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P*Law 2025, Center For Public Service Law

2024–2025 Flyers

This document outlines the full schedule for Cardozo Law School’s 2025 P*LAW Week, hosted by the Center for Public Service Law. Held from January 27 to January 30, the week featured a variety of panels, workshops, and student-led presentations on topics such as reproductive justice, housing, LGBTQ+ immigration, international human rights, labor law, and social justice. Events included guest speakers from leading advocacy organizations, mock interviews, and internship prep sessions, all designed to engage students in public interest law and foster professional development.

Flagrant Fouls: The First Amendment, Legal Speech, And Attacks On Law Firms And The Rule Of Law, Raymond H. Brescia

Nevada Law Journal Forum

This Essay explores the Trump Administration’s unprecedented campaign targeting major U.S. law firms for retribution and examines such actions in light of the First Amendment’s relationship to these actions. Drawing on historical and doctrinal analyses, the Essay introduces and defends the concept of “legal speech” as a critical cluster of First Amendment protections encompassing the rights of lawyers to speak, associate, petition, and advocate on behalf of clients in an unfettered way and without government retaliation. Executive actions against Covington & Burling, Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Susman Godfrey purport to revoke security clearances, bar access …

Technologically Competent Reprised: Ethical Practice In An Ai Age And Considerations For Our Courts In A Burgeoning Ai Era, Heidi L. Frostestad

College of Law Faculty Publications

The recent explosion of artificial intelligence and generative AI undeniably impacts our federal and state courts. Currently, ABA Model Rule 1.1 and its Comment include a broad requirement of technological competence for an ethical practice. This Article will identify the technical competence obligations embodied in Model Rule 1.1 and examine the implications of AI for technological competence standards. After reviewing the timeline of cases that invoke AI hallucinations and other issues and current scholarly literature, this Article will propose a more specific ethical standard for baseline knowledge of various AI technologies according to current practice and use of ever-expanding technologies …

In Defense Of Pro Se Parents, Matthew F. Gillam

Fordham Law Review

Who gets to represent children in federal court? Adults have long been permitted to represent themselves in federal court under the plain meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 1654. And, many adults do just that every year. But what if the real party in interest is a minor child? Who, if anyone, can exercise that child’s right to proceed pro se?

This Note argues that the correct reading of 28 U.S.C. § 1654 would permit parents to litigate pro se in federal court where the real party in interest is their minor child. This is based on a straightforward, grammatically correct …

Legal Deserts Or Mirages? Lawyers, Legal Services, And Respect For Law In Rural Wisconsin And Rural America, Joseph A. Ranney

Marquette Law Review

In recent years the legal profession has raised alarms about a perceived shortage of lawyers in rural America. State legislatures, courts, and bar associations have created rural lawyer recruitment (RLR) programs to address the perceived shortage, which include stipends, logistical support, and training for law students and lawyers willing to make a commitment to rural practice. Is there really a crisis? If so, are current RLR programs an effective means of stemming the crisis?

This Article examines these questions from several different angles, singling out rural Wisconsin for particular attention. It concludes that although lawyer density ratios (the proportion …

Corporate Governance Speech, Sarah C. Haan

Seattle University Law Review

The State has always regulated the intra-firm communications that make corporate governance possible, most commonly by mandating disclosures of information by a corporation to its shareholders. Some such laws are labeled “securities regulation,” but securities regulation is a broad category that extends to speech by actors who are outside the corporate enterprise as well. Also, the conventional securities regulation category does not capture all such laws; other examples, including informationforcing mandates, can be found in state corporate law. This Article uses the term “corporate governance speech” to describe the communications among shareholders, directors, and officers through which corporate governance is …

The Employees’ Dilemma: Balancing Internal Reporting, Whistleblowing, And Insider Trading Risks, Geeyoung Min

Seattle University Law Review

The Essay examines how recent developments in insider trading regulations and whistleblower reward programs can lead to unintended and counterproductive results of discouraging employees from using internal reporting channels within corporate compliance programs. While the presence of a robust and well-functioning corporate compliance program is a critical factor both in mitigating the level of public enforcement actions against companies and in protecting corporate managers from liability in private litigation, these programs often provide little incentive for employees to report potential misconduct internally.

Corporate compliance programs are designed to promote the upward information flow within the company, which is essential for …

How The Antidiscrimination Law Of Commercial Transactions Really Works, Helen Norton

Seattle University Law Review

A variety of businesses now cite 303 Creative when seeking First Amendment protection for their refusal to serve certain customers based on those customers’ protected class status. How this litigation will play out remains to be seen. But future courts need not, and should not, repeat the 303 Creative Court’s misunderstanding of how the antidiscrimination law of commercial transactions actually works.

