ethics & jurisprudence

Founder’s AI Pitch Deck Can Become A Crime Scene

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This article was originally published on Law360 in June 2026. On April 17, federal prosecutors unsealed a 10-count indictment in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging the CEO and chief financial officer of iLearningEngines Inc., a corporate education and training company claiming to utilize artificial intelligence, withsecurities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy and running a continuing financial crimes enterprise.[1] The criminal enterprise charge alone carries a maximum sentence of life inprison. It was not an isolated case. It … Read more

Two Visions of AI: The Pope and the President

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Two of the most consequential statements on artificial intelligence issued in the past year came from leaders who could not be more different in temperament, constituency or institutional authority. One governs the most powerful nation on earth. The other leads the world’s oldest continuously operating institution. Together, Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and President Trump’s Executive Order … Read more

The Pope Weighs In on AI: The Stakes Could Not Be Higher

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On May 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV released Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”), the first papal encyclical in history devoted to artificial intelligence. At 42,300 words, it is the most authoritative theological statement yet on the promise and peril of AI. Its message is urgent, sweeping and deliberately aimed at governments, corporations and individuals alike. For lawyers, technologists, … Read more

What New Jersey Lawyers Must Know About AI and Professional Responsibility

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Artificial intelligence is reshaping legal practice faster than most ethics rules were written to address. For New Jersey lawyers, that gap is not theoretical. In January 2024, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued Preliminary Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence by New Jersey Lawyers, making clear that the existing Rules of Professional Conduct apply fully … Read more

Justice in the Shadow of Power

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When prosecutorial authority is wielded as a political tool rather than an impartial mechanism of law enforcement, the foundations of democratic governance begin to crack. Politicized prosecution threatens impartial justice and erodes public trust in legal institutions. I draw on historical and contemporary examples, and show how selective or retaliatory prosecutions corrupt perceptions of fairness … Read more

AI is Now the Witness in Litigation

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SUMMARY Federal courts now treat AI prompts, outputs and decision logs as discoverable evidence, applying standard discovery rules to a category of information most businesses have never thought to govern. Two landmark 2026 decisions, including United States v. Heppner, where a criminal defendant lost privilege protection over 31 Claude-generated documents, signal that unsupervised AI use creates … Read more

Private Equity Is Repeating Enron’s Biggest Mistake

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SUMMARY Having witnessed Enron’s collapse firsthand, the author sees striking parallels in private equity today. Continuation funds allow general partners to control both sides of transactions, collect multiple fees and exploit conflicts of interest, echoing Enron’s self-dealing. Oversight is limited, information asymmetry rampant and fiduciary standards ignored, creating a system that benefits insiders while trapping … Read more

Artificial Intelligence and Attorney-Client Privilege

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SUMMARY Attorney-client privilege faces significant challenges with AI use. When lawyers input client information into AI systems, they risk waiving privilege by sharing confidential data with third-party providers. The Rules of Professional Conduct require attorneys to maintain confidentiality, demonstrate technological competence and ensure adequate safeguards. Lawyers should anonymize information, use specialized legal AI tools with … Read more

Intelligence Across Boundaries: Jane Goodall’s Legacy in the Age of Artificial Minds

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SUMMARY Jane Goodall’s passing marks the end of a transformative life that redefined our understanding of intelligence across species boundaries. Her decades of chimpanzee research revealed tool use, emotional depth and cultural transmission in non-human primates, challenging human exceptionalism. Her legacy now resonates with contemporary AI development, as both biological and artificial intelligence compel us … Read more

Equity or Cash: Temptation & Risk for Lawyers

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Sooner or later a startup lawyer will hear the suggestion that payment be postponed or waived in exchange for equity. What is the lawyer to do when the client cannot (or would rather not) pay and offers stock instead? On its face, taking equity looks like a practical solution. The client preserves cash, the lawyer … Read more

Science Fiction Cinema’s Lessons for AI Integration in Legal Practice

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This article was originally published in the April 2025 issue of New Jersey Lawyer, a publication of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and is reprinted with permission. Recent developments, such as the California Bar’s 2024 guidelines on AI use in legal practice, underscore the urgency of challenges faced by law firms in balancing technological … Read more

Habeas Corpus: Constitutional Safeguard

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As a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for New York State who defended against habeas corpus petitions, I’ve witnessed firsthand how this ancient writ serves as the last line of defense for those challenging potentially unconstitutional imprisonment. What began as technical work evolved into a profound appreciation for habeas corpus as a cornerstone of American … Read more