Integrating Generative AI into Legal Education: From Casebooks to Code, Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Legal education has traditionally used methods like the Socratic approach to build critical thinking, but emergence of technological advancements especially, artificial intelligence (AI) has revealed a gap between theory and practice. Addressing this gap necessitates the integration of AI tools into the legal curriculum, focusing on ethical applications, practical use, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Although AI tools offer benefits such as improved research efficiency and personalized learning, scepticism remains due to concerns about AI's ethical implications, environmental costs, and potential biases. AI cannot replace human lawyers, but mastering it is essential for a tech-driven future, where legal professionals must navigate AI biases, manage ‘hallucinations’, and consider sustainability. This study proposes integrating AI into law curricula to address these challenges, equipping students with critical thinking skills needed to evaluate and responsibly use AI in legal contexts. Law schools should adapt curricula to include AI literacy, ethics, and hands-on learning, ensuring students are prepared to make informed decisions. The study calls on educators, legal practitioners, and policymakers to embrace these changes actively, supporting further development of AI-driven tools and equitable strategies to ensure that legal education keeps pace with evolving technological landscapes.

Keywords

• ai ethics
• future law
• legal technology
• generative ai
• legal education