Harnessing Generative AI in Law: Balancing Innovation with Ethical and Practical Risks (Good for One Hour Ethics/LEPR CLE Credit)

Ethical Obligations of Lawyers When Facing Challenges Presented by Generative AI (Good for One Hour Ethics/LEPR CLE Credit)

February 27, 2025 @ 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Online via Zoom Only
One Hour SC CLE Credit - 253111ADO

Register Here for the Seminar

Join us for a comprehensive seminar on Estate Planning in the Digital Age, where we explore the complexities of managing digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, in your estate plan. This session will cover essential topics such as securing digital files, navigating cryptocurrency inheritance, and ensuring your online accounts and assets are properly addressed in your will. Learn from experts how to safeguard your digital legacy and ensure a smooth transition of your digital and crypto holdings to your beneficiaries. Perfect for anyone looking to stay ahead of the evolving landscape of digital estate planning.

Faculty

• Tessa Davis, Professor of Law, USC Rice School of Law 
• Jessica Shultz Ferguson, Attorney, Turner Padget
• Mark Glover, Professor of Law, USC Rice School of Law 

 

Faculty Bios

Tessa Davis - Tessa Davis is a professor of law specializing in taxation and tax policy at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. Davis focuses her research on the ways in which tax law and policy are influenced by cultural context. Her research interests include the intersection of tax with many different areas of law, including immigration law, family law, law and technology, and health law. Her scholarship has appeared in many respected journals, including Denver Law Review, the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law, the Florida State University Law Review, the Cardozo Journal of Law & Gender, the Florida State University Journal of Transnational Law & Policy, Kentucky Law Journal, Oregon Law Review, and the George Mason Law Review.

Prior to joining the faculty at the University of South Carolina, Davis was a visiting assistant professor at Tulane University Law School. She earned an LLM in Taxation in 2012 from New York University School of Law and received her JD from Florida State University College of Law, where she graduated Order of the Coif.  While at NYU, Davis received a 2011 Tannenwald Award for Excellence in Tax Scholarship for her article “Reproducing Value: How Tax Law Differentially Values Fertility, Sexuality & Marriage” (Cardozo Journal of Law and Gender, Fall 2012). She also received the Florida State University Law Review award for “Outstanding Student Piece of the Year” for an article focusing on international law. Davis graduated from Davidson College with a BA in Anthropology and received an MSc in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics.

Jessica Shultz Ferguson - Jessica Ferguson focuses her practice on estate planning and probate, helping individuals and families protect their assets, navigate estate administration, and resolve probate disputes. She is committed to educating the community on the importance of estate planning and frequently offers workshops to share valuable insights on wills, trusts, and probate matters.

Prior to joining Turner Padget, Jessica practiced at South Carolina Legal Services, where she was quickly promoted to Lead Attorney for Estate Administration. There, she provided comprehensive legal services, guiding clients through estate matters and probate challenges.

Jessica earned her undergraduate degree in Honors Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with double minors in Neuroscience and Philosophy. She then moved to South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina School of Law. After law school, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Amy W. McCulloch in the Richland County Probate Court, where she worked closely with judges on complex probate issues, shaping her dedication to this field.

Jessica is actively involved in the legal community, serving as Chair of the S.C. Bar Elder Law Committee and Chair of the S.C. YLD Wills Committee. She is also an ABA RPTE Fellow Graduate and an ACTEC Fellow Graduate. Her contributions to the Probate Bar and dedication to legal services have earned her numerous recognitions.

Jessica is passionate about making estate planning accessible and strives to provide clients with clear guidance and compassionate representation through life’s most important transitions.

Mark Glover - Mark Glover teaches Wills, Trusts, and Estates and Property. His scholarship focuses on the law of succession and employs economic analysis and original empirical research.

Prior to joining the faculty at the University of South Carolina School of Law, Professor Glover was a faculty member at the University of Wyoming College of Law, where he taught Trusts and Estates, Contracts, and Secured Transactions. Professor Glover has also taught at Boston College as a Visiting Professor of Law and at Louisiana State University as a Teaching Fellow and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice. Before entering academia, Professor Glover practiced commercial law at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York.

Professor Glover holds a B.A in economics from Washington University in St. Louis, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where he was a member of the Boston University Law Review, and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School.

March 20, 2025 @ 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
In Person Only,  Karen J. Williams Courtoom
USC Rice School of Law
One Hour SC MH/SA CLE Credit 253794

Register Here for the Seminar

This CLE will present an overview of the importance of wellness and how lawyers can use technology to improve mental health. Lawyers and law students will enhance their understanding of the importance of self-care and how they can utilize technology to habitualize daily self-care routines to focus on improving their mental health.

The presenter will begin with an overview of the research regarding the impact of technology and social media on our mental health, including a discussion of key considerations for lawyers. The presenter will then cover more in-depth content on key areas (mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and music) where technology can be an effective tool to help lawyers focus on self-care, wellness, and improving their mental health. The CLE will conclude with several recommendations for how various features and specific apps on smartphones, tablets, and computers can help lawyers routinize a daily focus on wellness and improving their mental health.

