Episode Overview

In this wide‑ranging and energizing conversation, Dean Lou Mulligan joins hosts Daniel Gold and Brandon Mack to explore the evolving landscape of legal education, the role of technology in modern practice, and the values that must anchor the next generation of attorneys. Drawing from a career that spans clerking on the Tenth Circuit, briefing U.S. Supreme Court cases, leading major MDLs, and now steering UMKC Law, Dean Mulligan offers a candid look at how law schools are adapting to e‑discovery, AI, and shifting professional expectations.

The episode examines why e‑discovery education remains uneven across the country, how AI is reshaping both pedagogy and access to justice, and why discernment, compassion, and professionalism remain irreplaceable—even in an era of rapid automation. Throughout, Dean Mulligan emphasizes the mission‑driven nature of today’s students and the profound responsibility legal educators share in preparing them for a profession undergoing historic transformation.

• E‑discovery is moving from niche to core: Stronger law schools increasingly treat e‑discovery as part of the essential civil‑litigation track, though national adoption remains “uneven and evolving” .

• AI is transforming legal education and access to justice: UMKC now offers 28 courses with meaningful AI components and is building tools for pro se litigants, including eviction and expungement assistance.

• Human judgment remains the lawyer’s irreplaceable value: Even as AI accelerates research, lawyers must still “read the statute… read the relevant cases… [and] bring judgment, professionalism, compassion” .

• Integrate AI responsibly: Use AI for efficiency, but always verify primary sources, Shepardize, and apply legal judgment before relying on outputs.

• Expand access to justice: Consider how AI tools can help underserved populations navigate routine legal processes.

• Advise students and junior attorneys intentionally: Tailor training to their intended practice areas—litigation, transactional, regulatory—rather than assuming a one‑size‑fits‑all technology curriculum.

00:00 – Welcome & Episode Introduction01:30 – UMKC Law’s Partnership with NELI02:37 – Dean Mulligan’s Personal and Professional Journey04:10 – From Clerkships to Academia to Deanship05:14 – The Purpose and Impact of Legal Education07:25 – How Law Schools Teach (or Don’t Teach) e‑Discovery08:15 – National Landscape: Uneven but Evolving09:13 – E‑Discovery as Core Litigation Curriculum10:30 – Teaching Technology Tools in Law School11:18 – Competency, Professional Identity & the ABA’s Role14:01 – Why Not All Students Need Deep E‑Discovery Training16:11 – Advising Students Toward Their Career Paths17:12 – AI’s Growing Role in Legal Education18:33 – National Trends: Courses, Credentials & Equity19:35 – UMKC’s 28 AI‑Integrated Courses20:33 – AI in Clinics & Experiential Learning21:23 – Challenges of Curriculum Agility22:16 – CLE Programming & AI Weekends23:04 – Providing Every Student a Legal AI Tool23:53 – AI Tools for Pro Se Litigants (Eviction & Expungement)24:42 – AI as an Equity Engine25:31 – Cognitive Skills, Research Habits & AI Limitations28:20 – Teaching Students to Verify AI Outputs30:03 – AI, Billing Models & the Future of Legal Work32:34 – AI as Market Expansion for Legal Services34:27 – Access to Justice & Strengthening Rule of Law35:36 – What Excites Dean Mulligan About the Next Generation38:10 – The Enduring Importance of Judgment & Compassion39:40 – AI as the Great Equalizer in Legal Access41:21 – Law as a Human Service Profession43:24 – Closing Reflections & Invitation to NELI Conference

Compelling Quote

“At the end of the day, law is a human profession… providing services to humans. And all those folks have ends and have value and have children and wants and dreams.” — Dean Lou Mulligan