Setting the bar: CWRU leads the way in AI education for future lawyers

The next generation of lawyers will practice in a world where AI is as essential as legal research—and Case Western Reserve University School of Law is one of the first law schools making sure students are ready for it.

Law practitioners, regardless of their area of expertise, will need to understand the practical and ethical applications of AI in their field. That’s why, starting earlier this year, every CWRU law student is now required to take comprehensive generative AI training during their first year.

The “Introduction to AI and the Law” program—created in collaboration with Wickard.ai—gives students a foundational understanding of AI and its growing role in the legal field. Through practical experience with AI-driven legal tools, students explore emerging regulations, ethical issues and the future trajectory of legal technology.

The new required program is one of the reasons The National Jurist recently highlighted Case Western Reserve University School of Law as a leading innovator in legal education. It’s just one of many ways CWRU is evolving with AI across campus.

Matthew Salerno, associate professor of lawyering skills and co-director of the Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy and Professionalism (LLEAP) program at the School of Law, says the goal is to help students understand how to use AI responsibly as they develop in their legal careers.

It’s been well-received so far. 

“The students are responding with enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity,” Salerno said. “They’re getting training that they weren’t getting just a few years ago, and they’re embracing the challenges of using AI as a helpful resource—not as a replacement for critical thinking and important legal skills.”

Aabid Shivji, a second-year student who took the training earlier this year as part of a legal writing course, said he learned both the advantages and shortcomings of using AI in the law. 

“It felt more like learning a practical job tool than doctrinal content, so it complimented the LLEAP curriculum quite nicely,” he explained, noting he’s already applied some of these skills at an externship to help with legal research.

Some schools—such as Mississippi College School of Law and Quinnipiac School of Law—have followed CWRU’s lead by adding a mandatory AI certification program for first year law students. Others, including Suffolk University, Washington University in St. Louis and University of San Francisco, have embedded AI instruction into required courses like legal writing and research.

This is only the beginning, as far as Salerno is concerned. 

“I’m proud that our law school was the first to require certified AI training for our first-year students,” he said. “Other schools are starting to do similar things, so I think you will see even more use of AI in the law school curriculum.”