{"id":156612,"date":"2026-07-13T14:38:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T22:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/07\/13\/legal-ethics-roundup-lawyer-negligence-for-not-using-ai-cameras-at-scotus-law-school-laptop-ban-more\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T14:38:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T22:38:28","slug":"legal-ethics-roundup-lawyer-negligence-for-not-using-ai-cameras-at-scotus-law-school-laptop-ban-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/07\/13\/legal-ethics-roundup-lawyer-negligence-for-not-using-ai-cameras-at-scotus-law-school-laptop-ban-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Ethics Roundup: Lawyer \u2018Negligence\u2019 For Not Using AI, Cameras At SCOTUS, Law School Laptop Ban & More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,\u00a0<\/strong>here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Happy Monday!<\/p>\n

Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Solving the Justice Crisis<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was featured on Times Square earlier this month! Check it out \u2b07\ufe0f Recently, during a podcast interview with\u00a0Bob Ambrogi<\/strong>\u00a0(LawSites\/LawNext), I had the chance to discuss the book and reflect on what has changed (and, importantly, what has\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0changed) since its publication in early 2024. The podcast which should be out next week.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Times Square, NYC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now for your headlines.<\/p>\n

\n

Highlights from Last Week \u2013 Top Ten Headlines \ud83d\udcf0<\/h3>\n

#1 \u201cLawyers \u2018Could be Negligent\u2019 for Failing to Use AI.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0LegalFutures:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cLawyers and other professionals can be sued for negligence for failing to use artificial intelligence (AI), according to the latest legal statement from the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT). The UKTJ also gave examples of where professionals could be liable for lack of \u2018reasonable care and skill\u2019 in their use of AI, such as failing to carry out proper due diligence, failing to explain to clients how AI was being used or failing to check output for errors and biases.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#2 \u201cLet the Cameras Roll at the Supreme Court.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Gabe Roth<\/strong>\u00a0(Fix the Court) in\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSupreme Court justices and their lower-court colleagues serve for life. Unlike members of Congress, who run for office every two or six years, federal jurists have no professional incentive to play to the cameras and trawl for clicks.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#3 \u201cUniversity of Chicago Law School AI Strategy Bans Phones, Laptops in Class for First Year Students.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0CBS News:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe University of Chicago Law School is banning first-year students from using phones and laptops in the classroom as part of a broader strategy to curb AI usage. In a long statement released Thursday, the law school wrote that they already see artificial intelligence impacting higher education and the legal profession. They said they spent the past year to reflect on how to adopt their curriculum and policies in response to AI, seeking input from their community, alumni, law firm leaders, business leaders, legal technology executives and law firm associates, as well as their faculty, staff and students. \u2018The feedback we have received throughout this process has been consistent,\u2019 they wrote. \u2018We need to ensure that our students actually learn to think critically, strategically, and independently without relying on AI; but we also must face the reality that AI tools are already widely available to our students, and our graduates will be expected to be prepared to use them in legal practice.\u2019\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#4 \u201cDemocrats Ask Courts to Bar Judges From Prediction Markets<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cJudiciary Committee Democrats called on the federal judiciary to ban judges and court employees from participating in prediction markets, warning this conduct may undermine judicial independence.\u00a0Reps. Jamie Raskin<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and\u00a0Hank Johnson<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Ga.), ranking member on the committee\u2019s courts panel, asked a top federal judicial official in a\u00a0letter<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0Tuesday to \u2018take prompt action\u2019 on this issue. \u2018Allowing judges and their staff to participate in prediction markets on matters pending before their courts plainly poses a huge direct threat to the legitimacy and reputation of the federal judiciary,\u2019 the lawmakers wrote to Robert Conrad, director of the judiciary\u2019s administrative office.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#5 \u201cABA Seeks Trump Docs In Suit Alleging Law Firm Intimidation.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law360:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Trump Administration cannot rely on the presidential communications privilege to block disclosure of communications related to allegations that the president sought to intimidate law firms into conforming with his policy initiatives, the American Bar Association told a D.C. federal judge.