AI and the Law: Essential Skills Law Students Should Develop

Learn to Use AI as a Starting Point, Not a Final Answer

AI tools like ChatGPT can help generate a quick case brief, summarize a long reading, or even suggest how to outline an argument. But these tools aren’t perfect—and they definitely aren’t law professors.

The key is knowing when and how to use AI. Think of it as a way to speed up your process, not replace your analysis. For example, ask it to help structure a brief, but then cross-check everything against the actual opinion and your casebook notes.

Tip:

Jonathan Sloan’s Using Generative AI for Legal Research & Writing is a must-read for students navigating AI and the law. It shows how to responsibly integrate AI into your study and writing habits without losing your academic integrity or personal voice.

Skill to build:

Prompt thoughtfully, verify everything, and use AI to enhance, but not replace your work.

Strengthen Your Legal Reading and Fact-Checking

AI can be confident, but wrong (known as hallucinating). That’s why strong reading and validation skills are more important than ever in the age of AI and the law.

When you get a summary or draft from an AI tool, compare it to the actual case and rule. Did it capture the dissent? Does the analysis reflect your professor’s emphasis? This is especially important when you're dealing with emerging legal topics like algorithmic bias, data privacy, or online speech.

Tip:

To help connect what you're learning in school to what’s happening in practice, check out April G. Dawson’s Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity. It explores how AI is being used in law firms, courts, and classrooms—giving you the tools to think critically about how AI-generated content fits into real-world legal work. By understanding how lawyers and educators are using AI responsibly, you’ll be better prepared to evaluate its output in your own study routine.

Skill to build:

Don’t take summaries at face value—verify rules, dig deeper, and understand context.

Master Case Briefing with the Help of Tech (and Good Judgment)

You still need to brief cases. But now, you don’t have to start from scratch every time. Try this:

• Use AI to generate a first-draft IRAC-style brief
• Compare it to your own reading of the case
• Add insights from Aspen’s Examples & Explanations or Emanuel Law Outlines

This method saves you time while helping you retain what matters—so you’re ready for cold calls and confident when outlining for exams.

Skill to build:

Develop a hybrid briefing system that combines AI with real study aids and close reading.

Blend Tools and Techniques for Long-Term Retention

AI can give you speed—but law school requires depth. Make time to internalize what you’re learning:

• Use AI to quiz yourself or test rule application
• Turn rules into flashcards or practice hypos
• Work through Glannon Guides or CrunchTime to reinforce analysis

The more ways you engage with a rule—writing, speaking, testing—the more you retain it. That’s true for your 1L doctrinal classes and your upper-level electives.

Skill to build:

Build a routine that mixes quick AI-powered tools with traditional learning techniques to boost retention.

Final Thoughts:

Law school isn’t just about learning legal rules, it’s about learning to think like a lawyer. And in a legal landscape increasingly shaped by AI, your ability to use these tools thoughtfully will be a serious competitive edge.

Whether you’re preparing for class, writing your first legal memo, or exploring the future of AI and the law, remember: your job isn’t just to use AI, but it’s to understand it, question it, and lead with it.

Other Resources