Following the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, law schools in the United States are increasingly integrating generative AI into their curricula, clinics, and training programmes, providing students with practical AI experience while developing tools to improve access to justice.
Law schools across the United States are increasingly integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) into their curricula, clinics, and training programmes, reflecting a shift from initial scepticism to active engagement with AI technologies following the emergence of ChatGPT in 2022.
The ABA Journal reports that law schools are now offering a range of AI-focused coursework that not only explores ethical considerations but also provides practical experience. Students engage with AI-generated simulators to practise contract negotiations, court appearances, and other legal processes. Additionally, some schools have developed AI-driven legal clinics aimed at producing tools to assist with routine legal documents, including those related to divorce and end-of-life planning.
Daniel W. Linna, director of law and technology initiatives at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, is quoted saying, “Now is when the rubber meets the road. We’ve got to take some of these experiments and turn them into substantive changes in our courses; our curricula; and, in the case of clinics and legal services delivery, real tools with measurable results.” This shift acknowledges the growing role of AI in handling tasks traditionally performed by junior lawyers and underscores the necessity of training students to adapt quickly.
Data from a recent ABA Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence survey reveals that 55% of the responding law schools have classes dedicated to AI, 32% offer formal interdisciplinary opportunities involving AI, and 83% provide experiences like clinics to help students learn AI tools. The survey, sent to 200 law school deans, received 29 responses.
In a pioneering move, Case Western Reserve University School of Law mandated AI training for all first-year law students, requiring completion of an AI certification course titled “Introduction to AI and the Law.” Developed in partnership with AI legal education company Wickard.ai, this weekend programme covers fundamental AI concepts with emphasis on large language models and ethical and regulatory standards such as the ABA’s Formal Opinion 512. The course also provides hands-on training with AI legal tools including Spellbook, CoCounsel, and Gemini. Oliver Roberts from the Holtzman Vogel AI Practice Group, who teaches the course, has also led similar programmes at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law and George Washington University Law School.
Other institutions are expanding their AI course offerings as well. Suffolk University Law School introduced three AI-related classes this academic year—Generative AI and the Delivery of Legal Services, Artificial Intelligence and the Law, and Emerging AI Regulatory Frameworks—according to Dyane O’Leary, director of Suffolk’s Legal Innovation & Technology Center. At the University of Miami School of Law, the Miami Law & AI Lab developed ClassInsight, a tool that enables professors to gauge student comprehension immediately after lectures by collecting and analysing responses via email, according to lab director Or Cohen-Sasson. Cohen-Sasson noted that “students that didn’t use to participate before are now participating more in class… Some students are maybe shy or not secure enough to participate before they know their level of understanding.”
Mark Williams, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School and founding co-director of the Vanderbilt AI Law Lab, highlighted the rapid evolution of AI technology in legal education. He teaches an AI in Law Practice class now in its fourth iteration and emphasises that “half of the substantive material that we cover in this class is probably going to be outdated by the time that you graduate.” Nonetheless, Williams sees value in teaching frameworks for critically evaluating AI tools, adding that students gain expertise that will distinguish them in the job market: “They will have an understanding of not only how to engage with AI as it currently exists but how to navigate it long-term as it evolves.”
Beyond coursework, law schools are using AI to create realistic training simulations similar to flight or surgical simulators. The Stanford Centre for Legal Informatics (CodeX) developed the M&A Negotiation Simulator, which uses generative AI to mimic the personalities and strategies of senior lawyers in merger and acquisition negotiations. Megan Ma, executive director of Stanford Law School’s Legal Innovation through Frontier Technology Lab, explains, “We built AI agents that reflect the personalities and the thinking of senior lawyers,” allowing young lawyers to “preview for young lawyers the experiences of senior partners, walk in their shoes and understand the nuance of those practices in a low-risk environment.” While acknowledging the AI sometimes makes errors, Ma notes this can serve as useful practice for dealing with negotiating opponents who bluff.
