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The University of Chicago Law School is banning first-year students from using cell phones and laptops in classrooms as part of a broader strategy to curb the use of AI.
The strategy statement “Rethinking legal education in the age of AI” emphasizes sharper critical thinking and practical AI skills.
This approach will take effect this fall.
The strategy framework has three core themes.
- Developing AI-friendly pedagogy and assessment: This includes limiting the use of electronic devices from core classes and exams to ensure students learn basic concepts without resorting to technological shortcuts.
- Essential human skills: The curriculum focuses on strengthening traits such as critical thinking, rigorous intellectual inquiry, ethical consideration, effective communication, informed judgment, and client empathy.
- Teach how to use AI responsibly, effectively and ethically: The school aims to train students to think “with AI, without AI, and about AI,” said William Hubbard, chair of the law school’s AI committee, who said that as AI technology becomes integrated into standard workflows, policies that dictate what students can and cannot use AI are no longer viable.
Hubbard said that while AI efficiency tools are beneficial in professional situations to save time and maximize outcomes, they are disrupting educational processes that require manual labor for basic learning.
Clinical professor Mark Templeton added that the policy was designed to maintain the core values of the school’s legal education as technological innovation continues.
“The Law School takes pride in its unique focus on producing graduates who are prepared to become outstanding lawyers,” said Dean Adam Chilton.
“We have always been proactive in innovating our curriculum to ensure that is always true, and this moment is no exception.”
“Whether we like it or not, AI is part of our world, and this new advancement honors all that is best about Chicago legal education,” Hubbard said.
AI has also become much more powerful and accurate, Hubbard continued.
doesn’t work anymore
“As we move into a world where AI is embedded in everything we do, building policy around what AI can and cannot be used for no longer works.”
Templeton added: “This is really about how we maintain and execute our core values in a changing world of technology.”
