Ed.
note:
This
article
first
appeared
in
an
ILTA
publication.
Artificial
intelligence
is
more
than
the
latest
new
tool
to
land
on
lawyers’
desks.
This
time
feels
different
from
earlier
waves
of
technology.
Just
as
the
internet
started
as
a
novelty
and
became essential infrastructure,
AI
is
now
leading
us
to
another
platform
shift.
It
is
not
a
discrete
product,
but
a
new
layer
that
shapes
how nearly
every legal
task
is,
or
can be, performed.
As
someone
who
teaches
and serves as
a
member
of
the
Vanderbilt
Artificial
Intelligence
Law
Lab
(VAILL),
I
have
the
privilege
of
helping
prepare
the
next
generation
for
our
profession.
VAILL
has
become
both
a
model
and
a
hub
for
what
AI
education
can
look
like
in
law
schools.
Our
work
encompasses
more
than
just
training
students
to
navigate
specific
platforms.
We
equip
them
with
AI literacy,
blending-tool awareness,
general capabilities,
critical
thinking,
ethical
grounding,
and
adaptability.
These
are
the
skills
that
future
lawyers
and
legal
leaders
need
to
thrive
in
legal
environments
undergoing
unprecedented
layers
of
rapid
change.
Vanderbilt’s
Approach
and
the
Role
of
VAILL
Vanderbilt
Law
School
embraced
this
shift
through
a
bold
commitment
to
create
VAILL
and
prioritize
a
human-centered
approach
to
exploring
how
AI
intersects
with
law
and
legal
education.
Through
VAILL
and
our
broader
curriculum,
we
create
and
launch
courses
that
directly
address
students’
needs
in
AI
education.
Our
approach
includes
introducing
them
to
the
types
of
tools
they
are
most
likely
to encounter in
practice,
exploring
how
generative
AI
is impacting and
reshaping
workflows,
and
empowering
them
to
engage
with
AI
as
informed
professionals
who
can
confidently
interact
with
it.
For
example,
one
course
enables
students
to
act
as
decision-makers
by
evaluating
tools,
developing
implementation
strategies,
and
addressing
practical
challenges
related
to
data
security
and
firm
policies.
More
importantly,
our
courses
help
students
understand
the
risks
and
benefits
and
how
these
tools
will
complement
their
future
practice
more
broadly.
If
law
schools
neglect
AI
education
now,
they
do
their
students
a
disservice.
The
myth
of
the
“digital
native”
can
lull
us
into assuming
that younger
generations
intuitively
understand
technology. In
reality,
I regularly
see
students
who
can
navigate
TikTok
with
ease
but
struggle
to
understand
why
an
AI
tool
might
hallucinate
legal
citations
or fail
to grasp
the
ethical
implications
of
feeding
client
data
into
ChatGPT.
Law
students
are
learning
AI
at
the
same
pace
as
everyone
else.
Waiting
until
they
arrive
at
a
firm
to figure
it out
may
be
too
late.
There
is
positive
momentum
as
law
schools
rise
to
the
occasion,
with
an
increase
in
AI-related
courses
each
year.
Defining
AI
Literacy
When
I
teach
my
students
about
AI
literacy,
I
emphasize
that
it
extends
beyond
knowing
which
buttons
to
click
on
the
latest
drafting
assistant
or
research
bot.
True
literacy
encompasses
understanding
the
foundational
concepts
behind
the
technology,
the
ability
to
evaluate
outputs,
the
ability
to
adapt
to
evolving
tools,
and
awareness
of
the
ethical
and
professional
duties
that
accompany
its
use.
Our
students
will
go
on
to
work
in
various
settings,
but
we
want
them
to
have
a
clear
picture
of
the
role
technology
will
play
wherever
they
land.
What I’ve learned
is
that
AI
literacy
is
about
understanding
a
tool’s
place
in
workflows, anticipating risks,
and
imagining
new
possibilities.
Once
we
know
what
is
possible,
strategic
thinking
becomes
more
accessible.
Our
students
are
poised
to
spot
the
“possible”
and
serve
as
voices
of
innovation.
Embracing Students’ Uncertainty Boosts
Engagement
When
students
talk
about
using
AI,
their
reactions
often
mirror
those
of
the
profession:
a
mix
of
skepticism,
anxiety,
and
curiosity.
Some
are
understandably
concerned.
After
all, they’re investing
three
years
and
substantial
tuition
in
legal
education,
only
to
read
headlines
predicting
that
AI
will
automate
their job
away.
We
are
happy
to
help
temper
those
fears.
