From the War-Room to the Bench:
Navigating AI in the New Legal Frontier
Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 3:30 to 5:30 pm CST
A FREE Clifford Law Offices CLE Webinar
Pending IL MCLE Board approval, CLE credit will only be available to those who attend the webinar during its live broadcast on February 19, 2025, at 3:30-5:30 p.m. CST. Those who view the recorded version of the webinar will not be eligible for CLE credit.Presented by:
Program Information:
Date: February 19, 2026
Program Time: 3:30-5:30 p.m. CST
Place: This program is available via the web only.
Registration is required to attend the free program.
CLE credit is only available to those who attend the webinar during its live broadcast on February 19, 2026 at 3:30-5:30 p.m. CST. Those who view the recorded version of the webinar will not be eligible for CLE credit.
For questions, please call Clifford Law Offices at (312) 756-7575 or email programs@cliffordlaw.com
Program Information:
From the War-Room to the Bench: Navigating AI in the New Legal Frontier
February 19, 2026, 3:30-5:30 p.m. CST
This two-hour program is meant to provide the latest developments in artificial intelligence and how lawyers can use AI responsibly in their law practices.
Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the world, and the legal profession is no exception. Its rapid adoption is reshaping one’s legal practice, which presents both ethical dilemmas and significant litigation risks. On one hand, lawyers must ensure compliance with professional responsibility rules when using AI in their practices. On the other hand, courts are increasingly grappling with AI-driven disputes, ranging from privacy concerns to AI-generated bias. This webinar will examine both sides of the AI legal landscape – how to use generative AI responsibly to increase efficiency for the client while preparing for the litigation trends shaping its future.
Attendees will gain insights into how generative AI is creating both opportunities and challenges, and how legal professionals can mitigate risks while leveraging AI’s transformative potential. And AI did not write this program description.
Learning Objectives
- Define and Recognize AI in Legal Practice - Participants will be able to define key artificial intelligence concepts (including generative AI), identify current and emerging uses of AI in law practice, and distinguish factual scenarios in which AI tools impact advice, communication, document creation, and court submissions.
- Identify and Address Ethical Duties and Risks - Participants will apply Rules of Professional Conduct to common uses of generative AI in law firm settings and otherwise by lawyers and legal professionals, and articulate the primary ethical risks (such as confidentiality, supervision, competence, candor, and unauthorized practice of law).
- Develop Risk Mitigation Strategies and Best Practices - Participants will learn frameworks and strategies for ethically utilizing AI—including supervision, client communication, verifying AI outputs, vendor selection, and written firm policies—to avoid common pitfalls and maintain compliance with professional obligations.
- Reflect on AI’s Impact and Plan for Ongoing Compliance - Participants will reflect on how AI adoption affects client service, law firm business models, access to justice, and the practice of law, and will develop individual or firm-level action steps for continuous ethical compliance as technology evolves.
Moderator:
Robert A. Clifford
Founder and Senior Partner
Clifford Law Offices, PC
Speakers
Judge Michael J. Chmiel
Co-Chair of Illinois State Bar Association AI Committee
Circuit Court of McHenry County
Daniel W. Linna, Jr.
Senior Lecturer & Director of Law and Technology Initiatives
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law & McCormick School of Engineering
Mark Palmer
Chief Counsel
Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
Judge Thaddeus L. Wilson
Chancery Division – General Section
Circuit Court of Cook County
Continuing Legal Education:
Illinois: 2.0 hours of Professional Responsibility/Ethics (Pending IL MCLE Board approval)
Missouri: Approved for 2.4 total hours, including 2.4 ethics hours and 0.0 elimination of bias hours by the MCLE Department of the MO State Bar
Additional pre-approved credit pending approval in: IA, IN, WI, OH
Reciprocity in: CA, FL, NY