Suffolk Law students have utilised a variety of AI tools developed by David Colarusso, co-director of Suffolk’s Legal Innovation & Technology Lab. His tools include Moot a Case, a bot simulating a judge for practising oral arguments, and Go Socrates, which applies a Socratic questioning method to cases. Colarusso observed, “For the first time, I could see what they’re thinking as they’re engaging with the case and their thought process in a way that I never before could,” countering concerns about AI-generated academic dishonesty.
Clinics are also adopting AI to improve access to justice. Suffolk Law’s Online Dispute Resolution Innovation Clinic, created in collaboration with the American Arbitration Association, assists pro se litigants in Massachusetts with divorce proceedings by offering an AI-driven platform for document completion, filing, and virtual mediation. Suffolk Law dean Andrew Perlman emphasised, “Currently, the documents are a mess… This will make it better for the courts, make it better for the individuals who need those kinds of services.” The clinic, officially launching in the autumn, aims to expand to other jurisdictions after a beta test.
At Vanderbilt University’s AI Law Lab, students are creating an end-of-life planning tool designed to help people generate wills and advance directives, targeting legal aid organisations in Tennessee. Professor Williams pointed out that these AI tools can reach people “who, frankly, do not have access to legal help,” highlighting their capacity to broaden access to legal services without replacing legal professionals.
These developments in legal education and practice highlight law schools’ efforts to keep pace with the rapid advancement of AI technologies. Megan Ma summarised the trajectory by noting, “We’ve just come out a little bit from hesitation of the use of AI… It takes time.”
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2024/06/aba-task-force-law-and-ai-survey/ – This URL corroborates the growing impact of AI on law schools, including a significant presence in legal education. The ABA Task Force survey highlights AI’s influence and the necessity for curricular adaptations.
- https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/resources/law-technology-today/2024/ai-vs-law-schools/ – Although this article suggests some law schools have been slow to integrate AI, it supports the broader trend of recognizing the importance of AI in legal education and the potential consequences of not adapting.
- https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/how-are-law-schools-adapting-curricula-and-policies-for-ai – This article outlines how law schools are adapting their curricula and policies to incorporate AI, reflecting a shift towards embracing AI in legal education.
- https://thedaily.case.edu/case-western-reserve-school-of-law-becomes-first-law-school-in-the-u-s-to-require-legal-ai-education-certification-for-all-first-year-law-students/ – This URL provides specific information about Case Western Reserve University School of Law’s initiative to require AI education certification for first-year students, highlighting its pioneering role in integrating AI into legal curricula.
- https://jolt.richmond.edu/2025/01/30/artificial-intelligence-in-the-law-classroom-good-bad-or-maybe-both/ – This article explores the integration of AI in law classrooms, acknowledging both its benefits and challenges, and supports the trend of law schools offering AI-focused courses.
- https://www.noahwire.com – As the source of the original article, this URL serves as a foundational reference for the claims about law schools integrating AI into their programs and the broader implications for legal education.
- https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQWUdXQ0hzRmpCTXJwTjVVc0VzT0FsX254QjhUMEtLdGlCYmlkZzRhM1ZIVTA1NmZyVnFHY3ltRzgxWmREc0MyRjdRcFBIX0ZlNkpqYVFvclpGV0otSTRQY2JsbWFoX2FZNWhWcExoWFpxQlRXcXVydy1kbU1tN05LWWFpSVA4TlZvcVhxMHNNMVhxc2hGM2I5cWFGV19YcXNvNndlbGZNVzdRS29JVEJmRXpOZ0c4YlhQaHc?oc=5&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en – Please view link – unable to able to access data
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative mentions recent developments and the emergence of ChatGPT in 2022, indicating that the information is relatively current. However, the lack of specific dates for some events reduces the score slightly.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
Direct quotes are provided, but their original source and date could not be verified online. This might suggest their first-time use or that they are recent, which increases the score.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative does not mention a specific publication but references reputable figures and institutions, suggesting reliability. However, without a known publication, the score is not higher.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
Claims about law schools integrating AI are plausible given the rapid evolution of AI technology. Specific examples and quotes from experts support these claims, adding credibility.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears current and includes plausible claims about the integration of AI in law schools. Quotes from experts add credibility, though their exact sources could not be verified. The overall content aligns with current trends in legal education.