But
what
strikes
me
most
is
that
those
skeptical
students
are
also
the
ones
who
voluntarily
enroll
in
our
courses
and
engage
deeply.
Our
goal
is
not
to
produce
AI
advocates,
but
rather
to
cultivate
future
lawyers
who
can
think
critically
about
when
and
how
to
deploy
these
tools
effectively.
Students
want
to
understand
what
lies
ahead
rather
than
fear
it.
Education
becomes the antidote
to
uncertainty.
We
also
hear
regularly
from
students
returning
from
summer
jobs
that
AI
is
present
at
their
firms,
but
often
without
clear
policies,
structured
training,
or
consistent
implementation.
That
lack
of
guidance
can
leave
young
lawyers
unsure
of
how
to
contribute
or
engage
responsibly.
By
equipping
them
with
frameworks
for
evaluating
tools
and
understanding
ethical
obligations,
we
prepare
them
not
just
to
use
AI
but
to
lead
conversations
about
its
role
in
practice.
Law
Students
as
Future
Leaders
That
leadership
will
hopefully emerge sooner
than
we
might
expect.
Our
students
are
being
exposed
to
AI
literacy
in
ways
that
graduates
just
a
few
years
ago
never
were.
This
positions
them
to
step
into
meaningful
roles
in
firm
innovation
and
governance
much
earlier
in
their
careers.
I
do
not
subscribe
to
the
belief
that
AI
will
reduce
the
need
for
new
associates.
Who
will
become
senior
associates
and
partners
if
we
cut
off
the
pipeline?
Instead,
I
view
AI
as
an
opportunity
to reframe what
early
practice
looks
like.
Rather
than
spending
their
first
years
bogged
down
in
repetitive
but
necessary
tasks,
associates
will
be
able
to
focus
earlier
on
rewarding
intellectual
work.
In
some
ways,
this
may
help
students
become
better
lawyers
more
quickly.
This
shift
could
accelerate
their
growth
by
channeling
their
energy
toward
the
uniquely
human
aspects
of
practice,
such
as
strategic
thinking,
creative
problem-solving,
and
nuanced
client
advice.
They
will
still
learn
the
fundamentals,
but
without
being
defined
by
rote
work
that
technology
can
now
handle.
That
is
a
profound
shift
in
how
lawyers
receive
on-the-job
training.
I
hope
that
partners
understand
and
adapt
to
this
change,
engaging
new
associates
in ways different
from
the
past.
We
have
long operated under
the
principle
of
“doing
more
with
less,”
but
AI
flips
that
script
for
new
associates,
enabling
them
to
learn
more
substantive
skills
with
less
time
spent
on
repetitive
tasks.
Looking
five
to
ten
years
ahead,
I
envision
law
schools
empowering
students
to
innovate
in
ways
that
were
previously
impossible.
For
the
first
time,
non-technical
students
can
imagine,
design,
and
even
create
tools
that
serve
their
practice
or
their
clients. I
am
already
seeing
students
prototype
simple
legal
workflows
using
no-code
platforms
or
design
AI-assisted
client
intake
processes. AI
is
lowering
the
barriers
to
innovation
in
law,
and
that
should
excite
us
all.
A
Shared
Mission
If
I
could
leave
readers
with
one
message,
it
would
be
this:
preparing
the
next
generation
of
AI-literate
lawyers
is
not
a
solo
mission.
Law
schools
around
the
country
are
doing
their
part,
but
the
journey
requires
collaboration
with
firms,
technologists,
and
professional
organizations
to
fully
realize
its
potential.
Our
goal
is
not
to
graduate
students
who
know
how
to
use
one
tool,
but
rather
to
produce
professionals
who
can
lead
in
a
world
where
technology
will
constantly
change
and
prove
essential
for
competent
representation.
Firms
should
continually
educate
their
employees
through
clear
policies,
practical
training,
and
an
environment
that
fosters
openness
to
exploration
and
experimentation.
At
VAILL,
we
are
committed
to
equipping
students
not
just
to
survive
in
an
AI-enabled
profession,
but
to
shape
it.
And
for
those
already
in
practice,
the
lesson
is
clear:
be
open
to
learning
from
the
newest
members
of
your teams.
Their
AI
literacy
will
help
your
firm
navigate
the
changes
ahead.
T.
Kyle
Turner
is
the Assistant
Director
of Emerging
Technology
and
Digital
Initiatives
at
Vanderbilt
Law
School,
where
he
is
a
member
of
the
Vanderbilt
Artificial
Intelligence
Law
Lab
(VAILL).
His
work
focuses
on
legal
technology,
AI
literacy,
and
preparing
students
and
practitioners
to
engage
with
AI ethically and effectively.