The Legal Framework: New ABA Guide Bridges the Gap Between Silicon and the Statute

As Artificial Intelligence moves from a "novelty" to a "necessity" in the courtroom, the American Bar Association (ABA) Science and Technology Law Section officially released its latest flagship publication on January 21, 2026. Titled A Lawyer’s Guide to AI: Ten Essential Concepts, the book is designed to provide a foundational, no-hype framework for practitioners struggling to keep pace with the rapid evolution of generative and autonomous technologies.

Authored by Matthew T. Henshon, a veteran attorney and chair-elect of the ABA Science and Technology Law Section, the book arrived just as the author prepared to address global leaders at the 2026 AI Summit in Davos, Switzerland.

1. The "Ten Essential Concepts" Framework
Rather than focusing solely on coding or complex mathematics, the book organizes the AI landscape into ten pillars designed for the legal mind. It aims to de-mystify the "black box" of AI by explaining the historical and technical roots of the current "GenAI" era.


Historical Context: Henshon traces the roots of AI back to the 1930s and notes that modern Generative AI (GenAI) actually has its technical foundations in video game processing from the 1990s.

Defining the Machine: The guide answers the fundamental question "What is AI?" in a way that is legally actionable, helping lawyers distinguish between simple automation and true machine learning.

Content & Copyright: A significant portion of the book is dedicated to the legal implications of Fair Use and Content Creation, addressing the ongoing litigation surrounding training data and ownership of AI-generated work.

The "Dark Side": The book provides a sobering look at algorithmic accountability, privacy breaches, and the risks of "hallucinations" that have already led to high-profile sanctions for attorneys in 2024 and 2025.

2. Practical View: Beyond the Hype
The ABA’s intention for this guide is to move beyond the "AI will replace lawyers" narrative and focus on "AI-augmented" practice management.

Ethics and Professional Responsibility: The guide examines how existing Model Rules of Professional Conduct apply to AI, specifically focusing on the duty of competence and the duty of confidentiality when using third-party cloud models.

AI That Moves: In a forward-looking chapter, the book explores the liability of "AI that moves"—such as drones and self-driving cars—providing a roadmap for personal injury and insurance defense lawyers.

Prompt Engineering for Lawyers: The text offers practical advice on "conversing" with documents, showing how to use AI to summarize dense legalese and identify missing clauses in contract review.

3. A Call for "AI Hygiene"
A recurring theme throughout the guide is the necessity for "Responsible AI Governance" or "good AI hygiene." The author argues that lawyers cannot simply delegate their judgment to a machine; they must remain the "human-in-the-loop" to ensure that citations are verified and that client data remains sovereign.

“The goal of this work is to explain how we got here, and where we are likely to go next,” Henshon notes in the book’s introduction. “AI's future is bright, but not without concerns.”

4. Publication Details
Format: 270-page paperback.

Availability: Now available through the ShopABA.org portal.

Target Audience: Law firm partners, solo practitioners, and policymakers looking for a clear path through technical territory.

Price: $103.95 for ABA members; $129.95 for non-members.