Professor of Law Emeritus William C. Banks spoke with the Wall Street Journal about the White House ballroom construction and national security issues surrounding the project. One issue is the amount of information being disclosed about the construction in ongoing litigation.
Banks said one open question was whether the administration was divulging actual operational plans or instead searching for a winning legal justification for the construction.
“If it’s accurate, I think it borders on irresponsible,” he said.
Banks was the Founding Director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT), now the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law (SPL). Under Banks’ leadership, INSCT/SPL grew from its inception in 2003 to become a recognized leader in interdisciplinary research and education on national and international security and terrorism.
Not everyone interested in pursuing a law degree lives in a large metropolitan area or near a bustling college town. In fact, many students enrolled in Syracuse University College of Law’s hybrid online JDinteractive (JDi) program are located in faraway places, whether a small Alaskan city, an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, or rural areas throughout the U.S. For many of them, remaining in their communities is not just practical but purposeful due to personal obligations or a long-held desire to serve their communities. At the same time, they demand a law degree that offers a rigorous curriculum, opportunities to take part in law clinics, student organizations, and advocacy competitions coupled with the ability to develop bonds with classmates, faculty, and alumni.
Meet four recent graduates from out of the way places who have successfully joined the legal profession through the JDi program —proving that distance is no barrier to earning a Syracuse Law degree.
Dawnelle Forsythe L’26, Oahu, Hawaii
As a native of Hawaii, Dawnelle Forsythe L’26 lives in a small city of 44,000 on the Big Island of Hawaii. Back in the early 2000s, she wanted to become a lawyer, but the only law school in Hawaii was on Oahu, and the travel and expense was prohibitive. Instead, she went to work for the County of Hawaii Office of Housing and later the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Home Lands under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, which helps provide affordable housing to qualified native Hawaiians.
However, in 2019, two pivotal events made Forsythe reconsider law school. She says the first was “fate” when she saw an article about a newly established hybrid JDi program at Syracuse University that could enable her to earn a law degree without leaving home.
Around the same time, she accompanied her husband to observe a protest centering around the construction of a massive Thirty Meter Telescope at the top of Mauna Kea, the Big Island’s highest mountain and an area considered sacred by the native people.
When they arrived, over 100 protestors had formed a protective human wall in front of the kūpunas (revered elders). The kūpunas had sought to halt the construction of the 18-story telescope atop Mauna Kea and were blocking the road from construction vehicles, while the crowd chanted in support of preserving land put in trust for the Hawaiian people to ensure the continuation of their culture. As Forsythe watched, state troopers began removing those blocking the road.
“Some of the troopers were related to the aunties and uncles they were arresting, and many on both sides were crying together,” explains Forsythe. “It was such a somber event, and it made a lasting impact on me. I decided then that I had to go to law school to be an advocate for my ‘Ohana’ (family), the people of my community.”
She quit her current job at a hospital with only one thing in mind—the JDi program. “Not only would it allow me to stay at home, but I was drawn to its trial advocacy program that would help me become an attorney ready to go into court and advocate for people,” she says.
Forsythe was accepted into the JDi Class of ’26 and is now thrilled she found “her New York Ohana” made up of the “geniuses in her cohort,” as well as faculty she admires, including Distinguished Professor of Law Nina Kohn and Associate Dean for Academic Programs Shannon Gardner.
Forsythe graduates this May and must first return to work in local government to pay off her school loans. But she is committed to soon using her law degree pro bono to help Hawaiian residents, particularly those facing land rights cases who lack money for legal representation.
“It isn’t about making money; it’s about something that will totally fulfill my heart,” she says of helping her people. “I’m excited to finally reach my goal of becoming a lawyer, and I know that it would not have been possible without Syracuse Law’s JDi program.”
Sarah Frank Roberts L’22, Kenai, Alaska
There are no law schools in Alaska, so when Sarah Frank Roberts L’22 decided to pursue a law degree, she knew her options were limited. A mother of six, Roberts lives with her husband and family in Kenai, Alaska, a town of about 5,000 people, most of whom work in the fishing or oil and gas industries.
