eSearch Warrant is Now Live Statewide
The rollout of the eSearch Warrant program that lets police request and judges authorize or deny search warrants was completed at the end of October and is now live in all 120 counties. The project is a collaboration between the Administrative Office of the Courts and Kentucky State Police.
The program works off the eWarrant platform that KSP had been using since 2009. Employing the existing technology, LexisNexis developed the eSearch Warrant program for KSP. The AOC provided the case management system component. The Supreme Court of Kentucky authorized the eSearch Warrant system for the courts with Administrative Order 2023-29, which can be viewed here: https://kcoj.info/SCOrder202329.
Salvation Army Angel Tree Program Live
As Christmas approaches, The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program is now live and accepting donors and volunteers to participate in the program. The Angel Tree Program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children around the country each year. Once a child or senior adult has been registered and accepted as an “Angel”, their Christmas wish list is shared with donors in your community who purchase gifts of new clothing and toys. Please click here to find a service center in your area where you can volunteer and become a donor for an Angel.
This is but one example of how to help those in need at this time of year. LMICK simply wishes to encourage you to share your resources if you are able, to brighten someone else’s holiday season. Please visit Feedingkentucky.org to see how you can assist with food banks and other donation centers throughout Kentucky.
Practice Management
AI Legal Writing: How Lawyers Can Work Faster Without Sacrificing Accuracy
As part of LMICK’s continued AI series, this month LMICK discusses AI Legal Writing. The American Bar Association recently published an article titled, “AI Legal Writing: How Lawyers Can Work Faster Without Sacrificing Accuracy”. According to the article, AI legal writing tools are transforming how lawyers draft documents, conduct research, and communicate with clients. By leveraging generative AI and large language models (LLMs), these tools can handle routine tasks faster and more accurately—without replacing a lawyer’s expertise.
What is AI Legal Writing?
AI Legal Writing uses LLMs and other AI technology to create, edit, and refine legal content. These tools can draft documents, summarize case law, format citations, and even help with client communication. Unlike general AI, legal-specific tools are designed to follow professional standards and jurisdictional rules.
Benefits of AI Legal Writing Tools
- Efficiency: Faster turnaround on drafts and revisions.
- Consistency: Maintaining tone, style, and formatting across documents.
- Accuracy: Reducing human error in repetitive tasks.
- Support for new lawyers: Accelerating learning curves by providing model templates and language.
Risks and Considerations
As Lawyers Mutual has said in previous LMICK Minutes, using AI does have its risks. There are considerations to me made when determining how to use AI. Before using AI for legal writing, there are a few concerns to have on your radar:
- Data Privacy: Entering client information into public AI tools like ChatGPT can breach confidentiality.
- AI Hallucinations: AI may produce incorrect facts or citations that appear credible.
- Bias: Outputs can reflect the biases of their training data.
- Jurisdictional errors: Generic tools may not follow local rules or citation formats.
Also, be sure to follow any and all applicable ethics rules! Lawyers must ensure outputs or responses are reviewed, verified, and aligned with professional obligations.
Choosing the Right AI Legal Writing Software
Not all AI tools are built for law firms. When evaluating options, consider:
- Legal context awareness
- Jurisdiction-specific citation support
- Security and confidentiality safeguards
- Integration with your existing workflow
- Customization features for templates and tone
Leading AI Tools for Legal Writing
There are countless automation and AI tools for writing legal documents available, with more showing up every week. The ABA did its research “so you don’t have to, highlighting the best in both legal-specific and general use.”
- Clio Duo: Built into Clio Manage, Clio Duo acts as a secure AI assistant for tasks like summarizing documents, extracting insights, generating client0ready responses, and scheduling follow-ups—without leaving your practice management software.
- Clio Draft: While not AI-powered, Clio Draft automates document creation, cutting drafting time by up to 80%. It uses state-specific templates, clause logic, and integrates directly with Microsoft Word.
- BriefCatch: An AI editing tool for improving clarity, style, and citation accuracy. It works within Microsoft Word and Outlook.
- CoCounsel (Thompson Reuters): A high-end AI assistant for drafting, reviewing, and researching. Strong privacy safeguards, but comes at a higher cost and with longer contracts.
- ChatGPT & Microsoft Copilot: General-purpose AI tools that can help brainstorm, outline, and reformat—but they lack legal safeguards and must be used cautiously!
