Today marks an important milestone for CLOC and for the global legal operations profession. I’m proud to share that we have selected our 2026 Board of Directors, reflecting a thoughtful evolution of our leadership and how we represent the community we serve.

Scaling Our Leadership for Global Impact
For the first time, the CLOC Board will include 16 members. This change reflects the steady growth and maturity of our community and ensures our leadership reflects the full scope of a global profession.

Our new board brings together an extraordinary group of:

• • Legal operations leaders
  • In-house counsel
  • Technology innovators

Progress happens when we work together. This expansion strengthens the collaboration that defines CLOC and deepens the shared expertise that drives our mission forward.

Refining Our Governance for the Future
To support this expanded vision, we have updated our governance structure to align with best practices for member-driven associations.

Beginning January 1, the role leading our executive team will be President & CEO, with Oyango Snell continuing his leadership in that capacity. This update builds a closer partnership between the board and the executive team, connecting strategy with action and positioning CLOC for long-term success.

At its first meeting in 2026, the board will also elect its first Chair and Chair-Elect. Every director on this expanded board serves in a voluntary capacity, offering their time and expertise to advance the profession we all care about.

The Strength of Our Community
Our newest directors join a group of dedicated returning leaders who continue to push the profession forward. From global enterprises to innovative technology providers, this board reflects what makes CLOC unique: diversity, innovation, and a shared purpose.

A sincere thank you to our Nominating Committee, led by board members Adam Becker and Laura Dieudonné, and to every member who took part in the open nominations process. Your involvement ensures our leadership reflects the many voices and experiences that make up the CLOC community.

Congratulations to our incoming board members. Your leadership is an inspiration, and I look forward to all we will achieve together as we enter this next chapter for CLOC.

• • Mark Allen, Director of Legal & Compliance Operations, Zillow
  • Donovan Bell, Senior Director, Head of Global Operations, Corporate Affairs, Policy, Integrity, Trade and Legal, Intel
  • Alex Gao, Senior Director, Legal Operations, Hilton Worldwide Corporation
  • Kurt Grasinger, Legal Operations and Outside Counsel Manager, Meta
  • Jerry Levine, Chief Evangelist and General Counsel, ContractPodAI
  • Colin Levy, General Counsel, Malbek
  • Stacy Lettie, Chief of Staff to the General Counsel, Organon
  • Carl Morrison, Senior Manager, Legal Operations, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.
  • Richard Robinson, Director of Client Success, Epiq
  • Kirsten Taitelbaum, Vice President, Head of Legal Operations and Chief of Staff, Sutter Health
  • Darth Vaughn, Associate General Counsel and Managing Director, Policy and Legal Operations, Ford Motor Company

Meet CLOC’s new and continuing directors at cloc.org/about.

Navigating Bias, Displacement, and Accountability 

Key Takeaways: 

• Contract AI, while efficient, carries significant risks. 

• AI can perpetuate and amplify biases present in its training data. 

• AI technology may lead to job displacement for legal professionals. 

• Lack of clear accountability is a major concern when AI makes errors. 

The biggest risks of using Contract AI are bias, human displacement, and a lack of clear accountability. While this technology promises efficiency, it can also amplify existing inequalities if not implemented responsibly. AI models are not neutral; they learn from the data they are trained on, and if that data is biased, the resulting contracts will be too. This can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes. 

What is Bias in Contract AI and How Does it Happen? 

Bias in Contract AI occurs when the AI system learns and perpetuates unfair or discriminatory patterns from its training data. This happens because the historical contracts used to train the model may reflect human biases related to race, gender, or socioeconomic status. For example, an AI could be trained on a dataset where men were historically offered higher-value contracts, causing the AI to continue this trend. 

The result is an automated system that automates discrimination, not just efficiency. This can lead to legal challenges and a complete breakdown of trust. It’s a problem that can only be solved by a commitment to fair and diverse data. 

How Can Human Displacement Be Managed? 

The displacement of human jobs is a major concern with the rise of Contract AI. Roles like paralegals, contract managers, and junior lawyers are at risk as AI automates their tasks. The key to managing this is not to stop progress but to pivot. 

Instead of seeing AI as a replacement, we should view it as a partner. Legal teams can be retrained to focus on higher-level tasks while AI automates tedious or repetitive tasks. This legal expertise includes interpreting complex legal situations, negotiating face-to-face, and providing strategic advice that AI cannot. Our experience has shown that AI is best as a tool to augment human expertise, not replace it. 

Why is Accountability a Challenge with Contract AI? 

Accountability is a challenge with Contract AI because it is often unclear who is responsible when the AI makes a mistake. Unlike a human lawyer, an AI system cannot be held liable for negligence. This creates a legal and ethical vacuum. 

Is the software developer responsible? Is it the company that implemented the AI? Or is it the data scientist who trained the model with flawed data? Without a clear legal framework, clients and stakeholders may have no recourse if an AI-generated contract contains a critical error. Establishing a clear chain of responsibility is crucial for building trust. 

Call to Action: Learn more about responsible AI implementation and how you can ensure your organization is prepared to navigate these challenges. Book a free demo of CobbleStone’s award-winning AI-based contract management solution today!