AI @ CLS: Columbia Law School’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative

Artificial intelligence is changing what it means to study and practice law. As AI tools become increasingly embedded into lawyers’ day-to-day work, law students need to develop not only fluency with these emerging technologies, but also the capacity to deploy them responsibly and in service of society at large.

Columbia Law School is meeting this transformative moment. AI @ CLS: Columbia Law School’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative, takes a multifaceted approach to AI—equipping students with foundational knowledge, advancing field-defining research, and tackling the profound questions that will define our collective future.

The initiative is grounded in the essential values that constitute the Law School’s unique purpose: open inquiry, academic excellence, and a commitment to preparing students for a rapidly evolving profession. It also builds on the Law School’s leadership at some of history’s most critical inflection points.

“One thing that distinguishes Columbia Law School is our commitment not only to teach students how to think, but also to prepare them for the future,” said Daniel Abebe, Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law. “AI presents an extraordinary opportunity to bridge our proud tradition of rigorous, theoretical education with the realities of modern legal practice—to create an environment where students can explore these new tools while developing the judgment, critical thinking, and sense of responsibility to use them well. And, as a law school, we are uniquely positioned to tackle the profound questions AI raises for law, institutions, and society.”