Opinion | Ghost in the Machine: AI Griefbots and their Ethical Implications
Aaron M. Spitler, a researcher in technology and society, discusses the emerging phenomenon of AI griefbots and how policymakers should respond.
Ethics
Opinion | Don’t Write Like a Dick*: The Case for Judicial Rhetorical Restraint
Dissents now cut like the thrust of a bayonet rather than a surgeon’s scalpel. Below are just a few examples of how bombastic and inappropriate rhetoric has eroded the perception of legitimacy of the courts. Ultimately, it is crucial that future judges and law clerks, simply, do not write like a Dick*.
Viral Before Verdict: The Constitutional Cost of Staged Perp Walks
A defendant is shackled, handcuffed, and marched past cameras. Before prosecutors present any evidence, the public sees a defendant as already guilty. This practice undermines one of our legal system’s longstanding principles: the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.
“Just ask ChatGPT…”: Weighing the Risks of Letting AI Handle your Estate
Lawyers should use GAI as another tool to advocate zealously for their clients. However, engaging with AI to assist with estate planning by lay people and legal professionals alike should be handled with judiciousness.
Gene Editing from a Global Perspective: The Ethical Battle
The editing of genome cells is used in a number of ways, including treating and preventing hereditary diseases. A first case look includes a “brave” scientist by the name of He Jiankui of Shenzhen, China’s Southern University of Science and Technology, shocked the world by unveiling his unique experiment where he secretly modified the embryos of nine different couples who had biological fathers with HIV positive genes and mothers with HIV negative genes.
The Ethics and Implications of Classical Conditioning
Behavior modification is a simple concept with complex implications. Simply put, behavior modification “conditions” the participant to engage or cease a behavior through “learning.” The premise of changing behavior is easily understood when the participant consents.
The Digital Dark Web Underworld Mysteries: A Lawyer’s Sanctuary in Elysium or Sentence in Tartarus?
Despite its name, reputation, and association as the criminal underworld alluding to Greek mythology, the Dark Web has multiple layers of purposes utilized by civilians in different roles.
Words matter: Overcoming discrimination with dignity in how we discuss mental illness
The notion of being “politically correct” has been in the spotlight for a substantial period of time, consistently generating an
Personal ties blur ethical lines on Pennsylvania Avenue
While President Trump previously issued an executive order holding members of the Trump administration to high ethical standards, numerous waivers of the order have raised ethical concerns of their own.
Pop-ups from hell: the compromise of client confidentiality in the age of cyber attacks
As an intense malware virus has continued to wreak havoc on computer systems internationally, concerns have been raised as to the protection of client files within various organizations.
The rise of Avvo may cause a rise in ethics issues in North Carolina
A new, popular, lawyer rating and legal services website may cause ethical issues with attorneys in North Carolina and issues similar to that of the North Carolina State Bar’s problem with LegalZoom.
Brendan Dassey’s interrogation brings attention to false juvenile confessions
Juveniles are psychologically susceptible to being coerced into false confessions and yet there are few safeguards in place to prevent these confessions.
Judge Giving Option of Giving a Pint of Blood or Paying a Fine: Ethical or Improper?
Is it permissible for a judge to require someone found guilty to either pay the fee or give a pint of blood?
Racial Justice Act Case Attorneys Admonished But Not Further Disciplined for Actions in Presenting Misleading Affidavits
The North Carolina State Bar ruled that Gretchen Engel, an attorney who participated in the first case heard under the
Lawyer Charged with Raping Client
While sexual relations are rarely appropriate, even when permitted by the Rules of Professional Responsibility, raping one’s client is an atrocity so against the integrity of the legal profession, it is unlikely a lawyer charged with raping his client will prevail with the State Bar.