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#6 \u201cProtecting Privilege in a Changing Legal Landscape.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0JDSupra:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cPrivilege remains one of the legal profession\u2019s most important protections, but its application is being tested in new ways. While the core principles have changed little, emerging technologies, evolving litigation tactics and increasingly sophisticated investigations are prompting courts to examine where privilege begins, where it ends and when it may be lost. For in-house legal teams, understanding these developments is essential to preserving privilege while navigating modern legal risks. [Here] are five areas of risk that warrant proactive steps to help prevent inadvertent disclosure.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#7 \u201cUNESCO Supports the Development of Tanzania\u2019s Judicial Curriculum on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0UNESCO:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cEvery person who enters a courtroom expects one thing above all else: that justice will be fair, impartial and delivered with integrity. As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes justice systems around the world, preserving these fundamental principles while embracing technological innovation has become one of the defining challenges of the digital era.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#8 \u201cWhat AI Means for How We Develop the Next Generation of Lawyers.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0LegalFutures:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cFor decades, legal training followed a familiar pattern. Junior lawyers learned by doing the work no one else particularly wanted to do. \u2026 We are only a few years into the AI shift, and already the profession is changing.\u00a0Recent LexisNexis research<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0found that 65% of lawyers are now using paid legal AI tools, with many saying it helps them work faster. At the same time, 72% are concerned that junior lawyers using AI may struggle to develop deeper legal reasoning, judgement and argumentation. A further 69% worry about verification and source-checking skills. If AI is taking on the work junior lawyers once learned from, how do we make sure they still develop the judgement clients expect?\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#9 \u201cUber Targets Litigation Funders in Rider, Driver Agreements\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cUber Technologies Inc. has moved to thwart lawsuits funded by outside investors by requiring customers and drivers who sue the company to disclose details of any such arrangements. The requirement, which Uber includes in contracts for drivers and in its app for customers, makes it harder for consumers and employees to find outside backing to sue the company, said\u00a0Maria Glover<\/strong>, a Carmack Waterhouse professor of law at Georgetown University.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#10 \u201cEmil Bove Defended Trump in Court. Then Trump Made Him a Judge.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cNot long after\u00a0Emil Joseph Bove III<\/strong>\u00a0first donned the robe as a federal appeals court judge in September, one of his new colleagues was surprised upon catching a glimpse of\u00a0<\/strong>the background image on his iPhone. It was the\u00a0<\/strong>photo of\u00a0Donald J. Trump<\/strong>, bloodied by a would-be assassin\u2019s bullet in Butler, Pa., with one fist raised in the air. A former personal lawyer for Mr. Trump, Judge Bove is not the first jurist to hold on to a political memento or two from a past life. But the Butler photo, which was described by three people with knowledge of it, caused discomfort on the close-knit 14-seat appeals court for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. It touches on a central question about Judge Bove, who before joining the bench was known as an attack dog for Mr. Trump: whether his loyalty to the president might override his commitment to the rule of law.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

\n

Get Hired \ud83d\udcbc<\/h3>\n

Did you miss the 500+ job postings from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Upcoming Ethics Events & Other Announcements \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f<\/h3>\n

Did you miss an announcement from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Keep in Touch \ud83d\udcdd<\/h3>\n

Do you have colleagues who care about legal ethics?<\/strong>\u00a0Please share the Roundup with them. I\u2019d love to see our community continue to grow!<\/p>\n

News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email legalethics@substack.com \u2013 but be sure to subscribe first, otherwise the email won\u2019t be delivered.<\/p>\n

\n

Renee Knake Jefferson holds the endowed Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and is a Professor of Law at the University of Houston. Check out more of her writing at the\u00a0Legal Ethics Roundup<\/a>. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) at\u00a0@reneeknake<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky at\u00a0legalethics.bsky.social<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Legal Ethics Roundup: Lawyer \u2018Negligence\u2019 For Not Using AI, Cameras At SCOTUS, Law School Laptop Ban & More<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

