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How Top Law Schools Are Teaching Legal Technology

Technology influences nearly every aspect of our lives. For lawyers, it’s ever more important to understand how legal technologies shape the legal process.
According to an IDC report, the digital universe doubles every two years. Law schools have been quick to implement innovative programs and curriculums that teach technology to their students.
Law Schools Offering a Number of Legal Tech Opportunities 
At Stanford Law School’s CodeX, lawyers and technologists can collaborate in advancing legal technology through research.
“CodeX‘s emphasis is on the research and development of computational law — the branch of legal informatics concerned with the automation and mechanization of legal analysis,” Stanford Law’s website reads.
Students at Stanford Law can also participate in CodeX courses. Currently the latest course is on “Legal Informatics,” where students learn about managing information and how technology influences legal informatics.

At Harvard Law School, the Law, Science, and Technology Program focuses on the intersection of the three fields and how law influences each one. Through the program, students can learn about fields such as Intellectual Property Law, Health Law, Internet Law, and Technology & Civil Liberties. In addition to courses, the program also offers clinics for hands-on learning, such as the Cyberlaw Clinic.
“Harvard Law School‘s Cyberlaw Clinic, based at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, provides high-quality, pro-bono legal services to appropriate clients on issues relating to the Internet, new technology, and intellectual property,” the clinic’s website reads.
“Georgetown Law’s Iron Tech Lawyer is a competition where student teams can showcase apps build in Georgetown’s Technology Innovation and Law Practice practicum. Students present their apps to a panel of judges and are awarded prizes for Excellence in Design, Excellence in Presentation, and the All Around Best App: Iron Tech Lawyer,” according to Georgetown Law’s website.
Mary Juetten, a professional accountant who holds a JD from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, stresses in an Above The Law piece the importance of teaching technology in law schools.
“Just as we embrace technology in our everyday lives, we need to include it throughout our legal education to prepare attorneys to work with clients,” Juetten writes. “Every client will expect their attorney to use the latest technology within their practice, plus understand the legal implications of the latest innovations in science and technology. Both are critical to the survival of the profession.”
Sources: Above The Law, Stanford Law, IDC, Harvard Law, Georgetown Law