New York City Bar Association Podcast

Scott Mason talks with Sara Walsh about what intuition is and how lawyers can use it to feel better, work smarter, and avoid burnout. Sara describes intuition as an immediate “knowing,” and says it can show up either as experience-based pattern recognition (like a strong BS meter built from years of practice) or as a deeper inner knowing that’s hard to explain. They discuss how to tell intuition apart from wishful thinking, how confidence can shape outcomes, and why “doom” feelings may be more about instinct and survival. Sara shares stories from studying for the bar, negotiating plea deals as a Brooklyn prosecutor, and eventually leaving law to combine yoga, mindfulness, and coaching. She emphasizes that intuition is easier to access when you feel safe, and suggests simple mindfulness tools—like slow finger rubbing paired with a deep breath—to get grounded in the moment.

Want to learn more about combining mindfulness techniques with your legal practice? Get involved with the sponsor of today’s podcast, the Mindfulness and Well-Being in Law Committee! A great opportunity is coming up on March 26, join the committee’s Mindfulness and Well-Being in Law Book Club (nycbar.org/calendar). Reading the book is encouraged but not required to take part in this community space.

00:00 Defining intuition
02:22 Two types of knowing
04:13 Wishful thinking vs intuition
07:21 Bar exam visualization
16:18 Using intuition in practice
19:38 Negotiation and efficiency
27:49 Office politics and EQ
30:57 Leading with intuition
34:26 Soft Skills Are Hard
35:07 Lawyer Identity Beyond Work
36:38 Connection Crisis and Screens
39:12 Marriage Lens of Intuition
40:21 When Not to Use Intuition
41:06 Intuition and Instinct Dance
49:16 Prosecutor to Coach Story
55:37 Mindfulness for Intuition
57:25 Fingertip Grounding Trick
58:45 Closing Thanks and Credits

The City Bar’s Presidential Task Force on AI and Digital Technologies hosts today’s podcast on President Trump’s:  Winning the Race, America's AI Action Plan. Task Force co-chair Jerome Walker is joined by task force members Matthew Bacal (Davis Polk), Azish Filabi (American College of Financial Services), Robert Mahari (Stanford Codex), and Evan Abrams (Steptoe), to review the plan’s three pillars and key action steps.

Pillar One (“Accelerate AI Innovation”) is described as largely deregulatory, including agency review of rules and certain FTC/FCC actions, with targeted concerns such as ideological bias and synthetic media in the legal system, plus investments in open-source/open-weight models, data, interpretability, evaluations, and government/DoD adoption.

Pillar Two (“Build American AI Infrastructure”) focuses on the physical side of AI—permitting for data centers and fabs, energy and grid expansion, semiconductors, water for cooling, workforce training, cybersecurity, and “security by design,” while anticipating trade-offs and litigation.

Pillar Three (“Lead in International AI Diplomacy and Security”) balances support for exporting US “full stack” AI with tighter national security controls, including stronger export-control enforcement and participation in international bodies primarily to counter China.

The conversation closes with suggestions for improving the plan by strengthening trust, safety/rights considerations, and maintaining flexibility as AI capabilities evolve.

If you are interested in learning more about emerging AI developments and policy, join us for the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Conference on June 18 to hear from industry experts and connect with leading legal professionals across the field.

00:00 Trump’s 2025 AI Action Plan: Big Goals, Short Document, 3 Pillars
03:23 Pillar One Preview: 15 Action Steps to ‘Accelerate AI Innovation’
09:16 Meet the Panel + Setting Up the Pillar One Deep Dive
11:21 Pillar One Explained: Deregulation, Free Speech, Data Sharing, Evaluations, and Trust
18:33 Key Takeaways for Stakeholders: Business, Finance, Civil Society, and Tech
23:57 Which Pillar One Steps Matter Most? Sequencing, Competitiveness, and Data Access
27:52 Pillar Two: The Physical Side of AI—Energy, Chips, Data Centers
36:32 Critical Infrastructure Security: Physical Risks, Cyber Threats & ‘Security by Design’
37:14 Data Poisoning Explained: How Training Data Can Be Manipulated at Scale
38:00 Workforce Training at Scale: From Trades to Semiconductor Talent Pipelines
38:52 Wrapping Pillar Two: China Competition, Speeding Projects, and Ranking Priorities
40:34 What Lawyers & Judges Need to Know About Pillar Two (Red Tape, Legal Tech, Litigation)
45:30 Pillar Three Overview: Balancing Global AI Leadership with National Security Controls
50:05 Pillar Three Priorities by Industry: Export Controls, Frontier Evaluations & Data Center Risk
58:56 Why Engage International AI Bodies? Countering China and Filling the Leadership Vacuum
01:03:20 Trump vs. Biden Narratives: Competition vs. Safety—What Should Change in the Plan?
01:07:38 Panel Advice to Improve the Action Plan: Rights Framework, Nimble Policy, Safety & Research Funding

