Integrating Generative AI into Legal Education: From Casebooks to Code, Opportunities and Challenges
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Saveetha School of Law
India -
Amity University Dubai United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Legal education has traditionally used methods like the Socratic approach to build critical thinking, but emergence of technological advancements especially, artificial intelligence (AI) has revealed a gap between theory and practice. Addressing this gap necessitates the integration of AI tools into the legal curriculum, focusing on ethical applications, practical use, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Although AI tools offer benefits such as improved research efficiency and personalized learning, scepticism remains due to concerns about AI's ethical implications, environmental costs, and potential biases. AI cannot replace human lawyers, but mastering it is essential for a tech-driven future, where legal professionals must navigate AI biases, manage ‘hallucinations’, and consider sustainability. This study proposes integrating AI into law curricula to address these challenges, equipping students with critical thinking skills needed to evaluate and responsibly use AI in legal contexts. Law schools should adapt curricula to include AI literacy, ethics, and hands-on learning, ensuring students are prepared to make informed decisions. The study calls on educators, legal practitioners, and policymakers to embrace these changes actively, supporting further development of AI-driven tools and equitable strategies to ensure that legal education keeps pace with evolving technological landscapes.
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Author Biographies
Dr. Aswathy Prakash G. is an Associate Professor at the Saveetha School of Law (SIMATS), Chennai, India. She teaches a wide array of legal subjects, including Constitutional Law, Cyber Law, the Law of Torts, and Jurisprudence, among others. Dr. Aswathy holds a Ph.D. in Law from Saveetha School of Law, a Master’s degree in Corporate Law from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, and two Post-Graduate Diplomas from NALSAR University, Hyderabad, India.
Dr. Aswathy began her academic career in 2018 as a full-time Assistant Professor at Saveetha School of Law. Her research primarily focuses on AI and emerging technologies, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Family Law, Consumer Protection, and children’s digital rights, with her work extending into various issues within cyberspace. She has published numerous academic papers on diverse legal topics.
Prior to joining academia, Dr. Aswathy worked for two years in the corporate sector, including roles in legal process outsourcing and the manufacturing industry. During this time, she gained experience in contract drafting, negotiation, and handling consumer cases.
In a short span of seven years, Dr. Aswathy has authored approximately ten research papers, either independently or in collaboration with peers. Two of these papers have been published in prestigious journals indexed in SCOPUS and ABDC databases. Her work has been well-received, with citations reflecting her impact in the field. (Google Scholar H-Index: 4; SCOPUS H-Index: 1).
Dr. Vishnu Nair, Assistant Professor, School of Law, Amity University Dubai.
