AI & The Law Committee (10/26/26)

This is a hybrid program with a webcast and in-person option at The Chicago Bar Association (321 S. Plymouth Ct, Chicago, IL 60604). Please indicate if you will attend in-person when registering where indicated.

Topic: Practical Utilization of AI to Perform Tasks in a Law Firm

Speaker: Anand Mathew, Owner and Founder, Loop Litigation

Most law firms now say they use AI, and clients increasingly expect it. Yet recent surveys show that few in-house legal leaders have seen lower outside counsel costs as a result, while billing rates continue to rise and most legal spend still flows through hourly arrangements. This program examines why the efficiency gains from AI so rarely reach clients and what a firm would look like if it were built around AI from the start. 

The presentation offers a three-part framework for distinguishing an “AI-enabled” firm, one that has adopted AI tools, from an “AI-native” firm, one whose business model is built on them: whether its technology is fitted to the client’s problem, whether its pricing lets clients share in the savings, and whether its lawyers understand and control what the AI does. Each test is grounded in the governing ethics rules and guidance, including ABA Formal Opinion 512, Rule 1.5, and the Illinois Supreme Court’s Policy on Artificial Intelligence, and illustrated with a working example from a litigation practice that uses fixed fees and matter-specific AI tools.

By the end of the program, attendees will be able to:
1. Explain why hourly billing limits the extent to which AI efficiency gains reach clients, and what current research shows about client experience.
2. Apply a three-part test (technology, pricing, and competence and control) to evaluate whether a practice is AI-enabled or AI-native.
3. Identify the ethical considerations for AI-assisted work, including fees under Rule 1.5 and Opinion 512, confidentiality, supervision and competence.
4. Evaluate alternative fee structures for litigation, including fixed, phased and subscription models, and how each allocates risk.
5. Take practical first steps toward responsible AI use, drawing on the Illinois Supreme Court AI Policy and the ARDC’s implementation guide

(IL MCLE for live program only. No MCLE credit for on demand webcast.)

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Live CBA Committee meetings and seminars will take place via Zoom webinar.  You will click on "view video" and be directly connected to the meeting/seminar on Zoom.  (You will not receive a Zoom link.)

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System requirements for Mac & PC can be found here. System requirements for mobile devices can be here.  

Please note that audience members do not need video or audio access.  Audience members are able to submit questions via the chat or Q & A features of Zoom. 

Chat: Open in-meeting chat, allowing you to send chat messages to and send a message to the host, panelists, and attendees (if permitted). Question & Answer: Open the Q&A window, allowing you to ask questions to the host and panelists. They can either reply back to you via text in the Q&A window or answer your question live.