Seminar Overview
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the practice of law – introducing new tools, reshaping workflows, and raising complex ethical and regulatory questions. This seminar will explore the implications of AI for legal professionals, with a particular focus on ethical duties, regulatory considerations, and how AI is being implemented in legal practice in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.
Participants will gain a clearer understanding of what AI is and how it is being used in legal settings today, including tools such as predictive analytics, document review platforms, and generative language models. The session will examine how these technologies intersect with lawyers’ professional obligations – particularly competence, confidentiality, and candour – and will consider how legal regulators might respond to ensure public protection and uphold professional standards.
In addition to legal practice, the seminar will also touch on the growing use of AI in courts and tribunals, highlighting broader trends and innovations within the justice system. The session will include practical examples from local practice and reflections on international developments, offering a well-rounded perspective on the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
This session is ideal for legal professionals seeking to better understand the evolving role of AI in legal services and regulation, both in theory and on the ground.
Seminar Presenters
Professor Amy Salyzyn, University of Ottawa
Amy Salyzyn is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa. Professor Salyzyn has written extensively in the area of legal ethics, lawyer regulation, technology in legal service delivery and access to justice, having now published over 20 articles in Canadian and international journals on these topics. She is also the co-author of Understanding Lawyers’ Ethics in Canada, 3rd Edition, a leading Canadian legal ethics textbook and a General Editor of Canadian Legal Practice, a key practice resource in the area. Prior to entering academia, Professor Salyzyn received her J.S.D. and LL.M. from Yale Law School and her J.D. from the University of Toronto Law School, where she was awarded the Dean’s Key upon graduation. Before coming to the University of Ottawa, Professor Salyzyn also served as a judicial law clerk at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and practiced at a Toronto litigation boutique. She is currently the Board Chair for the Canadian Association for Legal Ethics.
Professor Bernadette McSherry, University of Melbourne
Dr. Bernadette McSherry is an Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Melbourne, Australia and a Commissioner with the Victorian Law Reform Commission. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a solicitor at Coltmans law firm and as an Associate to Justice Gobbo at the Supreme Court of Victoria. From 2001 to 2018, she served as a Legal Member of the Mental Health Tribunal of Victoria, which makes decisions about compulsory mental health treatment. Professor McSherry completed her doctorate at Osgoode Hall Law School and has published widely in the fields of criminal law and mental health law. From March 2019 to February 2021, she served as a Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
Trent Skanes, Spellbook
Trent Skanes is a practicing lawyer at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into the legal profession. As Director of Legal at Spellbook, he helps responsibly develop and effectively deploy generative AI to revolutionize legal drafting, review, and transactions in general. Previously, as a Fractional General Counsel at digital tech law boutique Renno & Co and then at Convergence Law (which he founded), Trent specialized in guiding emerging tech companies through their growth journey, from launch to exit.
His extensive experience includes being a partner at McInnes Cooper, a leading Atlantic Canadian law firm, where he specialized in tech and privacy law and resolving large-scale litigation matters. With a JD (Hons) from the University of Ottawa and as the gold medalist in his Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) program from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Trent combines deep legal and strategic expertise with a passion for technological innovation, positioning him as a thought leader in the practical application of tech and AI in law.
Registration Fee
$115.00 ($100.00 + HST) HST # R108086463
To register for this seminar, please click here.
CPD Credit: 2.5 hours