Back to the roots: rethinking legal education in the age of artificial intelligence

Large language models and advanced AI tools are transforming legal education, prompting a strategic reassessment of teaching methodologies and assessment practices. While these technologies enhance legal research and drafting, their rapid adoption underscores the need to refocus legal training on core human competencies. This article argues that AI integration reinforces, rather than diminishes, the need for human expertise in teaching essential skills such as ethical judgement, critical thinking and interpersonal communication. Experiential learning methods, including courtroom observations, mock trials and structured practice exercises, play a crucial role in equipping students with hands-on capabilities that technology cannot replicate. By leveraging AI’s strengths while simultaneously strengthening human-centred legal training, legal education can continue to produce highly skilled and ethically grounded professionals capable of navigating an evolving legal landscape.