Moritz roundtable examines how law schools can prepare students for AI
Second annual event brings together practitioners, industry leaders and faculty members to explore responsible AI use in legal practice
How should law schools prepare students to use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively in legal practice? That question guided the Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice, held May 15 at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
The event brought together 23 participants for a focused discussion on AI in legal education and practice, including industry representatives, law firm partners, directors of public interest law programs, government lawyers and Moritz faculty. More than 25 observers, including attorneys and faculty members, also attended.
The annual roundtable is part of Ohio State’s broader AI Fluency initiative, which prepares students across all disciplines to use AI effectively and ethically in their field of study.
As AI becomes more common in legal practice, speakers emphasized the importance of developing students’ judgment, reasoning and adaptability through hands-on experience with AI. While AI may make some aspects of legal work more efficient, students will still need strong foundations in legal reasoning and critical thinking to evaluate outputs and understand context.Additionally, many participants argued that law schools should help students become thoughtful users of technologies that are evolving quickly, rather than focusing on any single platform.
Adoption of AI also varies widely across the legal profession, noted participants. Lawyers from large firms described internal platforms, training programs and governance structures built to support AI use, while those at small firms and solo practitioners emphasized the need for practical, affordable tools that fit limited time and resources. For in-house counsel, the discussion turned to growing pressure to automate routine work without losing the legal and ethical judgment that still depends on human oversight.
“AI is rapidly reshaping the practice of law, and legal education must evolve just as quickly,” said Kent Barnett, dean of the Moritz College of Law. “At Moritz, our faculty are at the forefront of integrating AI into the curriculum while creating meaningful opportunities like the AI Fluency Roundtable for scholars and practitioners to engage thoughtfully with its implications and ensure they are prepared to lead in a changing legal landscape.”
Moritz faculty shared how they are already responding in the classroom, including efforts to integrate AI into legal writing, legal technology, intellectual property and experiential learning. They emphasized helping students understand both how these tools work and when they should and should not be used.
“There was a real willingness in the room to think seriously about how legal education needs to evolve alongside these technologies,” said event organizer Ric Simmons, associate dean for faculty and intellectual life and the Jacob E. Davis and Jacob E. Davis II Chair in Law. “Our job is not simply to introduce students to new tools, but to help them learn when to use them, when to question them and how to apply legal judgment alongside them.”