How Lawyers are Using AI in Practice
- Contract drafting automation
- Internal memo writing
- Deposition and transcript summarization
- Email generation and client communication drafting
- Legal research summaries.
- In each case, the lawyer’s role is to verify, edit, and ensure compliance before delivering the work.
Best Practices for Safe AI Use
- Always review any AI output, no matter the task
- Always be aware of what’s shared with the AI platform
- Always stay on top of compliance and best-use standards
- Always verify sources and citations from AI
Questions? Contact
Paralegal Pointers: Billing, Collections, and Year-End Revenue
Lawyers Mutual of North Carolina recently released an article that discusses the fact that as the end of the year approaches, many law firms feel increased billing pressure. “Clients want to close out matters, attorneys want to hit revenue goals, and accounting departments are racing to finalize the books.” For paralegals and staff, this is the time when accurate, consistent, and timely timekeeping is more important than ever.
Here are some tips on how to help achieve billing and accounting goals:
- Send bills promptly (the older the bill, the harder it is to collect)
- Encourage Online Payments
- Offer Payment Plans (for larger balances, structured options can help clients pay sooner rather than later)
- Review advance fees (make sure replinshments are requested before balances run dry)
- Accept credit cards (clients expect it, and firms that accept credit cards get paid faster)
- Use online billing platforms (such as LawPay, Clio which will allow you to send digital invoices with “click to pay” options)
- Automate reminders (set up gentle email nudges for overdue bills)
- Communicate early (when you anticipate a client may struggle to pay, address it before the balance grows).
- Double-check that all time entries are correct and current
- Run reports of unbilled time or unpaid invoices
With detailed timekeeping and proactive billing practices, you’ll help your firm finish the year strong—and start the new one on solid financial footing.
Questions? Contact
Importance of Probate Bond in Estate Administration
In the administration of a decedent’s estate, few safeguards are as critical — yet sometimes underestimated — as the probate bond. Whether referred to as an executor’s bond, administrator’s bond, or fiduciary bond, this instrument functions as both a legal requirement and a practical protection mechanism. For attorneys advising fiduciaries or beneficiaries, understanding the role and importance of probate bonds is essential to ensuring sound estate administration and mitigating liability risks.
1. Probate Bonds Protect Beneficiaries and Creditors
At its core, a probate bond serves to protect the estate and its interested parties from potential losses caused by the executor’s or administrator’s malfeasance, negligence, or error. When the fiduciary misappropriates assets, fails to properly account for property, or otherwise breaches their duties, the surety company issuing the bond provides financial recourse for the harmed parties.
For practitioners, this means that advising clients to secure a probate bond is not merely about meeting a court requirement — it is about establishing a critical layer of protection for heirs, legatees, and creditors alike.
2. A Tool for Fiduciary Accountability
Probate bonds underscore the fiduciary nature of estate administration. They help ensure that executors and administrators act in strict accordance with their legal obligations — collecting assets, paying valid debts, filing accurate accountings, and distributing the estate per the will or statutory scheme.
The existence of the bond itself serves as a deterrent against misconduct. The fiduciary is made aware that their actions are subject to oversight and that any breach of duty could trigger a claim and personal liability. From a lawyer’s perspective, this is a powerful means of aligning fiduciary conduct with statutory standards and ethical expectations.
3. Enhancing Confidence in the Probate Process
Even in relatively straightforward estates, disputes and mistrust among heirs can easily arise. A probate bond provides reassurance to all parties that the estate is being administered with financial accountability. This can be particularly useful for attorneys seeking to minimize litigation risks. When clients understand that a surety company stands behind the fiduciary’s obligations, it helps reduce suspicion, foster transparency, and promote cooperative administration.
4. Statutory and Procedural Compliance
Most jurisdictions mandate probate bonds unless expressly waived by the will or by consent of all interested parties and approval of the court. Attorneys must therefore be familiar with local probate statutes and court rules regarding when and how such bonds are required, their amounts, and procedures for waiver.
5. Balancing Cost with Protection
While some clients may initially resist obtaining a probate bond due to cost concerns, it is important to emphasize that premiums are generally modest relative to the estate’s value and the protection afforded. The cost of the bond is typically paid from estate assets, and in most cases, the peace of mind and liability protection far outweigh the expense.
For attorneys guiding executors, administrators, or beneficiaries through probate, securing a probate bond should be viewed as a best practice rather than a bureaucratic step. It protects the estate’s integrity, ensures fiduciary accountability, and safeguards against claims of mismanagement.
