The University of Chicago Law School is mandating laptop-free classrooms for first-year students to prioritize independent critical thinking as generative artificial intelligence reshapes modern legal education and professional standards.

Key Points

• First-year law students must keep laptops closed during class to foster foundational reasoning skills without digital assistance.
• The school is implementing in-person proctored exams and oral defenses for research papers to ensure academic integrity.
• Curriculum updates include integrating legal AI tools like Harvey and Legora into specialized writing and technology courses.
• This policy shift follows reports of widespread AI-assisted cheating scandals at institutions including Brown University and Harvard.
• Administrators aim to balance traditional independent learning with the practical necessity of using AI in future legal careers.

Why it Matters

This shift reflects a growing trend among elite universities to move away from take-home assignments that are increasingly vulnerable to AI-assisted academic dishonesty. By mandating foundational skill development before introducing AI tools, the school aims to prepare students for a legal industry that demands both rigorous independent reasoning and technical proficiency.