CWRU law student’s AI innovation leads to summit invitation

Being first has its benefits.

Take, for instance, how Case Western Reserve University School of Law became the first in the country to mandate artificial intelligence into its first-year curriculum, and then taking it a step further by requiring every 1L student to design and build a legal technology solution.

“Making these exercises part of every first-year student’s education gives them another early opportunity to practice essential skills and develop informed judgment about the technology that is changing legal practice,” said Matt Salerno, associate professor of lawyering skills and co-director of the Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy and Professionalism program.

That’s how second-year CWRU law student Jamie Werner landed himself an invitation to the Thomson Reuters-Wickard Judicial AI Summit on Courts, Technology and the Future of Justice.  

Werner, who was among the first law students completing the required AI training at the School of Law last year, developed a platform that enables lawyers to track local court rules and judges’ standing orders while also providing background information about judges, including recent opinions and professional biographies. His creation caught the attention of Oliver Roberts, founder and CEO of Wickard.ai—a legal AI education, training and consulting company that partnered with CWRU School of Law to develop its cutting-edge curriculum.

Roberts invited Werner to the invitation-only summit, which took place in New York City in October. Werner joined judges, academics, government officials, and legal technology leaders for a national discussion on AI and the court system.

“We launched this summit to have a practical discussion about how AI is affecting the courts and how the judiciary can respond responsibly,” said Roberts. 
For Werner, the summit underscored the importance of preparing the legal profession for a technology that is rapidly reshaping legal practice.

“The genie is out of the bottle,” he said. “AI use will only increase as the technology improves, and judges should familiarize themselves with the technology even if they’re not using it in their own workflows. It was great to be part of such a meaningful conversation about how our judges can best prepare to meet the challenges of this emerging technology and prepare for the future of the justice system.”

The summit also highlighted the key role that law schools play in preparing students to enter an AI-enabled profession.

“Law schools play an important role by preparing future lawyers to use AI thoughtfully, ethically and effectively,” said Jennifer Cupar, the law school’s associate dean for academic affairs, who also attended the summit. “They help them develop the critical judgment necessary to ensure that these technologies strengthen the administration of justice.”