By advising clients on the proper use and importance of probate bonds, lawyers reinforce their commitment to ethical estate administration and reduce the potential for disputes or financial loss — ensuring that the decedent’s final affairs are resolved with both legal and moral integrity.
To learn more about how to obtain a court bond visit LMIA’s Web site, or call The Bar Plan Mutual Insurance Company by phone at 877-553-6376 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time.
Questions? Contact
Lawyer Well-Being
Navigating the Holidays as an Attorney: Joy, Sadness & Anxiety
For many attorneys, the holiday season can be a mixed bag: on one hand, it brings joy, connection, and a chance to pause; on the other, it can stir up sadness, anxiety and old patterns of stress. In our profession, where deadlines loom, client demands don’t stop, and the pressure to “stay on” never truly goes away, the holidays can amplify emotional ups and downs. Recognizing what you may be feeling—whether gratitude, fatigue, loss, or overwhelm—is the first step toward choosing how you respond rather than being pushed by the season.
Below are some strategies tailored for the legal profession to help you bring more of the good moments into the holiday season and manage the more difficult ones:
1. Embrace the joy — but schedule it
When things are going well — a client success, a warm family dinner, a break from court or files — take notice and lean in. Make time deliberately for things you enjoy: a walk, a dinner with friends, baking, or even just reading a book. Treat that time like you would a meeting: block it on your calendar. Practicing mindfulness or gratitude during these moments helps make them stick. LawTech Insights+2LawDroid+2
2. Acknowledge sadness or loss
Holidays can bring up grief or disappointment: clients with difficult outcomes, less time at home than we hoped, family struggles, or simply the fatigue from a full year. Rather than pushing those feelings away, allow them space. It might mean taking a pause mid-day to reflect, journaling, or talking with a trusted friend or mentor. Recognizing that as a lawyer you have permission to feel the tough stuff is important — the profession’s culture often pushes “keep going.” blogs.stthomas.edu+1
3. Manage holiday-specific anxiety and stress
Deadlines don’t pause for turkey, and neither do client expectations. Common stressors include year-end billables, high client expectations, mixing work and family commitments, and the pressure of “perfect holidays.” Here’s what you can do: Set boundaries: Let clients/colleagues know your availability (e.g., you’re stepping away for a set period). Use out-of-office notices. Prioritize and delegate: Some tasks are essential, others can wait. Use support staff or colleagues to lighten load. Self-care is non-negotiable: Even a short walk, proper sleep, or a breathing exercise helps reset. Mindfulness can reduce anxiety.
4. Adjust expectations — both at work and home
Good enough is often better than perfect. The holidays magnify perfectionism, and attorneys tend to bring their “all or nothing” mindset to everything. Recognise that your ideal holiday may not match reality, and that’s okay. Let go of some things: perhaps fewer social engagements, less baking, or a lighter travel plan.
5. Finish strong — and start the new year well
Use the holiday pause (or slower pace) as a transition: reflect on what you accomplished this year, what you’re grateful for, and what you want to carry forward. Then ease into whatever is ahead—without diving head-first into overload. Planning for the transition reduces the post-holiday crash.
6. Seek help when needed
If anxiety, sadness or stress are becoming overwhelming, know you are not alone. The legal profession faces elevated mental-health risks compared to many others. Many jurisdictions and associations provide confidential support to attorneys. There is strength in reaching out.
Questions? Contact
Know That Help is Always Available
If you are struggling with grief, sadness, anxiety, or any other emotion or stressor that is negatively impacting your daily life, please reach out for help. All Kentucky lawyers are eligible for four free visits with a mental health professional through the Kentucky Lawyers Assistance Program. For more information about the variety of confidential resources KYLAP offers, please visit www.KYLAP.org.
Upcoming Events
We look forward to seeing you!
We are proud to support the organizations that support you and your work! We will be out and about this spring, leading CLEs and sponsoring events. We hope you can join us at one of these currently scheduled events (and make sure to come say hello)!
Nov 20: Kentucky Law Update, Bowling Green
Dec. 4: Kentucky Law Update, Louisville
We want to hear from you! Have a CLE topic you would like to see? Send suggestions to
Need a CLE Speaker? We would love to speak to your group! You can check out our updated list of available topics and request to schedule, here.