When Roberts discovered the JDi program, it seemed to be a solution. She could take classes and get her work done after her children went to sleep, and the four-hour time difference between Alaska and New York was manageable. She was accepted into the program’s second cohort since its founding in 2019.
“The experience was rigorous,” Roberts says. “There was no hiding in the back of the room when professors like Nina Kohn could see your face up close on the screen. I certainly got the same high level of education that those in an on-campus program received.”
According to Roberts, there is a huge need for lawyers, particularly public defenders and district attorneys, in Alaska, but with no law schools, people tend to leave to go to school and never return. Roberts was able to stay because of the JDi program, and today she is an assistant public advocate and conflict counselor for the state of Alaska, focusing on family issues like custody and guardianship.
“I get to help people, many of whom have made a lot of mistakes but still deserve representation,” she explains. “My role isn’t designed to ‘win’ but instead help families get the best outcomes for their situations, as well as allow them to see what opportunities there are to work toward their goals.”
Megan Poole L’23, Cortland, New York
Megan Poole L’23 grew up on a dairy farm in Cortland County, New York, but, knowing the challenges of farming, her parents encouraged her to pursue a different career. Still, she felt most at home in her rural community.
After earning an undergraduate degree in criminology, Poole wanted to be a probation officer but didn’t get the position she originally intended. Instead, she says, “Rejection is divine redirection,” and decided to take the LSAT and pursue law school.
In the meantime, she was offered a job in the Cortland County Department of Social Services (DSS) as a case worker handling foster care, child protective services, and adoption cases. She still wanted to go to law school, but she was “too heartbroken to leave” the difficult job of helping families in need. However, when she found the JDi program, she realized she could pursue a law degree while continuing her job with DSS and helping on the family farm.
“The JDi program was certainly just as difficult as an on-campus program,” she says, adding she found great camaraderie within her online cohort. Poole especially enjoyed the required in-person residencies, where she was able to interact with fellow students and faculty both on-campus and in various other cities.
After completing the JDi program, she continued to work at the DSS in Cortland. About a year later, the Hon. A.L. Beth O’Connor, a family court judge in the 6th Judicial District of New York, which includes Cortland County, reached out to Poole about being her court attorney.
“I see both the terrible and the good, but that’s part of the job,” she says. “I think I’m making a big difference in my community, particularly for people who don’t have the resources for good legal counsel, and the JDi program was a big part of making that possible.”
An added bonus of becoming a lawyer was the opportunity for Poole, her mother, and sister to turn the family farm into Spring Valley Views, a woman-owned LLC, with plans to for it to expand it into a venue and campground.
Tania Rivera Bullard L’25, Houston County, Georgia
Tania Rivera Bullard L’25 earned an undergraduate degree in psychology, figuring she would be a social worker, like her mother. But, soon after, she decided she wanted a career where she felt she could see things through from beginning to the end. Rivera Bullard decided to pursue a path offered to military spouses to become a paralegal. As she studied for her paralegal certification, she started to think, “Why can’t I be a lawyer?”
Interested in being a public defender or a civil rights attorney, she was accepted into a J.D. at an on-campus law school that required a four-hour round-trip commute from her home in rural Georgia. However, a complicated pregnancy made it impossible, and she was forced to defer her start. Rivera Bullard began looking for alternatives and found the Syracuse Law JDi program, which would allow her to remain with her family while pursuing a law degree.
Not long after, the mother of a 2 year old and an 8 month old, began the Syracuse Law JDi program and found it manageable. “I became a night owl,” she explains. “After the kids went to sleep, I would concentrate on asynchronous work and getting my reading done, and I spent long hours on the phone with my dear friend Nathan McKay L’26, my study partner, who made such a difference for me. It certainly was a careful balancing act, but if you’re willing to find the time, you can make it happen.”
After finishing her law degree and passing the Alabama bar exam, she went to work as an assistant public defender for the Houston County (GA) Public Defenders Office. She was allowed to practice in Georgia under military spouse reciprocity.
“As a public defender, you handle felony cases that nobody else wants, and, arguably, you’re experiencing the toughest, scariest times of people’s lives. I get to help them through a system that, to many, feels like it is set up to fail them,” Rivera Bullard says. “At the end of the day, I go home and feel good about the work I’ve done in my community. The Syracuse JDi program really made it possible for me to achieve my goals.”
