Having a JD does a lot of heavy lifting, but if you’re a student who wants to have a little extra distinction on your resume, it makes sense to tack on a certificate. Tax, corporate, and business law are the traditional options, but as law schools rush to incorporate AI into the learning experience, it was only a matter of time before law schools started offering certificates in AI. If the AI bubble pops soon, that certificate will probably be as valuable as a Master’s in Metaverse studies. If AI somehow manages to overcomes the billions in operating costs with no real hope of near-future profits, Boston University law students who earned their AI cert will be in high demand. eWeek has coverage:
Boston University School of Law is preparing to launch an AI certificate program in fall 2026 as part of a broader initiative aimed at training future lawyers in the ethical and effective use of AI technologies.
The initiative reflects a growing recognition within legal education that AI is becoming deeply embedded in legal research, writing, and practice. Law school administrators say the program is designed not only to familiarize students with emerging tools, but also to address the ethical and professional challenges that accompany them.
Quick help on an ethical challenge that AI presents: if a widely accessible AI program gives you the ability to strip down images of women and children without their consent on a global platform, don’t. Hope that was helpful!
One of the classes will focus on client confidentiality. You’d think it would be a no-brainer to keep confidential information away from the cull-any-and-all-information machine, but if the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency was dumb enough to upload secret information to ChatGPT, you can’t be too safe with the next generation of lawyers. Another high priority on the list should be lessons on authorship and proper citation. Balancing using AI to assist the writing process and vigilance over whenever “hallucinations” pop up isn’t as easy as you may think — we’ve written a bunch of articles showing otherwise. Some of the stories ripe for study include calling out judges for lazily using AI, attorneys getting caught lazily using AI, and that same attorney apologizing for their poor lawyering with over-the-top purple prose.
As nice as it is to have the certificate up your sleeve, remember that the software won’t be on the line if error tanks the strength of your briefs. You are. Whether you use AI or Quimbee or 2017 Torts outline.doc to help you through your classes, at some point you’ll have to rely on your own skills and know how to get the job done. Be prepared.
Boston University School of Law to Launch AI Certificate Program in Fall 2026 [eWeek]
Earlier: Judges Admit The Obvious, Concede AI Used For Hallucinated Opinions
Lawyer Cites AI Hallucinations, Responds With Pretentious Meditation On Nature Of Being
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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