AI Legal Tech

3 units

This course examines applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal practice, with emphasis on developing both critical evaluation skills and practical competency in building and using legal technology. The course proceeds in three modules. The first module surveys the current legal technology ecosystem, including tools for document review, legal research, contract analysis, compliance, and litigation support. Students will evaluate the strengths and limitations of these technologies through live demonstrations by legal technology providers and will develop frameworks for assessing when and how technology should be applied to particular legal tasks. The second module addresses the conceptual foundations of legal technology adoption, including considerations of professional responsibility, access to justice, the reliability of AI-driven legal analysis, and the economic forces shaping the legal technology market. Students will engage with current scholarship on AI and law, examining questions such as which legal applications are most amenable to automation, where human judgment remains essential, and how lawyers should evaluate the outputs of AI systems. The third module introduces students to the fundamentals of building legal technology applications using AI-assisted software development techniques, also known as "vibe coding." Students will use AI tools to design and develop prototype legal technology applications. No prior programming experience is required. Through hands-on projects, students will gain practical experience in translating a legal need into a functional technology solution while confronting firsthand the design choices, limitations, and ethical considerations involved in legal technology development. Class attendance and active participation are required, particularly during guest demonstrations and workshop sessions. Grades will be based on class participation, reflection papers, and a project in which students will build and present a working legal technology prototype. The project will be graded on a block basis, where students who satisfactorily complete the project will receive 100% of the available points.