Artificial Intelligence in the Law Classroom: Good? Bad? Or Maybe Both?
By: Nadia Farashahi
Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence has taken its place in our society. Law schools are no exception.[1] With the rise in artificial intelligence, law schools are faced with the challenge of adapting to this new technology.
Bloomberg Law’s Spring 2024 Path to Practice survey encompassed data from more than 150 U.S. Law schools.[2] This survey reflected that the status quo is changing: “technological advancements have pushed law schools to address longstanding gaps in tech skill development, specifically by embracing and offering more AI-focused courses.”[3] Faculty respondents were asked whether their law schools “asked or encouraged them” to update their courses to reflect these new technological advancements in the legal field, and more than a third of the respondents said “yes.”[4] The survey also inquired about AI specific courses that are available to law students. Around 40% of respondents indicated that the courses give students “practical experiences using AI for legal work.”[5]
The American Bar Association Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence conducted a similar survey.[6] The survey, completed by 29 law school deans or faculty members in 2023 to 2024, showed that AI is steadily establishing a firm presence in the law school classroom. Around 55% of the law school respondents reported that they have classes centered around teaching students about AI, and around 83% reported having curricular opportunities that allowed students to learn to use AI effectively.[7]
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