{"id":142359,"date":"2026-01-21T17:45:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T01:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/01\/21\/genai-courses-in-law-school-a-good-idea\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T17:45:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T01:45:31","slug":"genai-courses-in-law-school-a-good-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/01\/21\/genai-courses-in-law-school-a-good-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"GenAI Courses In Law School: A Good Idea"},"content":{"rendered":"

Legal training has long followed a guild system: law schools teach doctrine, then new lawyers learn to practice by working alongside experienced attorneys. This apprenticeship model may have worked well decades ago, but it\u2019s increasingly problematic today. And it particularly doesn\u2019t work well when it comes to GenAI since all too often younger lawyers know more about the tools than more experienced lawyers. But they lack the experience and critical thinking skills to use them effectively in the practice, as I have discussed<\/a>. That leaves a significant knowledge and training gap.<\/p>\n

The Cleveland State-AltaClaro Announcement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Which is why a recent joint announcement by Cleveland State University Law School<\/a> and AltaClaro<\/a> \u2014 an online, hands-on legal training provider \u2014 is significant.<\/p>\n

Together, they are now offering a course to law students at CSU entitled Fundamentals of Prompt Engineering for Lawyers<\/a>. According to the press release<\/a> announcing the course, it will be offered as an extracurricular program to CSU law students and will run three times during the academic year. Reflecting the desire and interest in such a course, within the first week of the announcement, over 130 students signed up, according to the release.<\/p>\n

As stated in the press release, \u201cThe curriculum focuses on practical techniques for working with generative AI tools, understanding AI\u2019s limitations in legal practice, and embedding verification and professional judgment into AI-assisted legal workflows.\u201d Students who complete the course will receive a certificate that they can use on their resumes and on social media.<\/p>\n

Recognizing the need for such a class, Brian Ray, Co-Interim Dean at CSU College of Law, is quoted in the release: \u201cProviding this course to our students represents the cornerstone of a broader strategy to integrate responsible and effective generative AI training into our legal education curriculum. Our goal is for employers to know that CSU|LAW graduates are entering the profession prepared to use these powerful tools thoughtfully, ethically, and competently.\u201d<\/p>\n

AltaClaro\u2019s Approach<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

AltaClaro and its training programs are unique in many ways. They combine the need to learn from life-like simulations with feedback from experienced attorneys skilled at training. AltaClaro\u2019s courses adopt a three-step approach: providing the foundational knowledge, hands-on practice sessions and then, perhaps most importantly, an interactive review with the experts and each other. The instructors are carefully vetted before they are selected. They must be currently practicing and have practiced for 10 years with an Am Law 100 firm. They are put through a mock training session and must get high ratings from the participants to qualify.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not the only thing unique about what AltaClaro is doing. In addition to its regular training programs for young lawyers, it has gone all in with training on how to use and not to use GenAI tools.<\/p>\n

As I have discussed<\/a> before, it is just this sort of training that is so needed as the profession confronts the brave new GenAI world where younger lawyers know the tools but not necessarily how to use them effectively. And older lawyers know how to practice but often little about these potentially transformative tools.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a problematic gap generally but particularly one when your training program is based on an outmoded catch-as-catch-can guild system. The danger is you end up with young lawyers using the tool without employing critical thinking and get results that look and sound good, but which really aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Closing the Gap<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recognizing this very gap, AltaClaro offers three different courses, prompt engineering for lawyers, prompt engineering for legal professionals, and a GenAI supervisory course for partners, according to its website. I wrote about<\/a> AltaClaro back in 2023 when it first announced its prompt engineering training program for law firms. At the time and perhaps even today, the program is unique in that it combines not only instruction but hands-on training and feedback, which is sorely needed to master GenAI.<\/p>\n

I wrote about<\/a> AltaClaro again in 2024 when it announced its GenAI program for supervising partners. Once again, the program was unique in that it targeted more experienced lawyers to help them oversee those in their teams who are no doubt using GenAI tools. The program was developed in conjunction with the law firm K&L Gates. At the time, I noted how rare it was for law firms to recognize the need to train their partners how to supervise and lead teams not just in the use of GenAI but generally.<\/p>\n

With the Cleveland State announcement, AltaClaro is at it again, this time at the other end of the spectrum: helping law students master GenAI skills before they get out in the real world. It\u2019s important because it will give students an advantage in a job market where firms are actively looking for young lawyers who know something about how to actually use the tools. If nothing else, it saves them training time.<\/p>\n

And in many firms, supervising lawyers may not have a clue themselves and certainly have no formal training programs. That leaves it to younger lawyers to figure it out as they go. That\u2019s not healthy, and as we have seen from all the citations to nonexistent cases or those which contain inaccuracies, downright dangerous. So, it makes absolute sense to offer such a program.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n

