A recent practitioner commentary offers a confident assessment of the current state of large language models (LLMs) in legal practice, arguing that the primary barriers to adoption are no longer questions of intelligence or reliability but rather issues of infrastructure and workflow integration. Writing from the perspective of a lawyer…
Articles Posted in Commentary and Opinion
Synthetic Data: The Hidden Lever Behind Responsible AI Strategy
Synthetic data acts as a “hidden lever” in responsible AI by enabling organizations to train, test, and validate AI models without violating privacy, using copyrighted material, or relying on biased real-world datasets. It allows for the deliberate creation of diverse, balanced datasets, transforming AI development from reactive bias correction to…
Better than the Real Thing? Promises and Perils of Synthetic Data: An Overview of Professor Peter Lee’s Essay Published in VERDICT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Professor Peter Lee’s VERDICT essay argues that synthetic data may revolutionize AI development by providing scalable, legally safer training material. Yet he warns that artificial datasets introduce new risks such as model collapse, bias, and misuse that demand proactive legal oversight. Rather than replacing existing regulatory debates, synthetic…
Opportunities and Risks of the Chinese Communist Party on Campus
Here’s an overview of the U.S. Department of State report titled The Chinese Communist Party on Campus: Opportunities & Risks (September 2020): Purpose & Context The report was produced by the U.S. Department of State as part of a broader effort to assess how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) engages…
Unlock the Future of Legal Information: 2025 AALL State of the Profession Report
FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES: The legal information landscape is shifting faster than ever—AI, staffing changes, and innovative services are reshaping the profession. The 2025 AALL State of the Profession Report delivers the data, trends, and real-world insights you need to stay ahead. Use this essential resource to guide planning,…
Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence: Winter 2026 Issue of SciTech Magazine
SciTech Magazine is published by the Science and Technology Section of the American Bar Association. INTRODUCTION: The Winter 2026 issue of The SciTech Lawyer, published by the American Bar Association’s Science & Technology Law Section, arrives at a pivotal moment in the legal profession’s evolving relationship with artificial intelligence. Centered…
Brain Stimulation and Crime Prevention: Separating Science from Speculation
In recent years, advances in neuroscience have sparked interest in whether brain stimulation technologies might contribute to crime prevention. Techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have been studied for their effects on impulse control, aggression, and moral decision-making traits often associated with criminal…
Should the American Bar Association Be the Sole Accrediting Authority for U.S. Law Schools?
For more than a century, the American Bar Association has played a central role in shaping legal education in the United States through its authority to accredit law schools. ABA accreditation is widely regarded as the gold standard: graduates of ABA accredited schools are eligible to sit for the bar…
An Introduction to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
A Congressional Budget Report, January 13, 2026. Learn more about CBO’s work and its processes in a publication that is typically updated at the start of each Congress or a new session. SUMMARY: Lawmakers created the Congressional Budget Office to help Congress play a stronger role in budget matters. CBO…
CBO: Demographic Outlook, 2026 to 2056
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)* Report. January 7, 2026. In CBO’s projections, the U.S. population grows from 349 million people in 2026 to 364 million in 2056, and the average age rises. Starting in 2030, annual deaths exceed annual births, and net immigration accounts for all population growth. SUMMARY: The size…