The 2026 NAFUSA annual conference will feature a panel on one of the most important
questions now facing trial lawyers: how artificial intelligence can and should be used in
preparing, presenting, and evaluating cases before juries. As courts, litigants, and
clients grapple with rapidly developing AI tools, this session offers a timely focus on
practical uses, professional responsibilities, and the enduring importance of human
judgment in the courtroom.

For conference attendees, largely experienced litigators, the central issue is not
whether AI will affect trial practice, but how lawyers should govern its use. The panel
will address questions of reliability, ethics, bias, disclosure, and courtroom persuasion.
It will also provide an opportunity to consider how AI may influence jury selection, trial preparation, opening statements, demonstratives, expert presentations, and post-
verdict analysis.

The panel, moderated by NAFUSA Board member Jill Steinberg, will feature Daniel
Koffmann, Bill Wenzel, Leo Yeykelis, and Byron Reeves, bringing together perspectives
from trial practice, jury research, behavioral science, and technology. The panel will
discuss the practical uses of AI from a trial lawyer’s perspective, including drafting and
pressure testing case strategies before trial. Their discussion will focus on how AI is
already being tested in litigation settings, including mock trials, juror simulations, theme
development and witness preparation. The panel will discuss AI as a trial preparation
tool, not a substitute for human analysis, and one which requires responsible use by
qualified lawyers mindful of professional obligations.

The panel speakers bring impressive backgrounds in law, research and technology
perspectives. Daniel Koffmann, a trial and appellate advocate whose practice includes
sensitive investigations and white-collar matters, brings the perspective of an
experienced courtroom lawyer confronting the strategic and evidentiary implications of
new technology. Dr. Bill Wenzel, Director of Research & Analytics at DRC Litigation
Strategies, adds a trial focused perspective on how lawyers can use emerging tools
while maintaining credibility with judges and juries.

Leo Yeykelis and Byron Reeves bring research and technology expertise relevant to
AI personas, simulated audiences, media effects, and human-computer interaction.
Their work highlights both the promise and the limits of using AI to model human
reactions, a distinction critical for trial lawyers. AI may be useful for generating
hypotheses, testing messages, and identifying weak spots, but it must be interpreted
with discipline and skepticism.

As AI tools become more accessible, the lawyers who use them best will likely be
those who understand both their power and their limits. NAFUSA is pleased to offer its
members and conference attendees a panel that promises to offer a practical,
balanced discussion of how AI can inform trial strategy while reaffirming a basic truth of
jury trials: positive outcomes still depend on evidence, judgment, credibility, and
persuasion.