The American Bar Association, along with 58 other bar associations—including the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association—have united to “defend the rule of law and reject efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession.” They issued a statement rejecting government actions that punish lawyers, law firms, or judges for their legal decisions, and emphasized the importance of protecting the independence of the legal system. The coalition calls upon all members of the profession, from private practice to elected officials, to speak out against such intimidations.

  A Smokeball survey reveals that 53% of small and solo law firms have adopted AI—a significant increase from 27% last year. However, many legal professionals remain concerned about the ethics of AI use. Despite its potential to reduce costs and improve efficiency, 39% of respondents are uneasy about relying on AI-generated outputs, and 53% express ethical concerns. The survey forecasts that AI will have a major impact on legal research, document creation, and e-discovery, while also highlighting ongoing discussions around billing structures and regulatory frameworks.

  The Ohio Supreme Court has published a Toolkit for Intervention in Lieu of Conviction (ILC) for attorneys and judges working with criminal defendants seeking to avoid conviction. A defendant may be eligible for ILC deferral if the court has reason to believe that: The defendant’s drug or alcohol use was a leading factor in committing the crime At the time of the offense, the defendant had a mental illness or intellectual disability The defendant was a victim of human trafficking or prostitution that contributed to the offense However, exclusions apply for: Felonies of the first, second, or third degree Violent offenses Cases where the victim is 65 or older, permanently and totally disabled, under age 13, or a peace officer on duty Charges involving tampering with drugs where the victim suffered physical harm from altered substances Click here to read the Court’s press release.

  The Cleveland Municipal Court will reopen on March 12, following a cyber incident that led to its closure on February 23. Although the investigation is still ongoing, General Division cases scheduled for Wednesday will proceed as planned. All criminal and civil cases originally set for hearings between February 24 and March 11 have been rescheduled, and affected individuals will receive new dates by mail.

  After months of community engagement and public voting, the Cleveland Flag Project has unveiled the “ People’s Flag of Cleveland .” The new design is packed with meaning, subtly nodding to Cleveland's history and future aspirations. Although city leaders are not adopting it as Cleveland’s official flag, organizers hope it will be embraced by residents, with flags debuting across the city and merchandise available to support the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

Labor law attorney Matt Bruenig has launched a new online legal research database called NLRB Research , designed to help users search content related to the National Labor Relations Act and the National Labor Relations Board . This free database updates automatically as new content becomes available and offers robust search capabilities across a wide range of materials, including: Published Board Decisions Unpublished Board Decisions ALJ Decisions Regional Election Decisions Board Appellate Briefs Injunction Appellate Briefs GC Memos OM Memos Advice Memos Manuals Statutes Circuit Court rulings Supreme Court rulings

  Throughout history, presidents have used the power of clemency in various ways. The newest episode of Law Library Insights explores the history of the presidential pardon, how presidents have wielded this power, and its limitations. Check it out !

  An ABA Working Group on AI has just published Guidelines for responsible use of AI in federal and state courts. The document, titled Guidelines for U.S. Judicial Officers Regarding the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence , is available in an upcoming law review article. The introduction to the Guidelines explains: “These Guidelines are intended to provide general, non-technical advice about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) by judicial officers and those with whom they work in state and federal courts in the United States…” If you want to read a great summary of the Guidelines, click here to read a blog post by legal tech guru Bob Ambrogi.