Analytical Paper Optional: All enrolled students have the option of completing a research paper of at least 20-25 pages, with faculty and peer review of a substantially complete draft. This paper can be used to satisfy the analytical paper requirement for J.D. students.

Prerequisite: None

Exam Type: No Exam
Requirements: Students are required to write short response papers (around 2-pages) for each session, actively participate in class discussion, and write a final paper (15-20 pages) or analytical paper (20-25 pages, with faculty and peer review of a substantially complete draft) on a topic relating to one of the seminars themes. Students choosing to write an analytical paper can use it to satisfy the analytical paper requirement for J.D. students.

In this Seminar, we will examine how AI and other disruptive technologies are transforming how lawyers create “value” in a world that is increasing volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA), and how these changes are likely to shape legal careers, the structure and functioning of legal organizations (e.g., law firms, in-house legal departments, government law offices, and public interest organizations, etc.), the professional status and independence of the legal profession, and the rule of law. We will begin by giving students a grounding in the history and current status of legal practice and institutions. We will then explore how AI and other technologies are already disrupting this traditional reality through presentations/discussions with lawyers and other professionals from a broad variety of settings who are working to embed AI into workflows and institutions. Finally, we will introduce students to various models of complex decision-making and give them opportunity to work with a broad variety of cutting-edge AI and agentic tools, including the Dragonfly analytic framework and agentic model that Professor Roberts has developed in the context of international relations and international economic law, which she and Professor Wilkins are using to develop a new research collaboration exploring why law, and therefore lawyers, are increasingly central to the most important problems facing private and public clients. Students will be guided through the four elements for successful AI adoption – differentiating between the “capabilities” of various AI models, understanding the critical importance of providing these models with enough, but not too much, “context” to operate effectively, developing the “skills” needed to interact with AI models and agents effectively, and learning how to add the essential “domain expertise” that only human judgment and experience can provide – that can turn these “tools into techniques,” and transform AI from a threat to an opportunity.

Note: This seminar will meet on a condensed schedule from September 8 through September 24, meeting on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 3:45PM to 5:45PM and Thursdays from 6:00PM to 8:00PM. There will be an additional session held on Friday, September 18 during the law school’s designated makeup block of 3:45PM to 5:45PM.