Ed. note<\/u>: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Happy Monday!<\/p>\n

Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Solving the Justice Crisis<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was featured on Times Square earlier this month! Check it out \u2b07\ufe0f Recently, during a podcast interview with\u00a0Bob Ambrogi<\/strong>\u00a0(LawSites\/LawNext), I had the chance to discuss the book and reflect on what has changed (and, importantly, what has\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0changed) since its publication in early 2024. The podcast which should be out next week.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Times Square, NYC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now for your headlines.<\/p>\n

\n

#1 \u201cLawyers \u2018Could be Negligent\u2019 for Failing to Use AI.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0LegalFutures:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cLawyers and other professionals can be sued for negligence for failing to use artificial intelligence (AI), according to the latest legal statement from the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT). The UKTJ also gave examples of where professionals could be liable for lack of \u2018reasonable care and skill\u2019 in their use of AI, such as failing to carry out proper due diligence, failing to explain to clients how AI was being used or failing to check output for errors and biases.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#2 \u201cLet the Cameras Roll at the Supreme Court.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Gabe Roth<\/strong>\u00a0(Fix the Court) in\u00a0The Wall Street Journal:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSupreme Court justices and their lower-court colleagues serve for life. Unlike members of Congress, who run for office every two or six years, federal jurists have no professional incentive to play to the cameras and trawl for clicks.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#3 \u201cUniversity of Chicago Law School AI Strategy Bans Phones, Laptops in Class for First Year Students.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0CBS News:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe University of Chicago Law School is banning first-year students from using phones and laptops in the classroom as part of a broader strategy to curb AI usage. In a long statement released Thursday, the law school wrote that they already see artificial intelligence impacting higher education and the legal profession. They said they spent the past year to reflect on how to adopt their curriculum and policies in response to AI, seeking input from their community, alumni, law firm leaders, business leaders, legal technology executives and law firm associates, as well as their faculty, staff and students. \u2018The feedback we have received throughout this process has been consistent,\u2019 they wrote. \u2018We need to ensure that our students actually learn to think critically, strategically, and independently without relying on AI; but we also must face the reality that AI tools are already widely available to our students, and our graduates will be expected to be prepared to use them in legal practice.\u2019\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#4 \u201cDemocrats Ask Courts to Bar Judges From Prediction Markets<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cJudiciary Committee Democrats called on the federal judiciary to ban judges and court employees from participating in prediction markets, warning this conduct may undermine judicial independence.\u00a0Reps. Jamie Raskin<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and\u00a0Hank Johnson<\/strong>\u00a0(D-Ga.), ranking member on the committee\u2019s courts panel, asked a top federal judicial official in a\u00a0letter<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0Tuesday to \u2018take prompt action\u2019 on this issue. \u2018Allowing judges and their staff to participate in prediction markets on matters pending before their courts plainly poses a huge direct threat to the legitimacy and reputation of the federal judiciary,\u2019 the lawmakers wrote to Robert Conrad, director of the judiciary\u2019s administrative office.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#5 \u201cABA Seeks Trump Docs In Suit Alleging Law Firm Intimidation.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Law360:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe Trump Administration cannot rely on the presidential communications privilege to block disclosure of communications related to allegations that the president sought to intimidate law firms into conforming with his policy initiatives, the American Bar Association told a D.C. federal judge.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#6 \u201cProtecting Privilege in a Changing Legal Landscape.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0JDSupra:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cPrivilege remains one of the legal profession\u2019s most important protections, but its application is being tested in new ways. While the core principles have changed little, emerging technologies, evolving litigation tactics and increasingly sophisticated investigations are prompting courts to examine where privilege begins, where it ends and when it may be lost. For in-house legal teams, understanding these developments is essential to preserving privilege while navigating modern legal risks. [Here] are five areas of risk that warrant proactive steps to help prevent inadvertent disclosure.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#7 \u201cUNESCO Supports the Development of Tanzania\u2019s Judicial Curriculum on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0UNESCO:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cEvery person who enters a courtroom expects one thing above all else: that justice will be fair, impartial and delivered with integrity. As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes justice systems around the world, preserving these fundamental principles while embracing technological innovation has become one of the defining challenges of the digital era.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#8 \u201cWhat AI Means for How We Develop the Next Generation of Lawyers.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0LegalFutures:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cFor decades, legal training followed a familiar pattern. Junior lawyers learned by doing the work no one else particularly wanted to do. \u2026 We are only a few years into the AI shift, and already the profession is changing.\u00a0Recent LexisNexis research<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0found that 65% of lawyers are now using paid legal AI tools, with many saying it helps them work faster. At the same time, 72% are concerned that junior lawyers using AI may struggle to develop deeper legal reasoning, judgement and argumentation. A further 69% worry about verification and source-checking skills. If AI is taking on the work junior lawyers once learned from, how do we make sure they still develop the judgement clients expect?\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#9 \u201cUber Targets Litigation Funders in Rider, Driver Agreements\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0Bloomberg Law:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cUber Technologies Inc. has moved to thwart lawsuits funded by outside investors by requiring customers and drivers who sue the company to disclose details of any such arrangements. The requirement, which Uber includes in contracts for drivers and in its app for customers, makes it harder for consumers and employees to find outside backing to sue the company, said\u00a0Maria Glover<\/strong>, a Carmack Waterhouse professor of law at Georgetown University.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

