LAWE 759

Catalog description

The recent and rapid rise of artificial intelligence (“AI”) presents lawyers with newfound challenges yet also revolutionary opportunities. By understanding and developing proficiency in the various AI tools available today, law students will find themselves at the forefront of the unprecedented efficiency and productivity awaiting future legal practice. This course has three central learning objectives: (1) provide students with a fundamental understanding of machine learning and generative AI as well as a survey of popular AI tools used in legal research, drafting, and review; (2) train students on input strategies to effectively and precisely prompt AI to generate more complete and accurate outputs; and (3) caution students on how to navigate the legal and ethical pitfalls of AI so that they may use these tools responsibly. Students will also put these teachings into practice by working with a Virginia-based AI developer to collectively create their own “AI bot” to address and optimize a selected legal process. Through this course, law students will preemptively gain a competitive and marketable edge in what will almost certainly be a universally AI-focused legal practice in the near future.