Faculty

Christopher Church, JD, MS

Senior Clinical Fellow & Director of the Appeal for Youth Clinic, Emory University School of Law

Christopher is a Senior Clinical Fellow and Director of the Appeal for Youth Clinic at Emory University School of Law.  He is also a Senior Director for Strategic Consulting at Casey Family Programs, the nation's largest private operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and building Communities of Hope.

Prior to his current roles, Christopher was the Staff Attorney at the CHAMPS Clinic at USC Law and served as a consultant to a number of child welfare organizations such as Casey Family Programs, the Children's Bureau's Capacity Building Center for Courts, the ABA Center on Children and the Law, the National Center for State Courts, and NCJFCJ. His consulting focused primarily on the use of administrative data to identify opportunities for child welfare system improvement. He began his career working for Georgia's Court Improvement Program. Christopher holds a Masters in Mathematics from the University of North Texas and a Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law. He completed his undergraduate studies at Concordia College in New York. He is licensed to practice law in Georgia and South Carolina, and is South Carolina's first Child Welfare Law Specialist, a specialization certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children.

April 3, 2025 @ 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Online via Zoom Only
One Hour SC Ethics/LEPR CLE Credit 254286ADO

Register Here for the Seminar

Join us for a special TechInLaw LegalTech Seminar presented by Michael J. Sabatello, IV, an attorney with over 28 years of experience. This seminar will explore the profound impact of technology on the practice of law, from the early days of dial-up internet and Wang word processing to the current advancements in chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI).

Michael Sabatello will share his personal perspective, drawing from his diverse experiences in small law, big law, running his own practice, and his roles in both small and large in-house legal operations. The seminar will begin with an introduction to his journey through the technological evolution in the legal field.

Seminar attendees will learn why lawyers should embrace technology, focusing on enhanced client representation, improved efficiency and productivity, cost savings, and better access to justice. The seminar will highlight the competitive advantages that technology offers in the legal market.

The seminar will also address the ethical and professional obligations that come with the use of technology, referencing key ABA Model Rules and other relevant guidelines. This includes insights into maintaining the ethical and professional obligations of ABA model rules that deal with competence, diligence, effective communication, confidentiality, managing conflicts of interest, responsibilities of supervising lawyers and other ABA model rules, as well as Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b). 

Michael will showcase successful and emerging legal technologies, providing examples and discussing the latest innovations that are transforming legal practice. The seminar will also delve into the risks and benefits of AI, referencing ABA Formal Opinion 512, Florida Bar Advisory Opinion 24-1, and South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct.

Additionally, the seminar will cover the role of LegalTech in improving access to justice, offering practical tips for law students and new lawyers in navigating the evolving landscape. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, allowing seminar attendees to engage directly with Michael and deepen their understanding of the topics discussed.

Faculty Bio

Michael Sabatello IV
Michael Sabatello has over 28 years of experience as a practicing attorney and in Legal Operations.  Michael has also been a volunteer for 25 years with Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County.  

April 10, 2025 @ 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Online via Zoom Only
One Hour CLE Credit 254325ADO

Register Here for the Seminar

This seminar will explore the ways that the internet and developing internet technologies impact child exploitation crimes. Beginning with a discussion of existing child exploitation laws, the seminar will discuss the ways that the law pivots to cover quickly evolving technologies, both successfully and unsuccessfully. The seminar will also dive into the ways that prosecutors are using existing statutes to protect children and to hold offenders accountable for their crimes.

Faculty Bios

Katie Orville
Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of South Carolina

Katie Orville graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2015. She began her career at the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office in August 2015. While there, she prosecuted a wide array of crimes before specializing as a prosecutor for the Special Victims Unit in Colleton County.  In 2020, she came to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of South Carolina where she prosecutes white collar and general crimes, which includes child exploitation and human trafficking. Katie sits on the Lowcountry Financial Crimes Task Force as well as the Tri-County Human Trafficking Task Force.

Truxtun Umsted III
Assistant Legal Counsel to the South Carolina House of Representatives Judiciary Committee

Truxtun Umsted III is a licensed attorney in South Carolina and currently serves as Assistant Legal Counsel to the South Carolina House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. In this role, he manages multiple subcommittees—including the Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Special Laws Subcommittee—drafts legislation, and provides legal analysis and guidance on complex legislative matters.

Prior to his current role, Truxtun was a litigation associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, where he focused on mass tort and products liability litigation, with particular emphasis on expert witness and advanced motions practice.

He earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law in May 2023, graduating in the top 10% of his class. While in law school, he received numerous academic honors, including CALI Awards in Contracts and Torts and admission to the Order of the Wig and Robe. He also served as a law clerk to the House Ethics Committee, where he played prepared judicial election materials, drafted advisory opinions on the South Carolina Ethics Act, and compiled an indexed compendium of all House Ethics Committee advisory opinions. In recognition of his work, he was honored with House Resolution 3873 (125th Session).

Before law school, Truxtun worked as a Conservation Public Policy Research Fellow with the National Wild Turkey Federation. He also holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Carolina.