"The Intersection of Technology and Mental Health : Improving Wellness for Lawyers" (Good for One Hour MH/SA  CLE Credit)

Thursday, February 12, 2026, 8:00 – 9:00 AM
Karen J. Williams Courtroom
University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law
In Person Webinar Only
One Hour of SC Ethics/LEPR CLE Credit Pending
Presentation by Michael J. Sabatello, IV, Esq., Member of The Florida Bar

Register for Seminar Here

Seminar Description

How Technology Is Affecting the Practice of Law
1	Introduction of my perspective with 29 years of practice and my legal operations experience	2 minutes
2	Ethical and Professional Obligations to Consider ·      Competence - ABA Model Rule 1.1 ·      Diligence – ABA Model Rule 1.3 ·      Communication - ABA Model Rule 1.4 ·      Fees – ABA Model Rule 1.5 ·      Confidentiality - ABA Model Rule 1.6 ·      Conflicts of Interest - ABA Model Rule 1.7 ·      Advisor - ABA Model Rule 2.1 ·      Candor Toward the Tribunal - ABA Model Rule 3.3 ·      Responsibilities of Supervising Lawyers - ABA Model Rules 5.1 and 5.2 ·      Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistance - ABA Model Rule 5.3 ·      Verification of Case Citations - Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)	10 minutes
3	Risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Advisory Opinions ·      ABA Formal Opinion 512 on generative AI ·      Florida Bar Advisory Opinion 24-1 on AI	5 minutes
4	Setting Up Appropriate Technology Guardrails	5 minutes
5	Discussion of Select Current Technology and Use Cases	5 minutes
6	Discussion of Emerging Technologies	5 minutes
7	Implications and Practical Tips for Law Students and New Lawyers	5 minutes
8	Interactive Q&A	20 minutes
9	Further topics for discussion as time permits ·      Legal Tech and Access to Justice ·      New career paths ·      The lawyers’ role in shaping next gen technology ·      The “NewMod” law practice

Faculty

Michael Sabatello, Director, Legal Operations, NextEra Energy

SUMMARY OF LEGAL EXPERIENCE

NEXTERA ENERGY (2021-PRESENT). NextEra, headquartered in Juno Beach, FL, is the world’s largest producer of solar and wind power, and it owns Florida Power & Light.

• Director, Legal Operations, working with the CLO to create and lead the first legal operations team.

• Senior Lawyer supporting distributed generation and mobility, a new business.

RENDINA HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE (2008 - 2020). RHRE develops healthcare real estate in the U.S. from Jupiter, FL.

• General Counsel, overseeing all the Company’s legal affairs across the U.S.

• Investment Director, led an interdisciplinary team in acquiring, repositioning, and selling assets.

GREENBERG TRAURIG (1999 – 2008). Associate then shareholder in West Palm Beach, FL.

• Represented builders, developers, investors, landlords, and lenders in commercial real estate transactions, homebuilding and community development matters, and construction and development matters and disputes.

MOYLE FLANIGAN (1996 – 1999). Real estate associate in West Palm Beach, FL.

Community Service

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. Started serving in 2000 as a volunteer, Board Member,

Vice President of Retail Operations, and President (2006-08 and 2011-12).

CARDINAL NEWMAN HIGH SCHOOL. Former member of the Advisory Council and Community Leadership
Award recipient.

Education & Admissions

J.D., Rutgers School of Law, 1996
B.S., Economics, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1993

Active member of The Florida Bar since 1996; also admitted in New Jersey but not active

Thursday, February 26, 2026, 8:00 – 9:00 AM
Via Zoom Webinar Only
One Hour of SC MCLE CLE Credit Pending

Register for Seminar Here

Seminar Description

This session examines how South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS), an LSC-funded nonprofit law firm, is thoughtfully integrating artificial intelligence into daily operations to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and organizational impact. Drawing on real-world experience supported by a 2025 Central Carolina Community Foundation grant, the presenters will discuss how AI is used, from an administrative and IT perspective, to support document drafting, employment and HR matters, budgeting and financial analysis, benefits review, internal communications, and even grant writing—contributing to more than $1 million in new funding secured in a single year.

