Two AI Developments Texas Lawyers Should Know About This Week
Two things crossed my desk this week that signal where AI adoption is headed for Texas attorneys — one from the State Bar, one from a researcher trying to measure it.
"Ask A Human" Is Back — And Over 500 Attorneys Already Registered
The State Bar of Texas Emerging Practice Trends Subcommittee is hosting a second iteration of its free live Q&A webinar, "Ask A Human", on April 15, 2026. The format is simple: attorneys submit questions about AI in legal practice, and a panel of practitioners answers them live. No slides. No prepared remarks. Just questions and answers.
I'm one of the panelists alongside Patrick Wright from The Wright Firm. We co-moderated the first session in November 2025, and the reception was strong enough that the Subcommittee brought it back.
The numbers tell the story. The first session drew significant interest. This second round already has over 500 registrants — unusually high for a Bar webinar. That demand reflects a profession that has moved past "should I learn about AI?" and into "how do I use this responsibly?"
Registration is free and open to all attorneys. Sign up here.
A Researcher Is Measuring What the Rest of Us Are Guessing
While practitioners debate AI adoption anecdotally, Laura Lorek — litigation reporter at Texas Lawyer and master's student at Texas Tech University — is collecting actual data. Her thesis research examines how Texas lawyers use generative AI in client communications, with particular focus on ethical practices around privacy and attorney-client privilege.
The study is supervised by Dr. Robert Stewart, professor of Communication Studies at Texas Tech's College of Media & Communication. The survey covers approximately 50 items on AI usage, privilege considerations, and privacy concerns, including four open-ended questions. It takes about 10 minutes.
Here's why the research design matters: Lorek drew a randomized sample of 3,000 attorneys from the full State Bar of Texas directory — rural practitioners, big-city litigators, every practice area. That's the kind of methodological rigor that produces findings the profession can rely on, not just a self-selected poll of enthusiasts.
She is currently about 60 responses away from her goal before data collection closes next week. The survey is fully anonymous and voluntary.
If you're a licensed Texas attorney, take the survey here. Share it with colleagues. The more representative the sample, the more useful the findings will be when they publish later this year.
Why These Two Things Matter Together
A Bar webinar with 500 registrants and a graduate thesis surveying 3,000 attorneys are two data points in the same trend: Texas lawyers want to engage with AI, and the institutions around them are starting to build the infrastructure for that engagement — whether through live Q&A panels, formal research, or updated practice guidelines.
The gap right now is between the speed of adoption and the speed of measurement. Practitioners are integrating AI tools into their workflows faster than anyone is documenting what's working, what's risky, and what the ethical guardrails should look like. Lorek's research and the State Bar's webinar series are both attempts to close that gap from different directions.
One gives attorneys a place to ask questions. The other asks attorneys the questions. Both are worth your time.
- Ask A Human webinar — April 15, 2026, free: txhq.org/askhumans
- Texas Lawyer AI Survey — 10 minutes, anonymous: txhq.org/aisurvey