Clarion Capital Partners
AI Stand-ins: Chatbots and Agents
Gabriel Terrizzi, Director of Web, Mobile, and AI services
AI and Environmental Protection: A Threat. A Tool. A Transformation
Moderator: Achinthi C. Vithanage, Executive Director of the Environmental Law Program and Professor of Law for Designated Service in Environmental Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law
Panelists:
Nicholas A. Robinson, University Professor on the Environment and Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law Emeritus, Elisabeth Haub School of Law
Basil Seggos, Partner and Senior Policy Director, Foley Hoag
Pianpian Wang, Global Regulatory Affairs Manager, Vita Coco
Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world at a breathtaking pace, but at a cost to the planet. However, that cost may not be a reason to object to all AI development, because AI also offers cutting-edge opportunities for new approaches to environmental protection and for reviving traditional approaches with new vigor.
This panel brings together elite faculty and alumni from the nation's #1 ranked environmental law program at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law to explore the complex and urgent relationship between AI and the environment. Panelists will examine the staggering environmental footprint of AI infrastructure, including the massive energy consumption, water demands, and environmental justice implications of data centers powering today's large language models and machine learning systems. At the same time, the panel will explore AI's transformative potential as a force for environmental protection, from accelerating climate modeling and pollution detection to reinvigorating regulatory enforcement and environmental litigation at a moment when progress has stalled, and we desperately need bold new approaches.
At the intersection of technology, law, justice, and the planet's future, this conversation could not be timelier. Join us for a rigorous and forward-looking dialogue on the opportunities and challenges ahead.
ChatGPT, Esq.: Will AI Replace Lawyers?
Heather Schneider, Partner, Gemini Law LLP