ChatPDC Insights: AI as an Amplifier, Not a Replacement
Author: Devin Lintzenich, PDC Board Member and Co-Chair of the Technology & Innovations Committee | Chief Attorney Talent Officer at Bass, Berry & Sims
On March 24, PDC’s Technology & Innovations Committee set out to explore how AI and Generative AI (GenAI) is used, taught and perceived in law schools. The second installment of ChatPDC was called ‘AI in Law Schools’ and featured Andrew Perlman, Dean and Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School, and Heather Stobaugh, Co-Director and Clinical Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research at SMU’s Dedman School of Law.
Use but Verify
Not surprisingly, Professor Stobaugh and Dean Perlman encounter the full spectrum of adoption among faculty and students, from eager adopters to non-users. To address AI-related concerns and resistance, they offer training programs and emphasize the philosophy of “Use but Verify” in teaching AI as a tool to enhance, rather than replace, essential legal skills. They maintain a commitment to legal analysis and critical thinking skills, and they see AI instruction as essential to today’s legal education.
Both/And
Professor Stobaugh models this ‘both/and’ approach in her legal writing class at SMU. For example, her students don’t initially get access to Westlaw or Lexis. She assigns closed problems that don’t require additional research, which gives her the best environment for teaching core skills. Later, students begin incorporating external research and writing tools, including AI. At a certain point in her course, Professor Stobaugh not only permits GenAI usage, she requires it so that she can teach students how to properly use it and reflect on its effectiveness.
Know the Risks; Look for Opportunities
Law schools are also committed to teaching students about the ethics of AI to ensure students are using it responsibly. Yet, Professor Stobaugh and Dean Perlman caution against an overly skeptical, avoidant or fear-based mindset with respect to AI. Dean Perlman expanded on this with two key points:
- The Duty of Competence already requires lawyers to keep up with and be knowledgeable about technology (including GenAI) today.
- He believes there will be a point in the future when a lawyer will not be considered competent if they don’t use GenAI.
In addition to understanding the risks of AI, Professor Stobaugh and Dean Perlman encourage students to consider the opportunities. For example, Suffolk Law has a Legal Innovation Technology (LIT) Lab that embeds students in existing legal clinics to help reinvent approaches to the work leveraging AI and other technology. This is one example of how law schools are beginning to better integrate experiential and technological training, which the panelists predicted would expand.
A Call for Collaboration
Overall, the program underscored the need for those teaching and training lawyers to learn and harness AI. Professor Stobaugh and Dean Perlman ended the session suggesting increased collaboration between law schools and firms in this rapidly changing environment.
PDC’s Technology & Innovations Committee aims to drive the use of technology and innovations within the PDC to further the mission and goals of the organization. If you are interested in joining the committee, please email Megan Lanham.