Developing Legal Tech Education within the Law School
Speaker(s)
Session Description
- This session will be offered as a panel, followed by interactive small-group work. Panelists will be faculty, IT administrators, and librarians from schools that have existing legal technology instruction that is either credit-bearing or non-credit bearing. Following an initial panel discussion, participants will work in small groups to develop roadmaps for creating opportunities for legal technology instruction in their own institutions.
This panel/workshop will explore existing efforts at multiple law schools to offer legal technology instruction with the goal of engaging and enabling our students to:
- Identify the potential disruptions on the horizon within the legal field.
- Recognize the opportunities emerging technologies will provide within the profession.
- Understand the increasing importance of technology to the practice of law.
- Possess an appreciation for the inherent ethical and social implications of these new technologies.
- Speak confidently to prospective employers about technology.
We will focus on the process and challenges of creating technology instruction within the law school environment, specifically with respect to:
- Organizing topics that are both relevant pedagogically and engaging topically.
- Attaining faculty buy-in and partnership.
- Marketing events to overworked students.
- Finding resources and partners from the community, including law school alumni.
- Identifying the specific technologies appropriate for exploration.
- Overcoming the challenges of badging and micro-credentials and employing creative incentives for participation.
- Providing hands-on experience with technology to teach concepts rather than mechanics.
What will your session accomplish and what will attendees walk away having learned?
Participants will learn:
- Models for developing both credit-bearing and non-credit-bearing legal technology offerings.
- How to identify and address obstacles and challenges in developing such offerings.
- How to identify stakeholders and enthusiastic partners interested in collaborating to create and innovate.
- How to generate roadmaps for producing successful programs focused on legal technology education.
Who should attend this session?
Anyone interested in developing new or enhancing existing legal technology instruction in the law school setting. It is ok not to know what you don't know. People who have a limited understanding of the "state of the art" are often not bound by the constraints of what is currently possible. All levels of technical skill are welcome; often political and administrative acumen is more valuable in realizing innovative initiatives. Anyone willing to contribute their practical knowledge navigating academia with the generosity to share is welcome and encouraged to participate.