Part I of this Essay explains the Court’s longstanding understanding of the antidiscrimination law of commercial transactions, and then describes the Court’s failure to engage with this precedent in 303 Creative. Part II then identifies the 303 Creative decision’s …

Crossing The Rubicon: Assembling A Litigation Colossus In Mass Torts, Samir D. Parikh

Michigan Law Review Online

In 2021, Arizona created the alternative business structure (ABS), which allows nonattorneys to own a firm that provides legal services and actively participate in firm management. Scholars have argued that this new paradigm will erode the attorney-client relationship. This represents a legitimate concern. Conflict- ing fiduciary duties can complicate key moments in case resolution. But the impact of Arizona’s shift is more seismic. The true threat does not involve nonattorneys owning a law firm but, rather, private equity firms vertically in- tegrating the entire mass-tort machinery. The endgame is a litigation colossus that rolls up law firms, marketers, claim aggregators, …

Advanced Magic In Illinois: Amendments To The Illinois Rules Of Professional Conduct And The Confusion Over How To Handle Flat Fees Paid In Advance, Alberto Bernabe

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

Attorneys face ongoing challenges in structuring legal fees, particularly when deciding between hourly rates, contingency arrangements, and flat fees. This Article examines recent amendments to the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct regarding flat fees and explores the persistent confusion over how attorneys should handle fees paid in advance. The debate centers on whether advance payments should be deposited in client trust accounts. The Article analyzes alternative regulatory approaches to address this issue, including proposals to eliminate or modify Rule 1.15(c), which currently governs the handling of advance fees. It evaluates the merits of different fee structures and examines whether there …

Judicial Economy In The Age Of Ai, Yonathan A. Arbel

Articles

Individuals do not vindicate the majority of their legal claims because of access to justice barriers. This entrenched state of affairs is now facing a disruption. Lawyers and non-lawyers alike are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to perform legal tasks tools that sharply reduce the costs of generating legal materials. There is finally hope that AI might allow many more to access justice.

Paradoxically, what we gain in access to justice we might lose in the delivery of justice. The problem is not that AI tools are ineffective. Indeed, they are even more effective than most realize affecting every stage …

Tribal Legal Licensing Of Attorneys, House Counsel Status, And The Opportunity To Redefine The Jd Preferred Position And The Entire Lawyer Ecosystem, Nicholas J. Stamates

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

The recognized right of Indian Tribes to license has been a known reality dating back to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. 515 (1832) where state law was found inapplicable on the lands of the Cherokee. However, the modern implications of tribal licensing and regulation have only just begun to be explored in the context of the modern American regulatory system. In fact, the ability of Indian Tribes to license attorneys to practice law within their court systems has largely gone unexamined outside of a few exceptions such as the Tribal Law and Order Act …

Technology Competency Road Map In Rhode Island: Reforming Professional Rules And Continuing Legal Education With Modern Educational Frameworks And Instructional Design Principles To Protect Clients, Myrta L. Ventura

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Do Federal Circuit Courts Of Appeal Provide Adequate Assistance To Self-Represented Litigants? A Review Of The Circuits’ Websites Resources, Jona Goldschmidt

Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality

No abstract provided.

Remarks On The 20th Anniversary Of The Founding Of The District Of Columbia Access To Justice Commission, Anna Blackburne-Rigsby

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

I'm very excited to be here and honored that you invited me to be one of the speakers for this very timely and amazing symposium. I'm especially excited because you're also recognizing the 20th anniversary of the District of Columbia's Access to Justice Commission. The topic of the symposium is the evolution of the legal profession, A Different World. Looking at the phoenix on the UDC Law school logo, the flames are really appropriate now when we talk about the evolution of the legal world with all the technological developments and other interesting issues that we confront.

First, I want …

Pro Bono Publico Versus Pro Bono Presidential, S. I. Strong

Faculty Articles

In March and April 2025, the Trump Administration issued a series of executive orders directed at various law firms that had represented clients or undertaken actions with which the President disagreed. Those executive orders imposed various sanctions capable of destroying the firms financially. The Administration also threatened numerous other law firms with similar types of executive orders.

Although a few law firms challenged the executive orders in court, the majority of firms targeted by the President entered into informal settlement agreements whereby the firms promised to provide between $40 million and $125 million worth of free “pro bono legal services” …

Fighting The Hypothetical: Why Law Firms Should Rethink The Billable Hour In The Generative Ai Era, Nancy B. Rapoport, Joseph R. Tiano Jr.

Scholarly Works

“Fighting the Hypothetical: Why Law Firms Should Rethink the Billable Hour in the Generative AI Era” analyzes how the emergence and adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) will fundamentally disrupt the traditional billable hour model that has dominated the industry since the 1960s. Professor Rapoport and Mr. Tiano contend that GenAI’s ability to perform routine legal tasks quickly and accurately will force law firms to shift away from billing structures based primarily on time spent (or inputs) and toward models that better reflect client value (or outputs).

