Balancing Ethics, Inclusion, and Innovation: Preparing Future Lawyers for the Age of AI
45-minute Presentation; Part 3 of a 3-Part Program:
The AI Era: Leveraging Large Language Models to Improve the Lawyer’s Craft
Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research - Slate 2 at AALS 2024 Annual Meeting
(an open captioned version of this video is available here)
As AI technologies like ChatGPT make deeper inroads into the legal profession, it's clear that our legal education system needs to keep pace with these advancements. This presentation focuses on how law professors, practitioners, and students can collectively contribute to the responsible adoption of AI in legal practice and academia.
The first part of the presentation will explore the practical use of large language models by attorneys. We will share insights and learnings from our previous work on how to use generative AI effectively and ethically in the legal profession by providing examples of successfully integrating generative AI into workflows in academic, corporate, and legal environments. We will also delve into the limitations and ethical challenges these AI tools present, especially in the context of attorney-client confidentiality and professional responsibility.
In the second part, our focus will shift to legal education. We will outline strategies and resources for equipping our students with the necessary skills and understanding to effectively leverage these technologies in their future practice. Drawing from our previous work on generative AI as a tool for executive function and our panelists’ extensive work with disabled and neurodivergent individuals, we will discuss ways to make AI tools more accessible to a diverse range of students. Inclusion and accessibility will be key themes in our discourse.
We will include panelists from both inside and outside of academia. This will foster a rich dialogue on the intersection of AI, ethics, and legal education. We aim to provide actionable takeaways that law professors can incorporate into their curriculum and personal praxis.
Our proposal is not just about discussing the AI revolution in the legal profession; it's about preparing our students, the future lawyers, to navigate this changing landscape with competency and ethical responsibility.
Presenter Information:
Jennifer Wondracek, Director of the Law Library and Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Capital University Law School, jwondracek@law.capital.edu
Becka Rich, Assistant Dean for the Law Library and Technology Services, Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, becka.rich@drexel.edu
Rebecca Fordon, Reference Librarian & Adjunct Professor, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, fordon.4@osu.edu
Ivy B. Grey, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, WordRake, ivyg@wordrake.com
