The ACTEC Law Journal invites submissions for a themed issue to be published in the Summer 2027 issue on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in the Modern Estate Planning Practice.
Artificial intelligence and related technologies are rapidly transforming the delivery of legal services, the administration of wealth, and the nature of modern property ownership itself. Estate planners increasingly confront questions concerning the use of AI in legal practice, the ethical and fiduciary implications of automated decision-making, cybersecurity and digital privacy, planning for emerging forms of digital wealth, and the administration of estates tied to online identities and technologically sophisticated assets.
This themed issue seeks thoughtful, forward-looking scholarship addressing how technological change is reshaping the practice of law in the field of trusts and estates, fiduciary administration, wealth transfer planning, and professional responsibility. The Journal welcomes submissions from academics, practitioners, judges, and interdisciplinary scholars.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
— The use of artificial intelligence in estate planning practice
— Ethical and professional responsibility issues arising from AI-assisted legal services
— AI and fiduciary duties in trust and estate administration
— Confidentiality, cybersecurity, and data protection in trusts and estates practice
— Cloud-based storage of estate planning documents and fiduciary records
— Email encryption and secure client communications
— Digital asset planning and administration
— Cryptocurrency, tokenized assets, and decentralized finance in estate planning
— Planning for online businesses, influencers, content creators, and digital royalties
— Ownership and transferability of social media accounts and digital identities
— AI-generated intellectual property and postmortem rights
— Electronic wills, remote execution, and technological modernization of probate systems
— Technology-driven valuation issues involving digital and intangible assets
— Predictive analytics, automation, and the future of fiduciary litigation
— The impact of emerging technologies on elder law, incapacity planning, and the prevention of financial exploitation
— Comparative and international perspectives on technology and succession law
— Regulatory and legislative responses to technological change in wealth transfer law
The Journal particularly encourages submissions that combine doctrinal rigor with practical insight for trusts and estates practitioners.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be original, unpublished work and should not be under consideration elsewhere at the time of submission unless expressly disclosed. Submissions generally should range from 3,000 to 5,000 words, although the Journal will consider longer manuscripts in appropriate cases.
Authors interested in contributing are encouraged to submit an abstract or proposal in advance, although completed manuscripts are also welcome.
Important Dates and Submission Instructions
Priority consideration deadline for abstracts/proposals: July 15, 2026 Submission deadline for completed manuscripts: December 1, 2026 Expected publication: Summer 2027
Submissions and inquiries should be directed to Professor Reid Kress Weisbord, Editor of the ACTEC Law Journal, via email (weisbord@law.rutgers.edu).
The ACTEC Law Journal is a unique, high-level academic journal which not only explores tax, trust and estate topics in depth, but deals with the practical consequences and applications of the rapidly changing rules in these areas of law. The Journal is supported by the work of the Student Editorial Board at the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University and is published by the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. The Journal is published three times a year and mailed free of charge to ACTEC Fellows, ABA-accredited law schools and board members of the National College of Probate Judges.