NELA
Empowering Workers' Rights Attorneys
Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop
Spring Seminar Program
Friday, March 20, 2026 (All Times CST) |
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| 8:00–9:00 a.m. | Registration & Continental Breakfast |
| 8:45–9:00 a.m. | Welcome & Opening Remarks |
| 9:00–10:15 a.m. | Learning the Language of AI Our opening session will kick off with a demonstration of how attorneys can utilize AI to prepare a sample demand letter. Faculty will develop and use prompts in real time to draft, edit and refine their work. After the demonstration, our presenters will discuss the fundamentals every attorney needs to know before utilizing AI as part of their law practice. What is the difference between open and closed-source AI? How does AI learn? What are prompts and how can you develop them to ensure you are using AI effectively and efficiently? This session will provide attendees with a glossary of terms and a solid foundation as you move forward with AI as part of your law practice. |
| 10:45–11:45 a.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| Legal Research & Writing in the Age of AI From demand letters to pre-trial motions and opening statements, legal research and writing are the foundation of any law practice. These tasks can also be the most time-consuming *for small firms that do not have the same resources as large defense firms. Our presenters will share how they use AI programs and prompts to boost productivity and streamline common tasks like demand letter drafting, discovery responses and requests, discovery deficiency letters, and drafting opening statements. Presenters will also discuss the importance of editing, reviewing and finalizing any AI assisted work product before it leaves your desk. |
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| Non-AI Law Office Technology Basics for Solos & Small Firms If you are hesitant about using AI, there are still a wide variety of ways that advancing legal technology can help you boost your productivity. What are the basic forms of technology that a solo or small firm needs to remain competitive and productive in this market? This panel will examine what technology can do for you, what that technology is, and where to find it. From the best way to use your Microsoft 365 tools to affordable tools for ESI, this panel will ensure you are staying competitive in the current legal environment. |
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| 1:15–2:15 p.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| Practical Ways to Use AI Tools In Discovery This panel will explore real world examples where practitioners have used AI to improve their discovery process. From writing and responding to discovery requests, reviewing documents, preparing for depositions, and more, our presenters will break down the advantages, and potential pitfalls, of these tools and help you understand the practical steps you can take immediately in your practice. |
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| Comparing Case Management Systems Most plaintiffs’ employment lawyers are juggling multiple cases with competing priorities and deadlines. Learning how to utilize technology can be the key to managing your cases effectively. Do you need a case management system, or is the Microsoft Suite with Outlook all you need? What are the similarities and differences between the commonly used case management systems, and what features best serve employment law litigators? Join our panelists as they tackle these questions and ensure you are making the most of the tools at your disposal. |
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| 2:30–3:30 p.m. | Who’s the Boss? Managing Your Email You could easily spend your entire day triaging your in-box. Email has created unrealistic expectations in terms of how lawyers are expected to review and respond to electronic communications. This problem is compounded when clients often forward evidence via email to the lawyer from the client’s work email. This panel will teach you how to master your productivity and preserve evidence (and your peace of mind), by streamlining your email processes, prioritizing communication, adopting protocols to handle evidence sent electronically and organize your day so that email does not rule your schedule. |
| 4:00–5:15 p.m. | The Ethical Use of AI in Your Law Practice With the rapid adoption of AI, ethical issues arise with the use of AI. There has been a proliferation of attorneys facing serious sanctions and disciplinary actions by filing inaccurate AI-generated material. This panel will ensure you understand the ethical implications of adopting AI into your law practice. Attendees will learn about the limitations of AI, what your duty is when developing materials with the use of AI and whether there are ethical implications if you choose not to integrate AI into your law practice. |
| 5:30–7:00 p.m. | Reception Generously co-sponsored by the National Institute for Workers' Rights |
Saturday, March 29, 2025 |
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| 7:00–9:00 a.m. | Registration & Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00–10:00 a.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| Calculating and Arguing Damages with the Use of AI Calculating accurate damages quickly as early as possible can set your case up for success during mediation, settlement negotiations and at trial. AI can examine vast quantities of data to help you identify damages, calculate their value and develop your arguments to show decisionmakers the ultimate harm your client experienced. |
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| AI and Client Interaction While legal professionals are using AI to complete research, develop materials, and refine arguments, so to potential clients are also using AI in an attempt to determine if they have a claim and litigate their own case. Our experts will discuss how you can use AI to handle client intakes and communications, how to advise your clients about their use of AI via your fee agreements and other client communications, and how to develop standard procedures and protocols when faced with clients who may prefer to listen to ChatGPT rather than their attorney. |
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| 10:30–11:30 a.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| Identifying and Responding to Deepfake Evidence In 2024, a Maryland worker developed AI-generated “deepfake” evidence of his supervisor’s voice using discriminatory language, highlighting a new challenge for all attorneys who depend on audio, video or photography as evidence. From workers facing harassment via computer-generated videos to employers who could alter documents via sophisticated technology, there is no doubt that computer-generated materials will enter the evidentiary realm soon. This panel will address how to examine potential deepfake evidence, how to challenge the admission of this material in court, and how different jurisdictions are addressing this insidious issue. |
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| AI as a Person Recent offensive rants by AI systems demonstrate that will exhibit biases that can impact how employers recruit, hire and retain employees. Recent developments in §1983 litigation are exploring whether AI can be considered a “person acting under color of state law”, raising questions about how an employer’s use of AI can impact their liability under federal anti-discrimination laws. This panel will explore how issues relating to intent and AI may present themselves in discrimination cases, and probe the best strategies to promote helpful case law on the issue, including Mobley v. Workday, Inc. |
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| 1:00–2:15 p.m. | Understanding the Employer’s Technology to Strengthen Your Case Gone are the days of paper personnel files. Communications are no longer limited to paper memos or emails. Documents are not static; they are living collaborative efforts. Understanding what technology an employer uses is integral to identifying the evidence you may need to prove your case, how to request that information, and what preservation requests you may need to make early in the case. |
| 2:45–4:00 p.m. | What’s Next: AI’s Impact on Workers & the Law We stand at a moment of great complexity amid exponential technological growth. While incorporating AI in an ethical manner can help plaintiffs’ attorneys represent more workers and compete with the resources of defense firms, there is no denying the potential for AI to harm workers and change the legal landscape. From algorithmic discrimination to widespread layoffs in vulnerable sectors, this session will discuss what claims may become more prevalent in the age of AI and how the law needs to change to address these emerging issues. |
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