Innovator's Edge: Q2 2026 AI Update for the Legal Profession

Spring brings new momentum to AI's transformation of legal practice. Join Bridget McCormack (American Arbitration Association) and Jen Leonard (Creative Lawyers) for the second quarterly briefing of 2026 on artificial intelligence's rapidly evolving impact on the profession. This April session delivers essential, just-in-time updates on the trends reshaping how lawyers work, serve clients, and define their professional identity.

McCormack and Leonard will survey the critical developments across six key domains: the broader tech landscape, legal-specific technology, emerging regulatory and ethical frameworks, innovations in legal education and lawyer formation, access to justice initiatives, and the evolving business models of law practice. Most importantly, they'll analyze how these developments connect, showing how these changes converge to create both challenges and opportunities for forward-thinking practitioners.

Drawing on their extensive experience presenting to legal audiences nationwide, the presenters will also tackle the most pressing questions lawyers are asking about AI's role in their professional lives. Whether you're an AI skeptic or enthusiast, this accessible session requires no technical background or specialized practice area knowledge—just curiosity about the future of law.

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify emerging AI technologies and ethical developments shaping legal practice through the first quarter of 2026

• Analyze the convergence points where technological change, ethics, and evolving business models intersect to create new risks and opportunities for law firms and legal departments

• Evaluate practical strategies for integrating AI into client service delivery while upholding ethical obligations and professional standards

• Consider the broader implications of AI adoption for access to justice, legal education, and the evolving definition of what it means to practice law in a technology-augmented profession