Law Student Writes AI Rules After Nebraska Attorney Scandal

A Nebraska attorney lost his license in April after admitting he used AI to write a legal brief filled with fake case citations and quotes, without checking if any of it was real. The state Supreme Court called it their first case dealing with AI misuse in law.

Sydney Kucera heard about this incident just as she began her summer internship at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her mission: create AI policies that would give clear guidance on proper use while still encouraging innovation.

As a second-year law student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kucera brought exactly the right skills at the right time. She refined the Center's AI handbook and recommended quarterly reviews for all personnel, not just new hires, as the technology continues its rapid evolution.

"Realistically, people need more reminders," Kucera said. Without clear rules, people either avoid helpful tools entirely or don't understand the consequences of misusing them.

Her work extended far beyond AI policy. She researched federal acquisition regulations for educational security software, investigated legal obstacles preventing local police from joining drone defense operations, and studied how prosecutors might apply anti-racketeering laws to newly designated terrorist organizations.

The learning curve was steep. NCITE operates under both University of Nebraska and Department of Homeland Security regulations, creating complex compliance challenges with no supervising attorney to guide her through the maze.

"There were gaps for me personally, because I didn't have a supervising attorney," she said. "So I had to fill those myself."

Why This Inspires

Kucera's summer shows how one person with the right expertise at the right moment can turn a crisis into progress. The Nebraska attorney's case could have simply been a warning about technology's dangers, but instead became the catalyst for creating protective guardrails.

NCITE Director of Operations Matt Allen recognized Kucera's potential immediately, even without an open position matching her background. "Her legal training, combined with a background in national security and interest in research made her a perfect fit to answer questions we were wrestling with," Allen said.

Kucera attended NCITE's Law Enforcement Summit in June, where she heard directly from homeland security practitioners facing diverse challenges. The experience expanded her career horizons beyond her initial plans.

Looking ahead, she's considering becoming a law clerk and possibly a judge someday. "The research this summer prepared me for some of my classes this semester," she said, "particularly future applications in national security law."

Her work ensures that others can use AI as a powerful research tool without repeating the mistakes that cost one Nebraska attorney his career.