#10 \u201cEmil Bove Defended Trump in Court. Then Trump Made Him a Judge.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>From\u00a0The New York Times:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cNot long after\u00a0Emil Joseph Bove III<\/strong>\u00a0first donned the robe as a federal appeals court judge in September, one of his new colleagues was surprised upon catching a glimpse ofthe background image on his iPhone. It was thephoto of\u00a0Donald J. Trump<\/strong>, bloodied by a would-be assassin\u2019s bullet in Butler, Pa., with one fist raised in the air. A former personal lawyer for Mr. Trump, Judge Bove is not the first jurist to hold on to a political memento or two from a past life. But the Butler photo, which was described by three people with knowledge of it, caused discomfort on the close-knit 14-seat appeals court for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. It touches on a central question about Judge Bove, who before joining the bench was known as an attack dog for Mr. Trump: whether his loyalty to the president might override his commitment to the rule of law.\u201d Read more\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(gift link).<\/p>\n

\n

Did you miss the 500+ job postings from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Did you miss an announcement from previous weeks? Find them all\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Do you have colleagues who care about legal ethics?<\/strong>\u00a0Please share the Roundup with them. I\u2019d love to see our community continue to grow!<\/p>\n

News tips? Announcements? Events?<\/strong>\u00a0A job to post?<\/strong>\u00a0Reading recommendations?<\/strong>\u00a0Email [email\u00a0protected]<\/a> \u2013 but be sure to subscribe first, otherwise the email won\u2019t be delivered.<\/p>\n

\n

Renee Knake Jefferson holds the endowed Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and is a Professor of Law at the University of Houston. Check out more of her writing at the\u00a0Legal Ethics Roundup<\/a>. Find her on X (formerly Twitter) at\u00a0@reneeknake<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky at\u00a0legalethics.bsky.social<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ed. note: Please welcome Renee Knake Jefferson back to the pages of Above the Law. Subscribe to her Substack, Legal Ethics Roundup,\u00a0here. Welcome to what captivates, haunts, inspires, and surprises me every week in the world of legal ethics. Happy Monday! Law Democratized: A Blueprint for Solving the Justice Crisis\u00a0was featured on Times Square earlier […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":156613,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/iStock-484137638-scaled-Pf7yPu.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156612\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}