Syracuse University College of Law graduates are achieving new bar passage and employment milestones, directly impacting the reputation of a Syracuse Law degree.
Class of 2025 graduates achieved a record 97.6% 10-month post-graduation employment and continuing education outcomes rate, as reported to the American Bar Association as of March 16, 2026.
This milestone marks the culmination of an unprecedented three-year period of excellence for Syracuse Law. Following 97% for the Class of 2023 and 96% for the Class of 2024, the Class of 2025 sets a school record, marking Syracuse Law’s highest three consecutive years of employment outcomes ever reported to the ABA.
In addition, Syracuse Law graduates achieved 94% Ultimate Bar Passage rate for 2025, representing the cumulative efforts of the Class of 2023. Graduates took the bar exam in 25 states, reflecting the increasing national reach of our JD programs.
“The record employment outcomes and bar passage are the direct reflection of the hard work our students have put into their education and career path,” said Dean Terence Lau L’98. “Our dedication to preparing students for the bar and for guiding them through their career development means our graduates are more than ready to enter the legal profession.”
Syracuse Law has climbed seven spots to reach the top 100 in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Additionally, our Trial Advocacy Specialty Ranking, based solely on peer rankings, is #9 in the nation. This is our best overall ranking in six years and the only time we have been ranked in the top ten for Advocacy in consecutive years.
Dean Terence Lau L’98 spoke with Axios on the repayment of tariffs to businesses and the potential risks for companies pursuing refunds.
“You don’t want to hold a press conference when you do it, but I think as a company you have to file,” says Lau. “If you are owed billions of dollars from the federal government and you don’t get it back, you’re going to have a derivative shareholder lawsuit on your hands so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
Syracuse University College of Law alumni are putting their legal training to work at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various industries, combining law with other expertise to drive real impact.
Melissa Vierling L’07
Assistant General Counsel, Technology Contracts, IP, and AI Attorney, Primerica, Inc.; Co-founder AI Governance Collective (AIGC); Speaker on Legal AI
It took more than 20 years for Melissa Vierling’s L’07 undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and her Syracuse Law degree to come together. But “the day I was told I would be the legal advisor for AI at my company was truly rewarding,” she says.
She began her career at Lockheed Martin, a global aerospace, defense, and security company, working as a senior technical program manager and systems engineer. While at Lockheed, she enrolled part-time at Syracuse Law, which offered a certificate in technological commercialization & management that aligned with her interests in IP, technology, and program management.
Three years ago, she started at Primerica, Inc., and became assistant general counsel for the legal technology group. In this role, she focuses on technology transactions, intellectual property, and AI governance, as well as evaluating technology and AI tools, and helping implement corporate policies. As an AI lawyer—a relatively new role in law—she works closely with information technology and cybersecurity teams advising on the adoption and use of AI and helps develop internal training on responsible AI use.
“My career in technology and program management taught me to understand the system, anticipate risks, and solve complex problems. I bring that same mindset to law. Defense systems are high-stakes, but safeguarding people’s information and privacy carries its own important responsibility,” she says.
Advice to law students: “You don’t need to become an ‘AI lawyer’ to work with AI. It touches so many areas of law. Lawyers should know how to use AI tools, understand how AI tools manage data, and have knowledge of its risks, especially around bias and privacy. Think about what excites you, and do what makes you happy. AI will almost certainly be part of it.”
Syracuse University College of Law alumni are putting their legal training to work at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various industries, combining law with other expertise to drive real impact.
Pete Su L’94
Vice President and General Counsel, Moley Robotics; Expert in AI Robotics and patent strategy; Former Partner at Silicon Valley office of Dentons U.S.; Practiced intellectual property law at Fenwick & West; Co-chair of San Francisco Regional Council of Syracuse University; IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders • IAM Strategy 300 • Design Engineer at AMD
While a partner at the Silicon Valley office of Dentons U.S., Pete Su L’94 represented and incorporated Moley Robotics, a London-based company developing the world’s first fully-automated robotic kitchens with AI models that prepare a variety of gourmet dishes. He now serves as the company’s general counsel.
