Law Schools
Students say law school isn’t prepping them to use AI in practice, new survey shows
Just 30% of third-year law students think that their school is preparing them for artificial intelligence in practice, leaving 70% of soon-to-be bar candidates to learn best practices for the emerging technology on their own. (Image from Shutterstock)
Just 30% of third-year law students think that their school is preparing them for artificial intelligence in practice, leaving 70% of soon-to-be bar candidates to learn best practices for the emerging technology on their own.
That’s according to the results of the Thomson Reuters Institute’s 2026 Law Student Pulse Survey of 1,874 U.S. law students between April 6 and April 19.
Just less than half, or 48%, stated that AI policies vary by professor, and that the law schools offer no coherent signals on expectations or about what use is responsible or permissible. Additionally, 15% of law students said there is no curriculum integration whatsoever across their institution.
About one-third, or 32%, of students surveyed either disagreed or strongly disagreed that their school gives them the AI skills needed for their future career.
While three of four law students agreed that learning AI is an essential professional skill, 74% agreed that overreliance on AI will cause students to struggle to develop critical legal skills.
“Holding both of these nuanced views simultaneously is the kind of professional judgment the legal profession and law schools should foster, especially as AI becomes a larger part of legal practice,” according to the survey.
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