Steve Lorteau (University of Ottawa – Common Law Section) and Douglas Sarro (same) have posted “Artificial Intelligence in Legal Education: A Scoping Review” (The Law Teacher, forthcoming) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
There is a lack of consolidated knowledge regarding the potential, best practices, and limitations associated with artificial intelligence (AI) in legal education. This review synthesises 82 academic works published between January 2020 and April 2025 originating from 26 jurisdictions. Our review yields four main themes: First, current empirical evidence suggests that AI tools (e.g., large language models, chatbots) alone have so far performed below average on law school evaluations, though detailed prompts can substantially improve outputs. Second, the literature provides concrete use cases for AI tools as teaching aids, facilitators of interactive exercises, legal writing aids, and skill development. Third, the literature highlights the risks of passive reliance on AI and diverse perspectives over appropriate AI use. Fourth, the literature suggests that AI will make legal educational content more accessible but perhaps also less transparent and more formalistic. These themes underscore the importance of evidence-based approaches to AI integration in legal education.