US law schools restrict AI use and devices in some classes

In short: Some US law schools are tightening rules on generative AI and classroom devices to limit shortcuts and push students to do more of the thinking themselves.

What happened

Several US law schools are changing how students can use generative AI, which is the kind of AI that can write text and suggest ideas (like a fast auto writer). The goal is to stop students from leaning on tools in ways that schools say can weaken learning.

The University of Chicago Law School says it will ban phones, tablets, and laptops in core first-year classes. The school says this is meant to prevent “technology shortcuts” that “stunt intellectual growth.” It still plans to teach students to work with AI in other settings, including for brainstorming and studying outside class, and in clinics and courses that focus on AI.

The University of California, Berkeley, School of Law has adopted a stricter policy for graded work. It bans students from using generative AI to help with “conceptualizing, outlining, drafting, revising, translating, or editing” anything submitted for credit, though individual professors may have some discretion. Berkeley’s dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, said the default should be that a student’s work is not the work of an AI system.

Why it matters

Law schools are trying to solve a practical problem. AI can make writing and research faster, but school is where students build skills and judgment. It is like learning to drive. If the car does too much for you too soon, you may arrive faster, but you may not learn what to do when something goes wrong.

Source: Financial Times