EPC OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY MARYLAND, INC.

About the Program

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Estate Planning

AI is changing estate planning now. This program provides a practical, real-world look at how artificial intelligence is being used in estate planning, from drafting and document automation to client intake, research, communication, and everyday workflow. The presentation will explore the differences between general AI tools and legal-specific platforms, demonstrate practical applications of AI, and examine the risks and responsibilities that come with its use. Topics will include accuracy and verification of AI-generated content, confidentiality and data security, professional judgment, ethical considerations, and the questions that should be asked when evaluating AI tools and vendors.

Program Outline

• Understanding AI: What generative AI is, how it works, and where it can go wrong
• The AI Landscape: General AI versus legal-specific AI platforms
• AI in Action: Practical applications for drafting, document automation, intake, research, communications, and workflow
• Choosing the Right Tools: Comparing platforms and evaluating functionality, security, privacy, access controls, and data governance
• The Risks: Hallucinations, inaccurate legal authority, confidentiality concerns, and inappropriate reliance on AI
• Ethics and Professional Responsibility: Competence, diligence, communication, fees, confidentiality, supervision, candor, and independent professional judgment
• Managing Client Use of AI: Responding when clients use AI to research, draft, or interpret estate planning documents, identifying misinformation and unintended consequences, and helping clients understand where AI ends and legal advice begins
• Responsible Implementation: Using AI to increase efficiency while maintaining appropriate human review and professional oversight

About the Speakers

James C. Crosland & Sahmra A. Stevenson

Sahmra A. Stevenson, Esq.

Sahmra A. Stevenson, Esq. is an attorney with Stein Sperling Bennett De Jong Driscoll PC in Rockville, Maryland, where she is a member of the firm’s Estates & Trusts practice group. Her practice focuses on estate planning, estate administration, business succession planning, and trademark protection.

Prior to joining Stein Sperling, Sahmra founded and led S.A. Stevenson Law Offices, LLC and pioneered Maryland’s first mobile and virtual estate planning platform, Wills on Wheels, Inc. She is an accomplished speaker, published author, and active leader in both the American Bar Association and Maryland State Bar Association.

Sahmra has been recognized as a Maryland and District of Columbia Rising Star by Super Lawyers and has been named a Super Lawyer every year since 2021. She was also named to The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 and is a Fellow of both the Maryland Bar Foundation and American Bar Foundation.

She currently serves as Chair of the Website & Technology Committee for the Maryland State Bar Association’s Estates & Trusts Section and as Assistant Treasurer of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association. Sahmra is a graduate of American University Washington College of Law and Tufts University.

James C. Crosland, Esq.

James C. Crosland is an attorney with Stein Sperling Bennett De Jong Driscoll PC in Rockville, Maryland, where he practices as part of the firm’s Estates, Trusts & Probate team. His work focuses on all aspects of estate and trust planning, including the use of revocable and irrevocable trusts, charitable gift planning, special needs planning, asset protection, and estate and trust administration, ensuring that his clients’ wishes are executed efficiently and effectively.

James is a member of Stein Sperling’s AI Committee, which is responsible for managing the adoption and implementation of AI tools within the firm, developing guidelines and best practices, and producing training programs related to AI use in legal practice. His hands-on involvement with emerging legal technology gives him a practical perspective on the intersection of artificial intelligence and estate planning.

Prior to joining Stein Sperling, James held positions at Altman & Associates, a division of Frost Law, and LawCo USA PLLC, where he managed a diverse caseload spanning estate planning, estate administration, succession planning, and mass tort litigation. Before entering the legal profession, James worked in education and the nonprofit sector, experiences that deepened his commitment to making a positive impact for families and that continue to inform his client-centered approach.

James is currently pursuing an LL.M. in Taxation at the University of Baltimore. He earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and his B.A. from Claremont McKenna College.

James is admitted to practice in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Arizona, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association Ethics Committee and a graduate of the MSBA Leadership Academy. He is also a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, and the Society of Financial Service Professionals. James has been selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list every year from 2024 through 2027 and has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in 2026.

Outside of the office, James is an avid fly fisherman. He enjoys chasing elusive species in remote parts of the globe and is one of only 80 anglers worldwide, and one of just four within the United States and its territories, to have achieved a documented IGFA Inshore Super Grand Slam on fly, and the only angler to have done so on foot and without a guide.

Event Details

Fees:
$45 for active members
$70 for guests

Schedule:
Registration: 12:00 p.m.
Lunch: 12:15 p.m.
Program: 12:30 p.m.

Guests are welcome to attend.

Complimentary parking is available.

Attendees may be photographed during the event. Photographs may be used by the Council in future promotional and marketing materials.

Please register by September 9, 2026, if you would like a printed name badge.

The Council thanks our Signature Sponsors.