Su was a design engineer at AMD in Silicon Valley before studying at Syracuse Law in its Law, Technology and Management Program (now known as the Innovation Law Center). Since graduating, he has been advising emerging technology companies in Silicon Valley and venture funds.
Ten years ago, robots were mostly limited to niche areas such as automobiles, space exploration, and toys, with relatively small markets and little venture capital interest,” he says. “The world has changed dramatically in just the three years with the explosion of physical AI.”
“While working with the founder of Moley Robotics on patent strategy, I had a eureka moment: this could be an ‘iPhone moment,’ similar to when Steve Jobs and Apple filed their first smartphone patent,” he says. “Since 2014, we have developed and continue to build an industry-leading robotic patent portfolio.”
As a member of the general counsel community within L Suite—an executive peer network from both public and private companies—he has hosted roundtables with major law firms and corporations on AI governance for boards of directors.
Advice to law students: “In the age of AI, I encourage law students to develop and adapt knowledge in emerging multidisciplinary fields to add value beyond rapidly advancing AI models and tools.” Su says.
Syracuse University College of Law alumni are putting their legal training to work at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various industries, combining law with other expertise to drive real impact.
Jeffrey Saviano L’92
Expert in Ethical AI Strategy and Governance; Business AI Ethics Leader, Harvard University Safra Center for Ethics; Senior Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Retired Partner, Emerging Technology Strategy and Governance Leader, EY
After focusing on tax law at Syracuse Law, Jeffrey Saviano L’92 began his career at Ernst & Young (EY).
“I love the law and being a tax lawyer, but lifelong learning is essential,” he says. “Careers rarely follow a straight line. The winding path is often the most exciting; seek out new challenges that stretch you and help you grow.”
Early in his career, innovation was not his focus, but EY asked him to explore it as a potential area for growth. He couldn’t have known what that assignment would set in motion, but it ultimately became the foundation for his AI leadership role at the firm.
Retired from EY after three decades, Saviano now focuses on advancing ethical AI strategy and governance through his work at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has advised more than 100 corporate boards and senior leadership teams on aligning AI innovation with governance best practices, regulatory requirements, and organizational values.
“History shows that humans adapt to major technology disruptions, from electricity to the internet, and I expect AI will be no different,” he says. “While a small number of roles may be fully displaced, most will evolve. More often, people will be replaced by others who effectively leverage AI, not by AI alone.”
Saviano’s first book, “Boundaries of Tolerance” (Wiley, September 2026), introduces a new framework for ethical AI leadership across both the public and private sectors.
Advice to law students: “Embrace the AI revolution and its legal applications. Look to your state bar or the ABA for guidance, and consider using generative AI to build a personal learning plan,” Saviano says. “Immerse yourself in these tools, so you can say, ‘I am an AI-enabled lawyer. Hire me because I use AI responsibly in my work.’”
“In most cases, the consumers are bearing the burden of the tariffs through higher prices, but they can’t specifically identify that their money went to pay a particular tariff,” said Germain.
He continues, “There may be some businesses that—just like paying a sales tax or something—itemized it [the tariffs] on the receipt saying, ‘We’re charging $15 for a tariff.’ Those customers … would have a pretty good argument.”
Artificial Intelligence (AI), and generative AI in particular, is no longer a distant concept for lawyers and soon-to-be lawyers. This is a new technological revolution in the legal industry. James Kelly L’99, member of the Board of Advisors of Syracuse University College of Law, and partner and chair, New York Private Equity, at DLA Piper LLP (U.S.), who has a role in helping shape his firm’s AI transformation efforts, shared insights on how AI is changing the practice and advice on what law students can do now to build their AI skills.
“AI is transforming legal service delivery models and empowering legal professionals in ways not previously possible,” Kelly says.
At his firm, he helps lead a cross-functional team of lawyers and business professionals to integrate AI into its client service and its business functions. Responsible adoption of this technology by lawyers demands clear objectives, client transparency, and adherence to ethical and professional obligations. It should also leave some room for experimentation;
Kelly says, “This will allow lawyers to focus more on solving the complex problems of their clients.”
According to Kelly, the “true Nirvana state” is when “the technology, tools, and workflow design are able to seamlessly leverage subject matter expertise and proprietary practice data,” to deliver better solutions for clients.
