Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Law professors still do most teaching and advising by hand, but AI tools are starting to help with routine tasks. For example, software can auto-grade multiple-choice quizzes or keep digital gradebooks, and chatbots or language models (like GPT) can draft lesson ideas or sample test questions ^{[1] [2]}. Studies find professors often use AI to help plan courses or create exercises – one report saw 57% of AI chats by educators focused on coursework design and 7% on grading ^[2].

Research shows generative AI can save teachers time writing handouts or quizzes ^[3]. In law classes specifically, some teachers experiment with AI for writing exercises or mock trials ^[4]. But many core duties still need a person’s judgment.

Picking textbooks, advising students, leading committees and doing research all need human insight. Experts note that AI tools often make mistakes or miss context ^{[3] [4]}, so professors stay involved. In short, AI is being used as a helper for chores like grading or planning, but it typically augments rather than replaces the real teacher.

AI is spreading in education but slowly, for good reasons. Many colleges now let faculty try free tools like ChatGPT, and surveys show educators are curious – one found 81% are at least cautiously excited about AI ^[5]. In K–12 teaching, for example, 6 in 10 teachers used AI tools and said they saved about six hours weekly ^[1].

But law schools move carefully. Budget and costs matter: universities must balance buying new software or subscriptions against teacher salaries. So far only a few campuses measure return on investment for AI ^[5].

Ethical and practical concerns also slow adoption. Educators worry about data privacy, cheating, or AI giving wrong answers ^{[5] [4]}. For instance, in one study, nearly half of AI-based grading chats handed all scoring to the bot – a step many found “concerning” ^[2].

Overall, AI excels at routine tasks like paperwork or drafting materials, which can free up teachers to do what people do best – like mentoring students, discussing ideas in class, and handling complex issues with care. These human skills – judgment, creativity, empathy – remain valuable even as AI tools grow more common ^{[3] [4]}.