The authors interviewed law firm leaders to gain an “in the trenches” view …

Interoperable Legal Ai For Access To Justice, Drew Simshaw

Scholarly Works

The access-to-justice gap is growing, affecting individuals with both civil and criminal needs in the United States. Though these challenges are multifaceted, procedural barriers in the U.S. legal system can often inhibit access-to-justice efforts. The resulting inequities undermine fairness for those interacting with courts and jeopardize the legitimacy of the broader legal system. Legal technology driven by artificial intelligence (Al) has been heralded for its potential to combat these challenges on three access-to-justice fronts that are often conceptualized in isolation: a consumer (i.e., self-help) front, a legal-service-provider front, and a court front. Progress on each of these fronts is apparent, …

Paradoxical Pedagogy: Teaching Trauma-Informed Principles Within A System Built On Emotional Detachment, Sarah Mcconnell, Leah Lunetta

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Lex Ex Machina: Forging A New Ethical Framework For Ai And Technology In The Law, Joseph Regalia

Scholarly Works

The rise of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) offers the legal profession a chance to reevaluate and reshape its ethical standards. This article argues that GAI's potential demands a more detailed approach to legal ethics, especially concerning technology use. While current ethics rules provide a general foundation, they do not fully address the unique challenges and opportunities of GAI and similar advanced technologies.

By reviewing historical contexts of legal technology ethics and recent GAI regulations, this article suggests a new model for technology ethics in law. It calls for the inclusion of detailed, flexible standards in ethical guidelines, moving beyond the …

Ai Lawyering Skills Trainers: Transforming Legal Education With Generative Ai, Alexandria Serra

Faculty Works

The integration of generative AI (GenAI) tools in legal education is not just an innovation—it's a transformative shift redefying how law students acquire and refine advocacy skills. This article examines AI’s critical role in modernizing legal education, emphasizing its potential to offer personalized, one-on-one coaching that enhances student learning and engagement. As AI reshapes the legal profession, law schools must evolve to prepare students for an AI-driven future. Serving as a practical guide, this article provides a step-by-step framework for educators and institutions to develop AI tools that simulate real-world courtroom scenarios and provide continuous, personalized feedback. It also highlights …

Guide To Virginia Legal Information Resources: Sources Of Law, Research Guides, And Self-Help Books For Self-Represented Litigants, Second Edition, Sam Cabo

Law Faculty Publications

Since our first iteration of the Guide to Virginia Legal Information Resources in March 2023, the Guide has been distributed far and wide. It has been made available on public library websites (for example it was featured as a bullet point on the website of the Bristol Public Library and uploaded to the website of the Waynesboro Public Library). It has been cataloged by academic libraries (for example, the University of Virginia Library has an entry in its online catalog) and has been included in LibGuides at academic law libraries (there is a link to the Guide in the Virginia …

What Lawyers Could Learn From The Corporate Practice Of Medicine, Melissa D. Mortazavi

Faculty Articles

Proponents of the United States’ domestic experiments in non-lawyer ownership (NLO) of legal practice justify them in terms of increasing “access to justice.” But what if opening ownership of legal practice to investment capital only exacerbates market failures (leading to further consolidation and increased costs to clients), while also compromising professional autonomy and fiduciary duty? The legal profession must be clear-eyed about who are the real winners and losers of such a shift and avoid being blinded by wishful thinking. Prominent legal scholars have repeatedly touted NLO as a solution to the access to justice crisis. However, there is scant …

Book Review: Biglaw's Race Problem, Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Anthony V. Alfieri

Faculty Scholarship

Ever since the 1970s when BigLaw firms began to hire Black lawyers into their associate ranks, these firms have wrestled with problems in both recruiting and retaining Black associates. During the ensuing decades, BigLaw firms have minimally increased the low numbers of Black attorneys who have become partners, particularly equity partners, within their organizations. Numerous scholars have explored how racial bias and discrimination, both within BigLaw firms and greater society, have contributed to such failures in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of Black lawyers. In his new book The Black Ceiling: How Race Still Matters in the Elite Workplace, …

Rwu Law Alumni Newsletter December 2024, Roger Williams University School Of Law, Pbn Connect, Edward Fitzpatrick, Danna Lorch

RWU Law

No abstract provided.

Roger Williams University 2024 President's Report: A Message From President Miaoulis, Roger Williams University

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

The Implications Of Chatgpt For Legal Services And Society, Andrew Perlman

Michigan Technology Law Review

On November 30, 2022, OpenAI released a chatbot called ChatGPT.1 To demonstrate the chatbot’s sophistication and its potential implications, both for legal services and society more generally, most of this paper was generated in about an hour through prompts within ChatGPT. Only this abstract, the preface, the outline headers, the footnotes, the epilogue, and the prompts were written by a person. ChatGPT generated the rest of the text with no human editing. To be clear, the responses generated by ChatGPT were imperfect and at times problematic, and the use of an AI tool for law-related services raises a host of …

Roger Williams University Law Review Symposium: Trauma-Informed Lawyering: Approaches To Advocating For Diverse Populations November 15, 2024, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Rwu Law Alumni Newsletter November 2024, Roger Williams University School Of Law

RWU Law

No abstract provided.

Keynote Address: Protecting The Pillars Of Our Legal System, Bernard W. Nussbaum

Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy

No abstract provided.