A decision by the University of Chicago Law School to ban laptops and phones in first year classrooms has become a defining example of how deeply artificial intelligence (AI) has entered legal education.
The move is not an attempt to reject technology altogether. Instead, it reflects growing concern that future lawyers are becoming overly dependent on AI tools before mastering the fundamentals of legal reasoning, research and advocacy.
The school will continue teaching students how to use AI responsibly, but only after they have built core analytical skills without digital assistance.
Signals a Broader Shift
The development highlights a broader shift taking place across legal fraternities worldwide. Law schools, law firms and courts are rapidly embracing generative AI for drafting contracts, summarising case law, reviewing documents, conducting legal research and even preparing litigation strategies.
Tools such as Harvey, Legora and AI powered research platforms are becoming increasingly common in legal practice, promising significant gains in speed and efficiency.
Yet the rapid adoption has also exposed serious risks. Several lawyers in the United States and elsewhere have faced court sanctions after submitting filings containing fictitious cases generated by AI chatbots. These incidents have fuelled concerns about “hallucinations”, where AI confidently produces inaccurate legal information.