The rapid emergence and integration of generative AI technologies into legal practice is reshaping the landscape oflegal education.

In this presentation, Professor Nick James, Dean of Law at Bond University, critically examines the impact of generative AI on the education of future lawyers, focusing on whatlaw students are taught—both in terms of substantive legal knowledge and practical legal skills—and how they are taught and assessed.

Generative AI tools offer significant benefits for legal education, including enhanced access to legal information, personalised learning experiences, and new opportunitiesfor skill development through simulation and feedback. However, these technologies also pose challenges that demand urgent attention: risks to academic integrity, potential erosion of critical thinking and legal reasoningskills, and the need to recalibrate assessment methods to ensure meaningful evaluation of student learning.

Professor James was speaking at a Bond University Faculty of Law Twilight Seminar.