As expected, the initiative raises important questions about implementation, scope, and potential unintended consequences.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, there\u2019s a commitment question since the course is an extracurricular one. Given the potential fundamental impact of GenAI, shouldn\u2019t it be a mandatory, for-credit course instead of just optional? The optional status suggests that GenAI competency is a nice-to-have rather than essential. That\u2019s a problem when ethical rules require GenAI competency.<\/p>\n

And will the course be long enough to impart the kind of skill and knowledge needed? Moreover, effective use of GenAI skills requires critical thinking skills, as I have discussed<\/a>. Will the course help students develop these skills? Will it teach students to think like lawyers and not just like an LLM?<\/p>\n

And there is the reliance factor. Firms may see the certificate and think the holder knows all there is to know about GenAI and conclude no further training is necessary. It\u2019s already bad enough when older lawyers presume that just because a lawyer is younger, they somehow have all the tech skills needed. Now firms can point to someone with an honest to goodness certificate confirming that misplaced assumption.<\/p>\n

A Start<\/strong><\/p>\n

But given all that, the course is a start. It\u2019s a recognition on the part of the law school of the need for training in a tremendously important area that, for better or worse, is remaking the profession. CSU is joining a group of law schools like Vanderbilt, Suffolk, and others who recognize their responsibility to students and, for that matter, to the profession to deal with the realities of GenAI in a systematic way.<\/p>\n

As for AltaClaro, I have never taken one of their courses and can\u2019t vouch for how good they are. But the concept is sound: training by doing and using experts not only to talk but to show and guide in actual simulations. As cofounder Abdi Shayesteh<\/a>, once told me, \u201cYou can\u2019t learn to swim by watching videos.\u201d<\/p>\n

AltaClaro\u2019s approach to legal training is refreshing and its recognition of the need for GenAI training is not only noteworthy, but also of critical importance. GenAI is not going away and, as we see over and over as courts sanction lawyers for inappropriate use, understanding it and how to use it are fundamental to today\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n

The time has come for systematic GenAI training in law schools. The question isn\u2019t whether law schools should offer these courses, it\u2019s whether they can afford to not only offer them but to make them mandatory.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The post GenAI Courses In Law School: A Good Idea<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Legal training has long followed a guild system: law schools teach doctrine, then new lawyers learn to practice by working alongside experienced attorneys. This apprenticeship model may have worked well decades ago, but it\u2019s increasingly problematic today. And it particularly doesn\u2019t work well when it comes to GenAI since all too often younger lawyers know more about the tools than more experienced lawyers. But they lack the experience and critical thinking skills to use them effectively in the practice, as I have discussed<\/a>. That leaves a significant knowledge and training gap.<\/p>\n

The Cleveland State-AltaClaro Announcement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Which is why a recent joint announcement by Cleveland State University Law School<\/a> and AltaClaro<\/a> \u2014 an online, hands-on legal training provider \u2014 is significant.<\/p>\n

Together, they are now offering a course to law students at CSU entitled Fundamentals of Prompt Engineering for Lawyers<\/a>. According to the press release<\/a> announcing the course, it will be offered as an extracurricular program to CSU law students and will run three times during the academic year. Reflecting the desire and interest in such a course, within the first week of the announcement, over 130 students signed up, according to the release.<\/p>\n

As stated in the press release, \u201cThe curriculum focuses on practical techniques for working with generative AI tools, understanding AI\u2019s limitations in legal practice, and embedding verification and professional judgment into AI-assisted legal workflows.\u201d Students who complete the course will receive a certificate that they can use on their resumes and on social media.<\/p>\n

Recognizing the need for such a class, Brian Ray, Co-Interim Dean at CSU College of Law, is quoted in the release: \u201cProviding this course to our students represents the cornerstone of a broader strategy to integrate responsible and effective generative AI training into our legal education curriculum. Our goal is for employers to know that CSU|LAW graduates are entering the profession prepared to use these powerful tools thoughtfully, ethically, and competently.\u201d<\/p>\n

AltaClaro\u2019s Approach<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

AltaClaro and its training programs are unique in many ways. They combine the need to learn from life-like simulations with feedback from experienced attorneys skilled at training. AltaClaro\u2019s courses adopt a three-step approach: providing the foundational knowledge, hands-on practice sessions and then, perhaps most importantly, an interactive review with the experts and each other. The instructors are carefully vetted before they are selected. They must be currently practicing and have practiced for 10 years with an Am Law 100 firm. They are put through a mock training session and must get high ratings from the participants to qualify.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not the only thing unique about what AltaClaro is doing. In addition to its regular training programs for young lawyers, it has gone all in with training on how to use and not to use GenAI tools.<\/p>\n