In this episode of the New York City Bar Association podcast, host Carl Hahn from Steptoe, LLP leads a discussion on synthetic employees and the future of work. He is joined by experts Marcia Narine Weldon (Illuminating Wisdom), Geoffrey Schaefer (Leidos), and Ramsey Brown (Mission Control) to explore the implications of integrating AI-driven synthetic workers into organizations. Topics include the intersection of artificial intelligence and compliance, the role of governance in AI deployment, the potential employment law ramifications, and practical steps for managing synthetic workforces. The conversation also dives into the practical and ethical considerations companies must navigate as they incorporate these technologies, emphasizing the importance of having robust governance frameworks and multi-stakeholder committees to address risks and ensure sustainable implementation.

If you are interested in learning more about emerging AI developments and policy, join us for the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Conference on June 18 to hear from industry experts and connect with leading legal professionals across the field.

00:00 Introduction and Host Welcome
10:30 Defining Synthetic Employees and AI Agents
11:45 The Continuum of AI Autonomy
19:00 Legal and Governance Challenges
25:00 Organizational Integration of AI
30:00 Ethical Considerations and Coordination Challenges
40:00 Mission Control AI and Governance Case Study
48:00 Second-Order Consequences of Synthetic Workforces
55:00 Legal and Compliance Implications
1:05:00 Practical Steps for AI Integration
1:10:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Today's podcast hosted by the City Bar's Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies explores the ethical and legal dimensions of informed consent in AI healthcare settings. Anne Zimmerman, Chair of the City Bar’s Bioethical Issues Committee and Editor-in-Chief of the Voices in Bioethics Journal at Columbia University, Alex John London from Carnegie Mellon University and Susannah Rose from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The discussion covers the significance of informed consent in healthcare, challenges with AI integration, patient autonomy, regulatory issues, and the balance between disclosure and effective use of AI. It also delves into potential impacts on patient care, operational uses of AI, and the importance of building trust and communication between clinicians and patients.

If you are interested in learning more about emerging AI developments and policy, join us for the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Conference on June 18 to hear from industry experts and connect with leading legal professionals across the field.

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
01:30 Understanding Informed Consent in Healthcare
02:32 Ethical Considerations of AI in Healthcare
06:05 Challenges and Frameworks for AI Consent
06:47 AI's Impact on Clinical and Operational Settings
07:28 Patient Autonomy and AI Decision-Making
11:19 Regulatory and Safety Concerns with AI
17:12 The Role of AI in Patient Communication
18:37 Equity and Justice in AI Deployment
20:10 Future of AI in Healthcare and Concluding Thoughts
29:43 Closing Remarks and Podcast Information

In this episode, Jerome Walker, co-chair of the Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, convenes Task Force subcommittee members Austin Brown, David Lisson, and Stuart Levi to examine President Trump’s December 11 Executive Order, "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence." They explore key issues, including the executive order’s implications and challenges; the evaluation of state AI laws and potential federal restrictions on state funding; the creation of an AI litigation task force; and whether this approach can effectively balance innovation with regulation. The panelists also share their perspectives on how AI policy may evolve under this new national framework.

If you are interested in learning more about emerging AI developments and policy, join us for the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Conference on June 18 to hear from industry experts and connect with leading legal professionals across the field. Register at: https://services.nycbar.org/SLIT/

00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Executive Order
09:08 Challenges in Establishing a National AI Framework
15:44 Implications of the AI Litigation Task Force
34:44 Federal Funding and State AI Laws
41:32 Preemption and Deceptive Conduct in AI Models
47:01 Future Outlook
55:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts