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Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joins Legal Regards to discuss the evolving role of state attorneys general, the increasing prominence of AG offices in national legal disputes, and how Wisconsin is approaching key issues including artificial intelligence, consumer protection, public safety, and federal-state tensions.

Kaul explains that his office’s core mission is to protect the public and ensure that justice is done. He outlines his top enforcement priorities, including criminal investigations and prosecutions, consumer protection, and safeguarding Wisconsin’s natural resources, particularly clean water. He also discusses how modern attorney general offices are increasingly engaged in multi-state litigation and national legal challenges when federal actions impact state residents.

A central theme of the conversation is the rule of law and the role of institutional checks and balances. Kaul discusses what he views as current threats to the rule of law, the role of courts in constraining executive power, and the importance of Congress reasserting its authority. He also explains how state attorneys general can serve as an additional check when other institutions fail to act.

The episode features an extended discussion of artificial intelligence and enforcement. Kaul identifies key risks associated with AI, including large-scale fraud, misuse of likeness and identity, and the rapid proliferation of unlawful content. He argues that existing consumer protection laws already apply to AI companies, but emphasizes the need for continued regulatory development as risks evolve. He supports a federal-state balance in AI regulation, with Congress establishing baseline protections while allowing states to act as laboratories of democracy.

Kaul also addresses federal efforts to preempt state AI enforcement, expressing concern about attempts to limit states’ authority to protect consumers. He explains why maintaining state-level enforcement power is critical to ensuring accountability as AI technologies develop.

Beyond AI, the conversation turns to public safety and criminal justice. Kaul highlights rising domestic violence homicides as a major concern in Wisconsin and discusses the impact of reduced federal funding for victim support programs. He also addresses broader national issues, including the handling of the Epstein files and the importance of equal application of justice.

The episode concludes with a discussion of the future of AI in the legal profession, with Kaul emphasizing that while AI will transform legal work, human judgment will remain essential.

Topics include:

• Core enforcement priorities of the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office
• The growing national role of state attorneys general
• Rule of law, separation of powers, and institutional checks and balances
• Multi-state litigation and when AGs should engage
• AI risks, including fraud, deepfakes, and large-scale unlawful conduct
• Federal versus state regulation of artificial intelligence
• Opposition to federal preemption of state AI enforcement
• Consumer protection and AI companies under existing law
• Domestic violence trends and public safety priorities
• Federal funding gaps for victim services
• The Epstein files and accountability in high-profile cases
• Whether AI will replace judges or lawyers

Legal Regards is an official podcast of The National Law Review.

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joins Legal Regards to discuss the modern role of a state attorney general, the growing influence of AG offices in national disputes, and how Tennessee is approaching some of the most contested legal and policy issues of the moment, including artificial intelligence, child safety, consumer protection, and federal-state conflict.

Skrmetti explains that the work of an attorney general’s office is far broader than most people realize. He describes an office managing roughly 12,000 open matters across civil litigation, criminal appeals, constitutional disputes, consumer protection, antitrust, and litigation involving both the state and the federal government. He also emphasizes that one of his proudest accomplishments has not been any single headline case, but strengthening the institution itself by building a durable team and improving the office’s long-term capacity to serve Tennessee.

A central theme of the conversation is self-government and the proper role of law in a constitutional system. Skrmetti argues that Tennessee’s legal priorities are rooted in preserving the ability of citizens to govern themselves through elected representatives, while also ensuring that large companies are held accountable when they harm consumers or distort markets. He discusses why he believes attorney general offices now wield too much prominence in American public life, and why the increasing tendency to route major policy disputes through courts rather than democratic processes is, in his view, unhealthy for the country.

The episode also features an extended discussion of artificial intelligence and state enforcement. Skrmetti addresses the proper balance between federal and state AI regulation, warning against both a fragmented fifty-state patchwork and a federal vacuum that leaves harmful conduct unchecked. He explains why states currently have an urgently necessary role in policing downstream AI harms, particularly through consumer protection authority, while also cautioning against heavy-handed attempts to micromanage model development. He defends Tennessee’s role in protecting residents, including through laws like the ELVIS Act, and signals that Tennessee would push back forcefully against unlawful federal interference with state authority.

