NEW YORK, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Practising Law Institute (PLI), the leading nonprofit learning organization for legal professionals, is launching AI Competence and Law Practice for Law Students, a free 12-module asynchronous course developed in collaboration with Professor Daniel W. Linna Jr. and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. The course is available at no cost to law schools across the country.
Led by Professor Linna, Professor of Instruction in Law and Computer Science and Director of Law and Technology Initiatives, jointly appointed at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and the McCormick School of Engineering, the program gives students a functional understanding of AI technologies generally and in legal settings. It teaches them how to evaluate AI tools and AI-assisted work, how to apply ethical and professional standards and human judgement to AI use, and how to think strategically about integrating AI into their future workflows and careers.
Designed for incorporation into law school curricula or as co-curricular training, the program equips law students with the practical knowledge and professional judgment needed to navigate the growing role of AI in legal practice. The course treats AI as a component of competent practice rather than a standalone technology topic, with an emphasis on helping students develop the competencies needed to use AI tools responsibly while maintaining the professional judgment at the core of legal practice.
Topics include how generative AI and AI agents work, professional responsibility considerations, legal AI use cases, prompting and context engineering, AI use by judges, access to justice, and innovation in legal services. Participants will also learn practical approaches to verifying AI-generated content, designing supervised AI workflows, and managing risks associated with AI-assisted legal work.
The program updates a course created last year by PLI and Professor Linna, AI in Law Practice for Summer Associates, which was also available to law schools and students at no cost and was incorporated into Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s legal writing program.
“The legal profession is undergoing a profound transformation, and today's law students need to understand how to work effectively with AI while maintaining the professional and ethical standards that define excellent lawyering," says Professor Linna, who chairs PLI’s popular AI in Law Practice CLE program, now in its third year. "Our goal is to help students build practical AI competence that will serve them throughout law school and their careers, while also exploring how these tools can improve legal services, strengthen access to justice, and deliver better outcomes for clients."
The course, available on demand in August, is adaptable for 1L orientation, legal writing programs, clinics, externships, professional responsibility courses, and other law school offerings. An individual student version will also be available.
“We’re pleased to collaborate with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law on this program, which reflects PLI’s commitment to preparing lawyers for a profession that is being rapidly reshaped by technology,” says PLI Chief Content Officer Kara O’Brien. “By making this training available to law schools and students at no cost, we are helping to ensure that emerging attorneys understand both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with the use of AI in legal work.”
PLI Resources for Law Schools and Students
AI Competence and Law Practice for Law Students complements PLI’s broad portfolio of resources designed to support legal education and professional readiness, including the new AI Ready Lawyer: A Competency Framework for the AI Era, an industry-first guide for learning, policy, and day-to-day practice, as well as programs, videos, a podcast, and pro bono training.
About Practising Law Institute (PLI)
Founded in 1933, Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI provides accredited continuing legal and professional education programs delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty, including top experts across practice areas. Additionally, PLI publishes a comprehensive library of treatises, course handbooks, answer books, and journals, also available through the PLI PLUS online platform and app. The essence of PLI’s mission is a commitment to the access to justice community. Based in New York, PLI also has an office and Conference Center in San Francisco. Visit www.pli.edu to learn more.
Contact:
Carroll Rudman, Infinite Global
+1 646 330 4512
carroll.rudman@infiniteglobal.com
