Several prominent law schools, including the University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Texas at Austin, are introducing policies that either ban or limit the use of artificial intelligence and electronic devices in classrooms. The primary goal is to safeguard the development of essential "human skills" such as critical thinking, live discourse, and oral argument, which educators believe are crucial for future lawyers and less susceptible to AI automation.
For instance, the University of Chicago Law School has banned laptops, tablets, and phones for first-year students in core courses, emphasizing the Socratic method and an in-person oral exam component for research papers. Dean Adam Chilton noted that while AI tools are widely available, the institution wants students to develop the ability to answer questions without machine mediation. Similarly, UC Berkeley Law prohibits AI use for graded assignments by default, with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky stressing accountability given instances of AI-generated errors in legal filings by practicing attorneys.
While restricting AI use in certain contexts, these institutions are also working to integrate AI education into their curricula. UChicago Law's approach is layered: some assignments require no AI, while others explicitly instruct students to use and critique AI outputs. First-year legal research and writing courses will require students to write independently but allow AI for research, revision, and oral argument preparation, with feedback provided on both the student's work and their AI use. This balanced approach aims to ensure students can both think independently and supervise AI effectively.
The emphasis on these "AI-proof" skills comes as the legal profession rapidly adopts generative AI. A recent American Bar Association report indicates that $58 percent of lawyers use generative AI for tasks like drafting and general research, $54 percent for brainstorming, and $47 percent for summarizing documents. Law school deans like Chilton from UChicago and Chemerinsky from Berkeley acknowledge AI's importance and the need for graduates to be prepared to use these tools responsibly and ethically, without compromising fundamental legal education.
