I have been interested in the use of AI in legal education, as you may have noticed.
Law schools up and down the US News hierarchy have undertaken initiatives to incorporate AI in a wide range of activities involving curriculum, research, policy, innovation, client service, and access to justice.
This post highlights Case Western Reserve’s initiative to require all first-year law students to earn a certification in legal AI. Associate Dean Avidan Cover said, “This initiative highlights Case Western Reserve School of Law’s unwavering dedication to shaping the next generation of legal professionals. By integrating AI education into the foundational curriculum, we are not only addressing the demands of a rapidly evolving legal landscape but also empowering our students with the tools and knowledge they need to navigate and lead in a technology-driven profession. This program exemplifies our commitment to preparing graduates for both the challenges and opportunities of modern legal practice.”
The law school’s website provides the following overview:
- Understanding AI Fundamentals: Students will gain the ability to define and explain key concepts and technologies related to AI and LLMs, including their development, architecture, and functionality.
- Practical Applications in Legal Practice: Students will explore how AI and LLMs are being utilized in various areas of legal practice, including legal research, document review, and case outcome prediction. They will also examine how law firms and practitioners are adopting AI to enhance their workflows.
- Ethical and Regulatory Guidelines: Students will review guidance from the American Bar Association (ABA) and state bar ethics opinions on the ethical use of AI in legal practice. Key topics include competence, confidentiality, supervision, and the obligation to stay informed about emerging technologies.
- Best Practices for Data and Client Management: Students will learn and apply best practices for managing data and client information when using AI tools, with a focus on ensuring security, accuracy, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Driving Innovation and Addressing Legal Challenges: Students will assess how AI can foster innovation in legal and business services while examining emerging regulatory trends and societal challenges, such as intellectual property issues, liability frameworks, and access-to-justice initiatives.
This forward-thinking plan embodies an ethos of responsible realism about AI. At this early stage of experimentation with AI, it seems like an excellent approach. Presumably, they will refine it as they gain experience. For example, hopefully they would explicitly expand their focus to include working with clients, negotiation, mediation, and arbitration – from the perspectives of both legal representatives and neutrals.
Most law schools probably are not be ready to adopt an initiative as ambitious as Case Western’s. Even so, its program identifies elements that other schools could adopt incrementally.
For example, schools might begin by introducing basic AI literacy modules in first-year courses or required extra-curricular programs. They might offer optional workshops on practical applications in legal practice or incorporate discussions of ethical guidance into existing professional responsibility courses.
Over time, these building blocks could evolve into more comprehensive offerings, giving students training that may become intrinsic to good lawyering in the years ahead.
A short AI primer here, a discussion of practical uses there, perhaps adding a sprinkling of ethics – these are modest changes that could help students graduate with more than a nodding acquaintance with important tools that most will need in their legal work.