The session will also address how AI is embedded in legal practice through tools such as LexisNexis for legal research, as well as emerging IT applications, including workflow automation, data management, cybersecurity considerations, and system integration. Attendees will gain practical insights into responsible AI adoption in a legal services environment, governance considerations for LSC-funded organizations, and the expanding possibilities of AI to learn institutional style, manage large datasets, and support mission-driven legal work.

Faculty

• Kenneth J. Elliott, Webmaster/IT Support Specialist, South Carolina Legal Services

• Shunna V. Jeter, Executive Director, South Carolina Legal Services

Thursday, March 26, 2026, 8:00 – 9:00 AM
Via Zoom Webinar Only
One Hour of SC Ethics/LEPR CLE Credit 263832ADO

Register for Seminar Here

Seminar Description

This session will provide an introduction to legal analytics and how it can be used in litigation strategy, transactional law, the business of law, and e-discovery and technology-assisted review. 

Ethical issues such as bad data, bias amplification, and the security of client data will also be discussed, including lawyers’ duties of competence in understanding the benefits and risks of relevant technology under Model Rule 1.1;  and confidentiality obligations and the duty to make reasonable efforts to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure of client information under Rule 1.6.

Faculty

Kristina L. Niedringhaus, Associate Dean and Director of the Law Library, Joseph F. Rice School of Law, University of South Carolina

Faculty Bio

Kristina L. Niedringhaus is Associate Dean and Director of the Law Library at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. Her teaching portfolio includes courses in research methods, advanced legal research, and law practice technology, and her scholarship spans legal research pedagogy, technology competency, ethics issues related to legal research and technology, and law librarianship. She has been honored with multiple awards, including the Maleski Award for Teaching Excellence and recognition as one of the Influential Women in Legal Tech by the International Legal Technology Association.

She currently serves as Treasurer of the American Association of Law Libraries and on the Board of Directors of CALI, including two terms as President.

Prior to the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, she served as Associate Dean for Library, Information Resources, Legal Technology, and Innovation and Faculty Director of the Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative at Georgia State University College of Law.

Thursday, April  9, 2026, 8:00 – 9:00 AM
Via Zoom Webinar Only
One Hour of Ethics/LEPR SC CLE Credit 263833ADO
Register for Seminar Here

As fiduciaries, lawyers have a duty of loyalty. The rules of confidentiality help ensure loyal data management practices. But loyalty is more than avoiding impermissible disclosures. Rules of Professional Conduct 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9 countenance other uses of data that might disadvantage a client. This program explores how generative AI applications which use client data might violate the lawyer’s duty of loyalty. Though technical and administrative measures can reduce the risk of non-compliance, AI may challenge the lawyer’s duty of loyalty at a fundamental level.

Faculty

David Sella-Villa, Assistant Professor of Law, Joseph F. Rice School of Law, University of South Carolina

Faculty Bio

David Sella-Villa joined the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law faculty as an Assistant Professor in July 2024. His primary research and teaching interests focus on law and technology, privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

Prior to his full-time faculty appointment, Professor Sella-Villa served as an adjunct faculty member at the Joseph F. Rice School of Law at the University of South Carolina and William & Mary Law School. He also brings extensive practical experience to his academic role. He served as South Carolina's Chief Privacy Officer, leading the Enterprise Privacy Office and educating state agencies on privacy best practices. Before that, he was Assistant General Counsel for the South Carolina Department of Administration, where he advised the state’s IT division. In the private sector, Professor Sella-Villa worked as General Counsel for Tempus Applied Solutions and Global Flight Relief, managing complex transactions and regulatory compliance in the aviation industry. He has also maintained a solo law practice focused on serving pro bono clients.

Professor Sella-Villa's scholarship appears in University of Richmond Law Review, University of Missouri Kansas City Law Review, the International Journal of Remote Sensing, and The Business Lawyer. He is an active member of the Sedona Conference Working Group on Data Security and Privacy Liability. His work has also been selected for discussion at the Privacy Law Scholars Conference – Europe (PLSC-E) and the Annual Symposium on Applications of Contextual Integrity (PrivaCI).

He holds a J.D. from William & Mary Law School. He also earned an M.Sc. in European Political Economy from the London School of Economics and dual bachelor's degrees from West Virginia University. Professor Sella-Villa holds the highest designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals – Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP). He is admitted to practice law in South Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.