Navigating Legal Shifts - Preparing for AI's Impact

NOVEMBER EVENT DETAILS

UPHRA is excited to present " Navigating Legal Shifts / Preparing for AI’s Impact." Join us at Northern Michigan University's Northern Center on the morning of Wednesday, November 12th, 2025, for our annual legal update and learn how AI has started to impact the workplace.  Lunch is provided. 

Agenda:

Session Information:

Session I: Legal update - As the legal landscape surrounding employment continues to evolve, it’s essential for organizations to stay informed about new federal and state employment laws. This session will provide participants with the knowledge to identify recent legislative changes, assess their applicability to their workplace, and implement best practices for compliance.

Learning Outcomes: Identify new federal and state employment laws.  Learn whether and how these new laws apply to your workplace. Understand best practices to comply with the new laws.

Session II: Preparing for AI's Impact - This training session is designed to introduce participants to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI) while equipping them with practical skills to use AI as a collaborative tool in the workplace. Through interactive activities, participants will explore how AI works, practice prompt generation using the RACEF framework (Role, Action, Context, Examples, Format), and engage in small group exercises to develop effective prompts for solving real HR-related challenges. The session also encourages creative experimentation with AI tools through fun and progressively complex prompts, building comfort and fluency in their use.

Participants will also be guided to think critically about how AI can support and enhance HR functions such as recruitment and performance management. They'll explore ways to use AI for problem-solving—even when the problem isn’t immediately clear—and discuss how to share effective AI prompts and custom tools within their teams. By the end of the session, attendees will have a foundational understanding of AI, hands-on experience with prompt engineering, and actionable ideas for integrating AI into their workflows.

Learning Outcomes: Develop a basic understanding of AI and RACEF prompt framework, test RACEF prompt framework, and use advanced AI in a team collaboration to find an AI solution to HR scenarios.

About the Speakers:

Laura Katers Reilly 

Laura counsels employers in labor and employment law and business transactions. Now in her 25th year of practice, many clients consider her part of their HR team and would not make a tough disciplinary decision without her. Laura is hired to investigate employment matters, draft policies, and respond to regulatory complaints. She advises clients in all aspects of employment law. Laura is also among the only attorneys in the U.P. with a traditional labor practice. She has bargained private and public sector labor contracts, arbitrated grievances, guided employers through union organization efforts, and handled NLRB and MERC complaints.

Laura is a sought-after speaker on labor and employment law matters, and a regular contributor to U.P. @ Work, a blog of the U.P. Human Resources Association.

Business clients of the firm work with Laura because she has experience with every part of the corporate life cycle, from startups to succession planning to sales and breakups. Laura also advises clients on contract, real estate, and licensing matters. In addition to her legal knowledge, Laura has deep insight into what it takes to run a business, having been raised by an entrepreneur, where every detail was a nightly dinner conversation. Laura believes this background adds real-world perspective to her application of the law.

In addition to her main practice areas, Laura collaborates with other attorneys in the firm as needed. Commonly, she works on prenuptial agreements, property tax appeals, municipal issues, and probate court matters.

Grant Langdon 

Grant serves as Assistant Director of Career Services at Northern Michigan University, where he helps students and alumni shape their career paths through coaching, mentorship, and practical job search support. As a member of NMU's AI Strategy Team and the AI Education Workgroup, Grant plays a key role in advancing the university's approach to artificial intelligence in higher education, contributing insights and leadership to campus-wide technology initiatives.

He draws on more than 15 years of experience in student development and leadership, with a Masters in Higher Education from NMU. Grant is passionate about connecting people to meaningful goals, leveraging technology, and driving educational innovation. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, outdoor adventures, and traveling to national parks with family.

Walker Derby 

Ready to move past the myth that AI is too complicated or irrelevant to your work? Walker Derby, a Career Coach from Northern Michigan University with a unique background in Technical Recruiting, is here to prove otherwise! Walker brings a holistic perspective to professional success and is looking forward to helping demystify AI use and prompt generation. This engaging session will give you the conversational, jargon-free insights you need to pinpoint the exact AI use-cases that will save you time. When not coaching students, Walker can be found enjoying skiing and biking in Marquette or practicing the quiet, focused discipline of bonsai.