AI Bootcamp: A Litigator’s Guide to AI-Driven Practice

By Kyle Gantz (Associate at Jones Day)

On June 17, 2026, the Federal Bar Association, San Diego Chapter, hosted an event on AI for litigators at DLA Piper in North County San Diego. Legal professionals gathered to explore how artificial intelligence can reshape litigation practice.

The CLE event featured distinguished panelists representing three distinct viewpoints. Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard provided a view from the bench;  Karen Hewitt, partner in charge of Jones Day’s California region, offered a litigator’s perspective; and Daniela Nogueira of Harvey AI provided a peek behind the technology itself. Hannah Ohara, Vice President of Civil Legal Education for the San Diego FBA Chapter and litigation associate at Jones Day, moderated the event.

A consistent theme emerged: human lawyers working with AI outperform both AI-alone and human-alone work product. Lawyers must, the panel urged, identify where AI adds value—and where it does not—while maintaining appropriate ethical and confidentiality safeguards.

The panel explored large language models (“LLMs”) and where they add value across the lifecycle of a case. Ms. Nogueira explained the basics of an LLM. Ms. Hewitt described the importance of case teams discussing how AI would be used at different phases of litigation to produce the best outputs. Judge Goddard noted that she uses AI in chambers in multiple ways: for example, to prepare first drafts of discrete portions of orders, restricting the AI to a closed set of her previous orders as examples, and to synthesize and organize the information provided in parties’ briefs before a hearing.

The panel also addressed common pitfalls. Newsworthy instances of AI hallucinations landing in court filings have scared some attorneys away from the technology entirely—but the panelists urged continued engagement. Ms. Nogueira observed that hallucinations can be reduced by grounding prompts in specific documents. Ms. Hewitt and Judge Goddard emphasized that sloppy submissions predate AI, and that lawyers who use the technology must still know where careful, human-powered review remains critical.

The panelists offered advice for young lawyers navigating the changing legal landscape. Judge Goddard emphasized that AI is a tool, not a substitute for critical thinking. Karen Hewitt predicted that once the accelerated adoption phase passes, AI will seem routine—but training analytical and judgment skills remains crucial. She added that AI will also help train lawyers, comparing a recent deposition training tool to a flight simulator.

Throughout, the panelists emphasized safeguards. Judge Goddard described strict instructions governing how her clerks use AI and urged other judges to adopt similar rules. Ms. Hewitt highlighted rigorous protections to keep client information safe and prevent AI models from training on law firm engagements.

The panel concluded with practical demonstrations. Ms. Nogueira used Harvey to identify conflicting testimony across multiple deposition transcripts, to predict how a particular judge might receive a brief, and to create an agent that drafted a witness interview memorandum from rough interview notes.

The San Diego FBA extends special thanks to Taylor Wemmer and DLA Piper for generously providing the venue and hosting a wonderful mixer following the discussion. The FBA would also like to thank Board Member Hannah Ohara and Legal Education Committee Members Alyssa Orellana and Kyle Gantz for organizing this event.