New and evolving technologies continue to drive unprecedented changes to the world of legal services, and it appears generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) will bring profound changes at a scale and pace we have not seen before. It has been a challenge for law schools to keep the content of the courses in their curriculums current. The basket of skills a law school graduate needs today is fundamentally different from just a decade or two ago.
For some insights on how law school curriculums are changing we interviewed Dennis Kennedy. Dennis has been a leading voice in legal technology for more than 25 years and is currently the director of the Michigan State University Center for Law, Technology, & Innovation and teaches courses at both Michigan State University College of Law and the University of Michigan Law School. He recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 American Legal Technology Awards.
Law students should graduate with strong foundational skills in understanding and using legal research tools, Microsoft Word, document management programs and, of course, timekeeping software. These are table stakes. Competence in working with GenAI is quickly helping new lawyers be indispensable. At the same time, they should be able to critically evaluate emerging technologies, ensuring ethical and effective implementation in legal practice. It’s a tall order and I’d like to see the same expectations apply to practicing lawyers.
At Michigan State University College of Law, we offer courses like AI and the Law, New Technologies and the Law, Cybersecurity and Data Protection, Law Practice Technology, AI and Legal Research and Legal Operations. Our classes called Entrepreneurial Lawyering and Delivering Legal Services also have significant legal technology components. These courses examine not only the practical applications of technology, but also their legal, regulatory and societal implications. Our LegalRnD AI Studio provides students with opportunities to develop advanced AI prompting skills and hands-on exposure to legal tech tools.
AI is fundamentally altering what and how we teach by introducing a need for fluency in GenAI tools and their implications. We see developments on an almost daily basis. Legal tech companies like Lexis and Westlaw are rolling out new features on a regular basis. Law students will be getting access to the Westlaw CoCounsel tool in January. We are training students to solve complex problems using available technologies and to advise on AI-related legal and policy issues. Curricula are evolving to include hands-on experimentation, critical analysis of AI’s impact and interdisciplinary approaches combining law, technology and business. Keep in mind, however, that the pace of change varies greatly across law schools and within any given law school. There is definitely more consideration of the legal job marketplace and the role of technology in practice than I’ve seen before. The biggest challenge in legal education is sorting out what changes need to happen quickly and what changes need to occur at a slower pace. It’s challenging.
Yes, our LegalRnD AI Studio offers our students a way to learn practical prompting skills. We’re planning a weekly AI Makerspace offering next semester to let students drop in once a week for an hour to learn about AI and try new experiments in prompting and using the tools. I’m hearing much more from legal employers who are looking for students with AI skills. Several of my students in the AI course have interned at legal AI companies. Even more exciting are the AI and access-to-justice initiatives we are planning for next semester. Stay tuned. Through these experiences, students gain practical insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in legal practice. I’m also a big advocate for my students to firms who want tech-savvy and AI-savvy summer clerks and new lawyers.
I love doing practice simulations in my classes. This semester, the students did a group simulation where four teams acted as the AI innovation committee for a law firm and produced a project agenda for the firm’s managing partner, whose memo to them might have been drafted by AI. I also had the students experiment with generating a personal AI learning assistant by creating a prompt. Our courses emphasize preparing students for the demands of modern practice. Students develop skills in collaboration, design thinking and client-centered approaches, which translate directly into law firm and in-house legal environments. By focusing on outcomes that align with industry needs, we bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Graduates should highlight specific examples of how they've applied technology. Portfolios matter in today’s market. You want results that you can show a hiring manager. Basic use of AI in legal research is not a distinguisher. I also push my students to try to get their final papers published. Building a professional online social media presence showcasing thought leadership in legal tech, such as writing or speaking about AI’s role in law, can also set them apart. Positioning themselves as proactive problem solvers who can bridge the gap between law and technology will resonate strongly with forward-thinking firms. And network, network and network. I’ve heard that law firms are having trouble identifying tech-savvy new lawyers. Make yourself easy to find. For the right skill set, firms will create a job.
I see it having an impact every single day. The biggest question is whether lawyers are going to get a seat at the decision-making table. The big AI companies are already making decisions and taking approaches that will have profound impacts. Technology, especially AI, fast outraces law and regulation, while the issues of justice and access to justice continue to become more complex and daunting than ever before. Technology and AI will continue to redefine legal education and practice by pushing the boundaries of what lawyers can achieve and also by defining what the practice of law actually is and should be. Legal education must embrace continuous adaptation, interdisciplinary teaching and innovation to prepare students for these changes and the accelerating pace of change. The future lawyer will not only practice law but also design, implement and manage technologies that drive justice and efficiency, including the legal system itself. This generation of law students is essential to helping us create what the next era of the legal profession will be. I hope we help them in doing that, not hinder them.
Thank you for your insights, Dennis. As was always the case, and perhaps now more so with AI, hiring a law school grad who is technology savvy can help a firm understand and take steps to leverage new technologies.
