As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into legal practice, law schools are experimenting with a wide range of approaches to help students build the skills and judgment they’ll need in an AI‑infused profession. AALS in partnership with West Academic, a BARBRI Company, hosted a spring webinar series that examined how law schools can prepare students and faculty for an AI‑enabled future. The AALS/West Academic AI in Legal Education Webinar Series brought together faculty experts and academic leaders to share practical strategies, emerging tools, and institutional considerations for integrating AI into legal education.
AALS CEO and Executive Director Kellye Y. Testy opened the series by emphasizing the importance of equipping law schools to respond thoughtfully and proactively to technological change.
“We may not know every way that AI will change legal education, but we know it certainly will,” said Testy “Developing clear processes and shared understanding is essential for legal educators as we continue working to advance excellence in legal education. We are very pleased to partner with West Academic to help open up these discussions.”
“One of the reasons we at West Academic are so excited about this collaboration with AALS is that it gives us an opportunity to bring together so many different parts of the legal academy and the broader legal education community,” said Pamela Siege Chandler, Chief Content and Learning Officer at BARBRI. “There is incredible creativity and innovation around AI—both in law schools and across the profession. Through this series and our other initiatives together, we want to create a welcoming space where all of these forward-thinking approaches to AI can come together.”
The recordings for all three sessions so far in the series can be found on the series webpage and the AALS YouTube Channel:
Developing AI Literacy in Law Students
This inaugural session in the AALS–West Academic webinar series, held on March 9, offered a landscape view of how legal educators across the country are developing AI literacy in thoughtful, practical, and innovative ways.
Moderated by Johanna Kalb (Dean, University of San Francisco School of Law), speakers included April G. Dawson (North Carolina Central University School of Law), Caitlain Devereaux Lewis (Albany Law School), and Nicole Phillips (University of San Francisco School of Law).
AI Tools for Law Faculty
The second session, held on April 15, focused on how AI can support faculty in course design, classroom engagement, and assessment. Panelists demonstrated how AI tools can assist with generating hypotheticals, refining rubrics, organizing course materials, and designing formative assessments. They also emphasized the importance of evaluating AI outputs critically and maintaining transparency and academic integrity when incorporating AI into teaching.
Moderated by Michael Hunter Schwartz (University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law), speakers included Jack Graves (Syracuse University College of Law), Tracy L. M. Norton (Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center), and Alexandria Serra (University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law).
Law School AI Policies: Frameworks, Guardrails, and Guidance
The third session, held on May 6, examined how institutions are developing policies to guide responsible AI use. Panelists discussed the balance between encouraging exploration and preserving foundational skills, the challenges of aligning school‑wide frameworks with classroom‑level discretion, and the need for clear communication with students about expectations. The conversation surfaced key questions facing law schools as they prepare students for an AI‑enabled practice environment.
Moderated by Caitlin Moon (Vanderbilt University Law School), speakers included William H. J. Hubbard (University of Chicago Law School), Emily M. Janoski‑Haehlen (Dean, University of Akron School of Law, and Nancy B. Rapoport (UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law).
Testy noted that the strong engagement across the series, with more than 1,000 viewers and attendees to date, reflects the need for more programming as technology evolves and adoption expands.
“This series has clearly struck a chord,” said Testy. “Many people are trying to understand the latest policies, the technologies available, and how to use them responsibly.”
The partnership with West Academic also includes initiatives to build online resources and conduct research on law faculty and student perspectives on AI.
The webinar series will return in the fall with additional sessions on AI and legal education.