As I have discussed<\/a> before, it is just this sort of training that is so needed as the profession confronts the brave new GenAI world where younger lawyers know the tools but not necessarily how to use them effectively. And older lawyers know how to practice but often little about these potentially transformative tools.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a problematic gap generally but particularly one when your training program is based on an outmoded catch-as-catch-can guild system. The danger is you end up with young lawyers using the tool without employing critical thinking and get results that look and sound good, but which really aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Closing the Gap<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recognizing this very gap, AltaClaro offers three different courses, prompt engineering for lawyers, prompt engineering for legal professionals, and a GenAI supervisory course for partners, according to its website. I wrote about<\/a> AltaClaro back in 2023 when it first announced its prompt engineering training program for law firms. At the time and perhaps even today, the program is unique in that it combines not only instruction but hands-on training and feedback, which is sorely needed to master GenAI.<\/p>\n

I wrote about<\/a> AltaClaro again in 2024 when it announced its GenAI program for supervising partners. Once again, the program was unique in that it targeted more experienced lawyers to help them oversee those in their teams who are no doubt using GenAI tools. The program was developed in conjunction with the law firm K&L Gates. At the time, I noted how rare it was for law firms to recognize the need to train their partners how to supervise and lead teams not just in the use of GenAI but generally.<\/p>\n

With the Cleveland State announcement, AltaClaro is at it again, this time at the other end of the spectrum: helping law students master GenAI skills before they get out in the real world. It\u2019s important because it will give students an advantage in a job market where firms are actively looking for young lawyers who know something about how to actually use the tools. If nothing else, it saves them training time.<\/p>\n

And in many firms, supervising lawyers may not have a clue themselves and certainly have no formal training programs. That leaves it to younger lawyers to figure it out as they go. That\u2019s not healthy, and as we have seen from all the citations to nonexistent cases or those which contain inaccuracies, downright dangerous. So, it makes absolute sense to offer such a program.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n

As expected, the initiative raises important questions about implementation, scope, and potential unintended consequences.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, there\u2019s a commitment question since the course is an extracurricular one. Given the potential fundamental impact of GenAI, shouldn\u2019t it be a mandatory, for-credit course instead of just optional? The optional status suggests that GenAI competency is a nice-to-have rather than essential. That\u2019s a problem when ethical rules require GenAI competency.<\/p>\n

And will the course be long enough to impart the kind of skill and knowledge needed? Moreover, effective use of GenAI skills requires critical thinking skills, as I have discussed<\/a>. Will the course help students develop these skills? Will it teach students to think like lawyers and not just like an LLM?<\/p>\n

And there is the reliance factor. Firms may see the certificate and think the holder knows all there is to know about GenAI and conclude no further training is necessary. It\u2019s already bad enough when older lawyers presume that just because a lawyer is younger, they somehow have all the tech skills needed. Now firms can point to someone with an honest to goodness certificate confirming that misplaced assumption.<\/p>\n

A Start<\/strong><\/p>\n

But given all that, the course is a start. It\u2019s a recognition on the part of the law school of the need for training in a tremendously important area that, for better or worse, is remaking the profession. CSU is joining a group of law schools like Vanderbilt, Suffolk, and others who recognize their responsibility to students and, for that matter, to the profession to deal with the realities of GenAI in a systematic way.<\/p>\n

As for AltaClaro, I have never taken one of their courses and can\u2019t vouch for how good they are. But the concept is sound: training by doing and using experts not only to talk but to show and guide in actual simulations. As cofounder Abdi Shayesteh<\/a>, once told me, \u201cYou can\u2019t learn to swim by watching videos.\u201d<\/p>\n

AltaClaro\u2019s approach to legal training is refreshing and its recognition of the need for GenAI training is not only noteworthy, but also of critical importance. GenAI is not going away and, as we see over and over as courts sanction lawyers for inappropriate use, understanding it and how to use it are fundamental to today\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n

The time has come for systematic GenAI training in law schools. The question isn\u2019t whether law schools should offer these courses, it\u2019s whether they can afford to not only offer them but to make them mandatory.<\/p>\n

\n

Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes\u00a0TechLaw Crossroads<\/a>, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The post GenAI Courses In Law School: A Good Idea<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Legal training has long followed a guild system: law schools teach doctrine, then new lawyers learn to practice by working alongside experienced attorneys. This apprenticeship model may have worked well decades ago, but it\u2019s increasingly problematic today. And it particularly doesn\u2019t work well when it comes to GenAI since all too often younger lawyers know […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142359\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}