Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons^™

Uscis-Grounded Ai: Preventing Hallucinations In Immigration Legal Services, Hephzibah Igwe

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Artificial intelligence chatbots increasingly provide legal information to consumers, but AI "hallucinations" (confidently stated but incorrect responses) pose serious risks in immigration law. Incorrect information about USCIS forms, fees, processing times, or filing procedures can result in visa denials, deportation proceedings, or permanent bars to entry.

This research presents a novel "source-grounded AI" system that eliminates hallucinations in immigration legal information. Rather than relying solely on large language models (LLMs) trained on general internet data, the system uses USCIS.gov as the primary source of truth for all operational data including current forms, fees, processing times, filing addresses, and policy updates. …

Racial Disparities In Maternal Mortality: The Role Of Explicit And Implicit Bias In U.S. Healthcare, Lailah Allen

Capstone Showcase

Maternal mortality in the United States remains a critical public health crisis, with disproportionately high rates among Black and other minority women. Despite advances in obstetric medicine, racial disparities in pregnancy-related deaths persist due to structural inequities, implicit bias in healthcare delivery, unequal access to prenatal and postpartum care, and broader social determinants of health. Nationally, Black women are significantly more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity and mortality compared to White women, reflecting longstanding inequities embedded within the healthcare system. This paper examines the relationship between race, healthcare access, and maternal outcomes through a focused case study of and …

Confronting Cosmetic Carcinogens: A Proposal Regarding The Dangers Of Talcum Powder, Rachael Howell

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The Federal Government needs to stop the import, export, mining, and distribution of talcum powder in the United States. This is an issue that affects all Americans, especially active-duty military members.

Since 2013, there have been over 38,000 lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, which allege that their talcum-based baby powder caused cancer. The plaintiffs in the very first talc case in the U.S. have died. All four of the plaintiffs from a 2019 suit have died. Yet, the 2019 case has been reversed and remanded. The FDA has redacted the names of scientist(s) that conduct “safety tests” on talc samples. …

Giglio Feds: The Void Of Ethical Leadership Within Federal Law Enforcement, Christopher J. Boosey

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Cpa – Performed Election Audits: What They Are, Why They Are Coming, And How To Prepare For Them, William Kresse Jd

Research Days

My recent nationwide survey of 1,680 potential American voters shows that over two-thirds would have greater confidence in elections, and that over 40% would vote more frequently, if post-election audits were routinely conducted by independent CPAs credentialed for election auditing. Low voter confidence in American elections has triggered professional groups and state legislators to call for post-election audits. But who should conduct these audits? Post-election audits conducted by election administrators raises the issue of information asymmetry. My research explores whether having routine post-election audits conducted by independent Certified Public Accountants further credentialed for election auditing (“CPA Audits”) would affect the …

Session 1: Access To Legal Services - The Role Of Innovation And Technology, Steven Bender, Stacy Butler, Anna Carpenter, Michael Cherry, Sands Mckinley, Kimball Dean Parker, Miguel Willis

SITIE Symposiums

This expert panel is addressing access to justice problems. People without access to lawyers and legal services suffer in many ways not limited to divorce, domestic violence, and educational roadblocks. This panel will ask what lawyers can do to help, in what ways can technology help or replace lawyers in the delivery of legal and non-legal services. It will also explore different legal services being offered by individuals who do not have a JD, online firms, and developing technology in a law firm owed subsidiary. There are six panelists who are broken into two categories: (1) the innovation and delivery …

Intersectionality And Accessibility To Social Services, Nora Khuder

Thinking Matters Symposium

In times of a crisis the intersectionality of sex, class, and ability creates a vulnerable population. Many available “resources'' are exhausted, due to high demand. Intersectionality signifies the impact of multiple intersecting identities in society as a direct correlation to the specific and unique barriers of marginalized groups. Resources are currently limited due to the lack of representative data. Although many studies have been conducted, many researchers have failed to capture the need of social services in rural areas.

Closing Remarks, J S. Nelson

Villanova Law Review Norman J. Shachoy Symposium

No abstract provided.

Featured Speaker, Mary C. Gentile

Villanova Law Review Norman J. Shachoy Symposium

No abstract provided.

Introduction And Program Overview, Anne Burnett

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Anne E. Burnett, Program Chair; Foreign and International Law Librarian, J.D., M.L.I.S. Alexander Campbell King Law Library, University of Georgia, Athens led the introduction to the day's schedule of CLE presentations having organized and served the role as primary facilitator of the event.

Ethics And Methods Of Human Rights Work: Exploring Both Theoretical And Practical Approaches, Shayna Plaut, Maritza Felices Luna, Christina Clark Kazak, Neil Bilotta, Lara Rosenoff Gauvin

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

This workshop will explore both theoretical and practical approaches to methodologies and ethics as it relates to human rights work.

