The practice of law requires adaptation. From typewriters to computers, or stacks of case reports to searchable databases, every generation of attorneys has had to adjust to new tools while keeping the same commitment to justice and advocacy.
Today, the next frontier of change is digital education and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
At the Jacksonville Bar Association, one of our foremost responsibilities is preparing members for these changes.
Continuing legal education is about far more than meeting a requirement. At its core, it equips us to serve clients more effectively and to stay prepared for the challenges in a rapidly changing profession.
I am proud of the JBA’s CLE catalog, which has grown to include on-demand courses on cutting-edge topics like legal applications of AI.
Law firms and courts are encountering questions about how to use, or whether to restrict, the role of AI in legal practice. These tools raise practical issues such as efficiency, cost and accessibility, but also ethical ones. How do we safeguard confidentiality when client data is involved? How do we ensure fairness when algorithms may reflect bias?
Is it our responsibility to utilize AI when possible in an attempt to reduce legal costs?
Attorneys must confront and consider these kinds of questions if they are to use technology responsibly.
Through CLE, the JBA ensures our members engage with these topics thoughtfully with guidance from experts in the field.
The benefit of the JBA’s on-demand CLE platform is accessibility.
Lawyers no longer need to travel or adjust their schedules around live programming to continue their education. Instead, they can learn on their own time, revisiting complex material as often as needed.
This flexibility makes it easier to stay current while balancing the demands of practice and personal life. It also ensures that members in smaller firms and those outside the Downtown core have the same access to quality education as those in larger offices.
Technology has changed the law in other ways as well. Digital evidence, cybersecurity, e-discovery and virtual hearings are now part of everyday practice. CLE programming allows attorneys to keep pace with these developments while staying grounded in the ethical obligations that define our profession.
In this way, technology becomes a tool to enhance justice, rather than a disruption, when paired with the steady hand of a well-informed lawyer.
Legal education should always be forward-looking. While the foundations of our profession — ethics, advocacy, service — remain constant, the tools and contexts in which we practice are evolving.
Courses on AI, digital practice management and new areas of substantive law ensure that JBA members are prepared not only for the issues of today but also for the challenges ahead.
I encourage our members to explore the JBA CLE on-demand catalog. And if you are not a member, join our organization.
Whether you are brushing up on recent Florida law changes, learning about courtroom technology or exploring new areas like AI, we have the resources to help you grow.
By bettering ourselves through continuing education we invest in ourselves, our clients, our profession and the cause of justice itself.
Brian Coughlin is president of the Jacksonville Bar Association for 2025-26 and a director at Bedell Law Firm focusing on criminal justice matters.