2026 Innovation Forum

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Time	Event and Location – Beus Center Directory – Event Tickets – CABLJ’s EventBrite Page
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Check-in + Coffee and Bagel Networking Reception After you check-in at the Welcome Center (noted in the Beus Center Directory as “Restaurant”), come join our sponsors, speakers, and distinguished guests for a networking reception. We will serve light breakfast items on the second-floor Mezzanine above the Great Hall. Welcome Center + Snell & Wilmer Plaza + W.P. Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.	Opening Remarks: Jon Iversen Our Editor-in-Chief will present some brief remarks about how the Corporate and Business Law Journal is bringing innovative changes to journal operations and what is in store for the upcoming academic year. He will also discuss the genesis and purpose of the Innovation Forum, set the stage for the day’s activities, provide some housekeeping information, and introduce Dean Stacy Leeds for her opening Keynote Speech. W.P. Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS
9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	Keynote Speech The Innovative Bridge Between the Ivory Tower and the Real World: Dean Stacy Leeds Dean Stacy Leeds ascended to her role on February 1, 2023, and since then, she has overseen the continued development of ASU Law as a leader in innovation. Under her leadership, ASU Law has implemented several groundbreaking innovations, with several more to come. Through her efforts, Dean Leeds has proven to be one of the most innovate law school deans in the United States. W.P. Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.	Technology Plenary Panel The Anatomy of Generative AI and Its Application in Legal Practice: Scott Ramsey, Donovan Bell (Intel), and Brooke Pfleeger (Ogletree Deakins) – CLE Professional Responsibility Eligible Join our technology panelists for a discussion on Generative AI, including how AI works, how it is being applied in law and business, how it is likely to develop in the future, and how both lay people and legal professionals can educate themselves on AI to ensure they develop a baseline skillset in using it in their work. W.P. Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.	AM Concurrent Panels (1) Judicial Ethics in an Age of AI: Judge Daniel P. Collins, Judge Madeleine C. Wanslee, Professor Nancy Rapoport, Professor Joseph Tiano Jr., and HP Newquist – W.P. Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS – CLE Professional Responsibility Eligible Join two bankruptcy judges, two leading academics, and the Executive Director of an AI consulting firm to discuss the ethical implications that may arise when judges use Generative AI. (2) Networking and Job Applications in a Changing Legal Landscape: Trevi Grant, Spencer May, and Julie Moy – BCLS 650 One of ASU Law’s Assistant Deans, a law student who recently published a book on networking, and a legal recruiter from one of Arizona’s premier law firms will discuss how students and lawyers should network in a legal recruiting environment that has seen tremendous change over the last several years. (3) Private Use and Public Trust – AI in Election Law Panel: Professor Sarah Gonski, Eric H. Spencer (Snell & Wilmer), and Justice Andrew Gould (Holtzman Vogel) – BCLS 250 – CLE Eligible ASU Law’s resident election law professor, a noted election law practitioner, and a former Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court join us for a discussion on how emerging technologies are transforming election operations, how they are shaping the public’s perspective on the safety and security of elections, and the risks that this technology brings to bear on elections. Is this technology more sword than shield? Join us to discuss this and other probing questions.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Lunch Distinguished Guests: AK-Chin Conference Room – BCLS 544 Attendees who purchase a lunch ticket will join our distinguished guests, including judges, justices, speakers, and sponsors, for a delicious southwestern meal. We will have a few sponsors slotted to present on how they are integrating AI in their law firm, and perhaps they will share a recent victory from their firm. Conference Attendees: BYO Self Selected Local Restaurants Other attendees may explore the many local restaurant options within walking distance of the Beus Center for Law & Society. Here is a link that offers suggestions for restaurants within walking distance.
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.	Plenary Judiciary Panel The Judicial Vanguard – Arizona’s Innovative Court System: Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer, Chief Judge Randall M. Howe, and Judge Christopher T. Whitten – CLE Eligible Our panel of distinguished jurists will discuss how they have brought innovation to their respective levels of the judiciary, how they have seen attorneys run afoul of ethical obligations when using generative AI, and what is on the horizon for the Arizona State court system with regard to AI use. W.P Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS
3:25 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.	PM Concurrent Panels (1) Innovation from the Academy to the Court – Judge Samuel A. Thumma, Professor Susan Chesler, and Jon Iversen – BCLS 650 – CLE Eligible Come join one of Arizona’s leading jurists, ASU Law’s Dean’s Fellow for Innovation, and our very own Editor-in-Chief for a discussion on how AI is disrupting the business of the Court and the Academy, from changing how judges and academics research, write, and publish to changing how journals operate. We will probe provocative questions such as “Can Generative AI judge cases?” “Do we even need Associate Editors anymore?” and “How will academics cope with the increased pace of writing and publishing?” (2) Tariffs, Taxation, and Third-Party Funded Litigation: Professor Samantha Prince, Dr. Doron Norotzki , and Professor Miranda Welbourne Eleázar – BCLS 450 – CLE Eligible Macroeconomically, President Trump’s tariff regime has been one of the most disruptive, and in a loose sense of the word “innovative”, economic features of his presidency. The Supreme Court has decided the ultimate question of their legality under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in the negative, but it is clear that the current administration will seek workarounds. Microeconomically, third-party litigation funding has increased significantly over the last several years. What pressures do interested non-litigants bring to bear on the judicial system and the policies undergirding that system? Join three of our authors for a ranging discussion on both of these hot-button topics. (3) Lawyers Meet Investors – Innovating Ownership Structures – ABS Panel: David Rizzo, Justice Clint Bolick, and Alex Chucri (Pravati Capital) – W.P Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS – CLE Professional Responsibility Eligible Several years ago, the Arizona Supreme Court reformed the legal ethics rules to permit non-lawyer ownership of law firms, making Arizona the first state in the country to fully permit such ownership structures. More than 5 years later, it is fitting to ask how this monumental change has impacted Arizona’s legal market. Our speakers will address that broad topic from the perspective of business, finance, ethics, and legal operations.
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	Plenary Panel Close Measured by Time or Value – AI, Analytics, and the Hybrid Billable Model: Lana Manganiello, Professor Nancy Rapoport, and Professor Joe Tiano, Jr. – CLE Eligible Generative AI has hit the legal industry, and it is here to stay. The data shows that AI has increased the efficiency of lawyers, but there has not been a commensurate decrease in the cost of legal services. As clients bring more and more pressure to bear on law firms to pass on their efficiency gains in the form of reduced legal bills, the time is ripe to shift from a pure billable hour model to a hybrid billing model. Our speakers will discuss this reality and provide a step-by-step framework for using data analytics and generative AI to position your law firm on the winning side of this coming disruption. W.P Carey Foundation Armstrong Great Hall, BCLS

Disclaimer for the CLE-eligible panels: The State Bar of Arizona does not approve or accredit CLE activities for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education requirement. Th[ese] activit[ies] may qualify for up to 1 hour[ each] toward your annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona, including 1 hour(s) of professional responsibility each [for the Technology Plenary Panel, the Judicial Ethics Panel, and the ABS Panel].