The goal of the workshop is to create a dynamic space that encourages participants to share and learn from our own experiences navigating the messiness of human rights ethics and methods. We specifically address formal education and systems and structures so that we may all design, do and teach research and practice related to human rights in a more critical and sustainable manner. We recognize the tensions of creating research, programs and advocacy that is seen as “legitimate” to educational …

Rule 1.1 Duty Of Competency And Internet Research, Sharon Bradley

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Basically the world has changed and technology is the primary driver. The legal industry has changed and yet many lawyers still brag about their lack of technology skills. These skills are not advanced programming and software design. I am talking about the competent use of basic office applications. Service providers like RocketLawyer and LegalZoom prepare wills, contracts and articles of incorporation. It’s estimated that these providers are now at least an $8 billion industry. People that used to hire local attorneys are now using these services. Potential clients are also using online service to find and evaluate lawyers. The days …

Using Social Media Research To Your Advantage, Endia S. Paige

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

We live in a time when Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks have become so integrated into daily life that it is critical for attorneys to maintain a basic understanding of the most popular platforms and how they can benefit his or her legal practice.

Social media has made it easier to gather information about litigants and other professionals in the legal field. This paper provides an overview of the most popular social media platforms used by adults in the United States and gives insight into how attorneys can use them to conduct legal and investigative research.

Just Because I'M Paranoid Doesn't Mean I'M Not Being Followed: Using Tracking Or Rather Do Not Track Features, Sharon Bradley

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Provides guidance on the technology competency standards in the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, and offers practical tips for protecting personal privacy and professional documents.

New Technology And The Practice Of Law: Gear For Your Office And The Road, Maureen Cahill, Jason Tubinis

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Provides guidance to legal professionals about ways that technology can make their practices more efficient, secure, and mobile. Includes discussion of hardware gadgets, helpful websites, and tips for comparing legal databases., as well as ethics considerations of electronic files.

To Internet Or Not To Internet: Ethics Opinions On Internet Usage, Sharon Bradley

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Considers the ethical implications of using email to communicate with clients, using cloud storage for legal files, and tracking people related to a case via the Internet . Highlights recent state bar ethics committee decisions.

Keynote Address By Aimee R. Maxwell, Aimee R. Maxwell

Working in the Public Interest Conferences

No abstract provided.

A Higher Calling: The Importance Of Pro Bono Efforts In The Legal Profession, Emmet Bondurant, Andrew Vail, Mary Benton, Cynthia F. Adcock, Lonnie T. Brown

Working in the Public Interest Conferences

Cover the importance of incorporating pro bono work into every career, including those in the private sector.

Ethics On The Wing: Examination Of Opinions On Electronic Services And Cloud Computing, Sharon Bradley

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Reviews state bar opinions regarding electronic storage of and access to client records. Provides a chronological overview of these opinions and a handy checklist for how to assess cloud services and one's own competence to evaluate and monitor them.

Troy Davis: Does Focusing On Innocence Change Minds Or Distract From The Harder Moral Debate?, Philip Horton, Laura Moye, Lori A. Ringhand

Working in the Public Interest Conferences

The conversation will center on the lasting impact of the Troy Davis case, which focused national attention on problems with the use of capital punishment, including criticisms such as inadequate representation for the convicted, arbitrariness in sentencing, and public uneasiness with the risk of sentencing innocent individuals to death. At the same time, a majority of Americans (62%) support capital punishment.

Does a focus on innocence risks contribute to the discussion regarding the morality of the death penalty or does it distract? Six months later, has the Troy Davis case changed the way that Georgians and Americans feel about the …

Raising The Bar On Effective Assistance: Tackling Collateral Consequences Of Criminal Defendants After Padilla V. Kentucky, Russell C. Gabriel, Jessica French, Seann Riley, Gerry Weber

Working in the Public Interest Conferences

Discusses the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Padilla v. Kentucky on defense attorneys' holistic defense responsibilities. Explores the role of counsel to inform clients of direct and indirect consequences of convictions.

Internet Ethics: Complications Of The Digital Age And Web Sites To Help You Untangle Them, Maureen Cahill

Continuing Legal Education Presentations

Computers and the Internet have profoundly changed at least the mechanics of the practice of law. Client communication, legal research, document drafting and transmittal, and record storage are increasingly paper free undertakings. As someone who began the practice of law long before the advent of the personal computer or the Internet, I can attest that the shift to computers and the Internet has greatly increased efficiency, productivity and convenience. At the same time, these tools can greatly complicate many traditional ethical considerations.

The paper is divided into two parts. In the first portion of this paper, I will try to …

Conference Registration

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

No abstract provided.

Conference Registraion

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

No abstract provided.

Conference Registraion

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

No abstract provided.

A Message From The Conference Director, Roy D. Simon

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

This is Hofstra’s sixth major conference on legal ethics. (We previously held conferences in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2005.) By holding these conferences once every two or three years rather than annually, we can devote greater resources to each conference.

This conference differs somewhat from our past conferences in that we have invited many more practicing lawyers to speak than usual because the subject of this year’s conference, lawyering at the edge, is a subject that demands personal experience as much as academic theory. We need to hear stories and advice from people who have personally explored the outer …

Conference Program

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

No abstract provided.

Conference Registration

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

No abstract provided.

Conference Registration

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

No abstract provided.

Conference Registration

Freedman Institute for the Study of Legal Ethics Conferences

No abstract provided.