AI and New Software Tools in Legal Project Management: A Paralegal’s Guide to Modern Practice Efficiency

Erin Hill | Jessup University

Erin Hill is a lifetime learner who has a passion for educating others in strategic and legal project management and cyber data retention. She works as the VP for Strategic Projects and tenured professor at Jessup University where she manages the Project Management Office (PMO) and strategic plan. Professor Hill has peer-reviewed over 50 articles for the International Journal of Cyber Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF). She has published legal research with LexisNexis and created new laws in California. Erin believes in giving back with pro bono service and volunteer work by speaking at conferences and leading strategic planning sessions for nonprofit organization. She holds a B.B.A. in Finance & Management, a J.D., and an LL.M. in International Tax and Finance, and a Wealth Management Certificate. Erin also maintains active certifications for the following; Financial Crimes (Cyber Security), Compliance Analyst; Chartered Asset Manager, Master Financial Planner, Quality Manager, Project Manager, & Core Registered Paralegal.

Amy Jo McGuigan | Swanson & McNamara LLP

Amy Jo McGuigan, ACP, CEDS, CAS,is a senior paralegal at Swanson & McNamara LLP, a trial and appellate law firm specializing in high-stakes criminal, civil, and regulatory defense and internal investigations. Prior to joining Swanson & McNamara, she worked for the Federal Public Defender in the Northern District of California for 15 years where she assisted in several trials including four complex death penalty cases, one of which resulted in an acquittal. Ms. McGuigan is a past present of the San Francisco Paralegal Association, Chair of the Bar Association of San Francisco Paralegal Section, and Assistant Director of Women in eDiscovery, San Francisco Chapter. She is a Certified eDiscovery Specialist, holding multiple ACEDS eDiscovery certifications and certifications in Cellebrite Mobile Forensic Fundamentals and digital forensics. She has over 30 hours of digital forensic training in FTK®. She enjoys crafting, watching true crime documentaries, and hanging out with her four dogs.

Eugene Benick | Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Eugene Benick is a senior attorney with the law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP (“Bradley”). His practice primarily focuses on providing guidance to government contractors on matters related to contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. Mr. Benick has extensive experience with bid protests before federal agencies, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Court of Federal Claims (COFC), as well as with the submission and litigation of claims under the Contract Disputes Act.

Prior to joining Bradley, Mr. Benick served as a senior attorney advisor in the Litigation & Enforcement Division of the Office of the General Counsel at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During that time, he handled 101 bid protests filed with the agency, the GAO, and the COFC. His practice also included responding to subpoenas seeking information from USAID as a third party, which required interpretation and application of the agency’s Touhy regulations.

Mr. Benick also managed USAID’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation docket. In that role, he founded and led a cross-functional team comprised of two FOIA analysts, a junior attorney, and a paralegal, to both manage the demands of FOIA litigation and to proactively mitigate future litigation risk. His team implemented data-driven strategies that reduced new FOIA litigation by 20% between 2020 and 2024—including a two-year period with no new filings, while new FOIA requests to the agency increased 62% over the same period. This work involved addressing numerous legal issues under both FOIA and the Privacy Act.

Session I – Future-Proof Your Practice: Mastering Legal Project Management with Software and AI | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• Foundations of Legal Project Management (LPM)
  • Cover the core principles of LPM, including scoping, budgeting, and resource allocation
  • Discuss how to define success from the client’s perspective
  • Create a predictable, transparent roadmap for any legal matter
• Leveraging technology for workflow automation
  • Explore the current landscape of legal software designed to automate routine tasks, manage deadlines, and track progress
  • Provide a guide to selecting and implementing tools that reduce administrative burdens
  • Minimize human error and free up valuable time for high-level legal work
• The AI advantage in legal service delivery
  • Discover how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing legal workflows, from AI-powered document review and contract analysis to predictive analytics for case strategy and settlement
  • Demystify AI and offer actionable steps for integrating it ethically and effectively into legal practice
• Enhancing collaboration and delivering measurable value
  • Use technology platforms to foster seamless collaboration between legal teams, clients, and other stakeholders
  • Create transparent communication channels and use data-driven insights to report on progress
  • Demonstrate the value delivered and strengthen client relationships

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – Data Mapping & Digital Investigations: Public Records, OSINT, and ESI Management for Paralegals | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• Building effective data maps: How to identify and document sources of electronically stored information (ESI) across devices, platforms, and applications
• Collecting and preserving digital evidence: Practical techniques for defensible collections, chain of custody, and avoiding sanctions under Rule 26
• Using OSINT and public records tools: How to locate individuals, assets, and connections through skip tracing and advanced search strategies
• Metadata and hidden evidence: Understanding the unseen data that can make or break a case, from smartphone artifacts to deleted messages

Break | 3:10pm – 3:20pm

Session III – Requesting and Receiving Information from the Federal Government: Navigating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act, and Agency Touhy Regulations | 3:20pm – 3:50pm

• The fundamentals of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act, and agency Touhy regulations
• Strategies for submitting information requests in a manner that increases the likelihood of timely and complete responses from the government
• Common mistakes and pitfalls encountered by requesters under these statutes and regulations