Child safety is another major focus. Skrmetti discusses Tennessee’s lawsuit against Roblox, explaining that the state’s goal is to ensure parents can make informed decisions about platforms used by children. He then turns to AI chatbots and children, making clear that Tennessee does not need to wait for entirely new legislation before acting against serious misconduct.

Topics include:

· What a state attorney general actually does day to day

· Why AG offices have become more powerful and more visible

· Tennessee’s priorities in consumer protection and public accountability

· AI regulation, federalism, and the risks of both federal vacuum and state patchwork

· The ELVIS Act and Tennessee’s authority to protect its residents

· AI products that interact with children and the legal tools available now

· Tennessee’s lawsuit against Roblox and online child safety

· Public service, hiring, and what Skrmetti looks for in lawyers

· Harvard Law School, ideology, and the limits of governmental power

Legal Regards is an official podcast of The National Law Review

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United States District Judge Allison Goddard of the Southern District of California joins Legal Regards for an in-depth discussion on AI use by the judiciary and how federal judges actually read and evaluate filings.

Judge Goddard discusses how and why she has incorporated AI tools into her chambers. She explains her use of tools such as Perplexity for research assistance and workflow efficiency, as well as broader tools being explored within the Ninth Circuit, including Westlaw AI, Lexis Protégé, VLex, and Learned Hand. The conversation addresses what these systems are designed to do, where they add value, and where judicial judgment must remain paramount.

Judge Goddard also describes how she has used AI to create internal research collections, including Social Security order databases built in tools such as NotebookLM, CoCounsel, and Lexis Vault. These collections allow her to prompt against her own prior orders to maintain consistency across fact-specific rulings. She explains how AI can assist in identifying recurring issues and patterns that are otherwise difficult to locate through traditional keyword searches, particularly in highly fact-dependent areas of law. At the same time, she draws a clear line between workflow assistance and substantive judicial interpretation.

The discussion explores her use of AI to draft limited portions of orders, particularly to summarize the parties’ arguments in a neutral and efficient manner. Rather than relying on lengthy block quotations, she explains how AI can help rephrase or synthesize arguments while preserving accuracy. She also addresses her concerns about using AI for judicial interpretation or doctrinal reasoning, emphasizing that constitutional adjudication and statutory construction require independent human judgment.

Judge Goddard explains why she is opposed to broad standing orders regulating AI use in her courtroom. She articulates her reasoning, including the view that existing professional responsibility rules and existing doctrines already provide tools to address misuse, and that rigid standing orders may be overinclusive or counterproductive.

The episode also includes practical guidance for attorneys. Judge Goddard offers concrete advice on how lawyers can avoid AI-related ethical missteps, including hallucinated citations, inaccurate factual assertions, and overreliance on automated summaries. She discusses how lawyers can responsibly use AI tools to enhance clarity, organization, and efficiency without compromising candor to the tribunal.

Finally, she addresses how she discusses AI use with law clerks and interns, including the guidance she provides her personnel. The conversation situates AI adoption within the broader judicial obligation to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistency.

Topics include
• Judicial discretion and decision-making
• Why Judge Goddard opposes standing orders on AI
• Use of Perplexity in chambers and research workflows
• AI tools being tested in the Ninth Circuit: Westlaw AI, Lexis Protégé, VLex, and Learned Hand
• Building Social Security order databases using NotebookLM, CoCounsel, and Lexis Vault
• Using AI to maintain consistency across fact-specific rulings
• Drafting assistance: summarizing arguments versus block quoting
• Ethical risks of generative AI and judicial interpretation concerns
• Guidance to clerks and interns on responsible AI use
• Practical advice for lawyers to avoid AI-related professional responsibility violations

Legal Regards is an official podcast of The National Law Review.