Inns of Court event addresses cybersecurity and AI
Inns of Court event addresses cybersecurity and AI
https://brooklyneagle.com/390161/inns-of-court-addresses-cybersecurity-and-ai/
Publish Date: 2026-05-28 11:51:00
Source Domain: brooklyneagle.com
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — The Nathan R. Sobel Inns of Court presented a compelling and informative program on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence on March 26 at the Brooklyn Bar Association’s historic headquarters, 123 Remsen St. “Cybersecurity and AI: Are we hallucinating?” focused on cybersecurity challenges such as data breaches, ransomware attacks and compliance, featuring a presentation from attorney Paul Marber. Joseph Monaco, Esq., discussed a number of AI-related cases.A skit from the Inns of Court event being performed by Joseph Monaco, Esq., Hon. Ellen Spodek and Henderson Brathwaite II, Esq. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn EagleThe program also featured a skit, “Valentino Rossi v. Never Pay, LLC and Best Yamaha Dealership,” a sidewalk trip and fall action, which centered around an attorney who incorporated a “hallucinated case” — one that does not actually exist but is mistakenly presented as real by AI tools like ChatGPT — which was ultimately recognized by the judge. Hon. Jacqueline Williams, left, alongside Hon. Kerry Ward. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn EagleHon. Jacqueline Williams, one of the lead presenters at the event alongside Hon. Kerry Ward, told the Brooklyn Eagle that AI’s role in court processes and court procedures is of concern. Ward added, “We rely on the accuracy of the information that lawyers provide to the court in their briefs and motions, and the court, in turn, wants to rely on the accuracy of information as decisions are issued.” Ward pointed out that one should be mindful of using AI tools until the reliability of the platform or database is ensured. Cybersecurity challengesMarber’s presentation, “Cybersecurity for Lawyers 101,” spoke to the many cybersecurity challenges lawyers face. “There’s a lot of danger out there,” Marber said. “We need to keep abreast of the benefits and risks of technology. Robust cybersecurity measures are essential for protecting not only sensitive client information but our own firm information.”Xavier Carr, Esq., president-elect of the Nathan R. Sobel-Kings County American Inn of Court. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn EagleMarber said that law firms are a target primarily because of the sensitive information they handle, which often includes client data and intellectual property. In the past year, according to CBX Solutions, a company that publishes cybersecurity-related industry commentary about law firms and cyber risks, 30% to 40% of law firms in the U.S. experienced some form of cybersecurity incident or breach. “Data breaches can lead to very severe financial losses as well as reputational damage,” Marber said, adding that oftentimes the breaches are a result of an outdated plug-in. “One of the important things that you can do is to keep your IT up to date. Always have someone checking on it,” Marber said. “If you have a little gap in your system, it’s as good as if there is no system at all.”AI-generated “hallucinated” legal citations Monaco, who referenced various cases related to AI, spoke to a widely discussed federal court case, “Flycatcher Corp. Ltd. v. Affable Avenue LLC,” which involves hallucinated legal citations from AI. Len Stewart, Esq. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn EagleIn the case, attorney Steven Feldman repeatedly filed court papers containing nonexistent or inaccurate case citations that the judge concluded appeared to have been generated by AI tools without proper verification. Hon. Katherine Polk Failla ultimately imposed severe sanctions, including default judgment against the client. The matter became notable because the attorney allegedly continued submitting erroneous citations even after court warnings. The court found the filings reflected reliance on unverified AI-generated research, and the sanctions were among the harshest yet imposed in an AI-hallucination context. The Nathan R. Sobel Inns of Court, whose Brooklyn chapter was established in 2001, is part of a larger association, the American Inns of Court, created in the 1970s. The American Inns of Court are professional legal societies designed to improve ethics, civility, courtroom skills and mentorship within the legal profession. They were modeled loosely on the historic English Inns of Court — the centuries-old London institutions that train barristers.Paul Marber, Esq., makes a point. Photo: Wayne Daren Schneiderman/Brooklyn Eagle