He notes that “This is somewhat quixotic at least in the near term because the practice of law is a living thing, and so too is the market, and the technology will chase that human capital and lawyering aspect when it comes to nuance, judgment, and experience. But it’s a big leap forward and changing the way things can be done. Students should be ready.”
Efficiency and Speed but With Accuracy and Trust
“Maintaining trust in the delivery of your services is paramount. If you don’t have trust, you don’t have a client,” Kelly says, emphasizing that efficiencies gained through speed and automation do not diminish the lawyers’ responsibility to always deliver their highest-quality work.
“The sweet spot today is a task that is repetitive and time-consuming but easy to verify. You need to choose your spots carefully in terms of where, when and how you want to integrate AI into your client service delivery,” he adds. “A lot of thinking, planning, and training goes into making that choice. This is not so much about balancing something opposite of trust, as that the quality of the work can never be sacrificed. This is about leveraging AI as a tool to drive better outcomes for clients consistent with the duties we as lawyers owe to them.”
Lawyers are now able to rapidly review vast quantities of documents or instantly analyze contracts while flagging critical provisions, tasks that may have been prohibitively time-consuming and costly in years past, depending on the volume of the data set.
“This has the potential to enable lawyers to offer clients data-driven advice that is far more sophisticated than previous data sets,” says Kelly. “These capabilities free up attorneys to focus on higher-value work and creative problem-solving, making the overall delivery of legal services faster and more insightful without any compromise with regard to trustworthiness.”
A Big Mindshift
Only a handful of years ago, many clients prohibited their law firms from using AI. Today, some clients mandate that it be utilized in service delivery. And many clients remain neutral, leaving it to their lawyer to determine how and when to use AI ethically and responsibly.
“I believe that it is generally expected at this point that leading law firms will leverage the best generative AI technology to deliver faster, cost-effective, and data-driven solutions. It is not just a select few using this,” Kelly says. “At my firm, every lawyer has the ability to use AI but only after completion of mandated ethical training.”
This is in part driven by the big mind shift in the market and with clients. “The notion that service businesses must strive to always be ‘faster, better, and cheaper’ has been subtly shifting in this AI era to what I call ‘immediate, perfect, and free,’ in certain aspects of the delivery model. But again, this may just allow for more time spent on what truly matters to our clients in a technology-enhanced way,” he says.
AI can accelerate research, surface patterns in large data sets, and generate initial drafts—while attorneys remain responsible for strategy, judgment calls, client communication, and relationships. The result is technology-enabled subject matter expertise.
“AI should be used to elevate, not replace, the human element in legal service. As fiduciary advisors rooted in trust, we’re uniquely positioned to deploy AI to enhance the human elements of our value,” Kelly says.
AI in Legal Education at Syracuse Law
The rapid rise of AI is transforming not only legal practice but legal education as well—and Syracuse Law is positioning itself at the forefront of that shift. Through a combination of coursework, practical learning, and real-world application, the College integrates AI across the curriculum, ensuring students understand both the opportunities and ethical considerations that come with emerging technologies.
“Syracuse Law’s forward-looking approach reflects the firm belief that today’s law students must graduate as AI-proficient professionals to excel in the modern legal landscape,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98.
The curriculum is designed to evolve alongside the profession, incorporating practical exposure to tools such as generative AI, legal research platforms, and data-driven analysis, while also emphasizing responsible use, client confidentiality, and professional judgement.
Syracuse Law continually monitors which technology skills are most valuable in legal practice and adjusts its curriculum accordingly, often tapping into the expertise of experienced alumni like Kelly.
Lau adds, “This collaboration between academia and the legal industry is particularly critical in times of great technological change to ensure that our programs are at the leading-edge—and to prepare our student talent for the challenges that await them in their legal careers.”
Because AI tools evolve so quickly, what students learn as 1Ls may look very different by the time they enter practice. To stay ahead, Syracuse Law emphasizes early and consistent exposure to AI technology. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with common AI platforms by their second semester, as many will encounter these tools during 1L summer internships and externships. By the time they earn their J.D., Syracuse Law graduates will have a strong foundation in AI applications for law, giving them a competitive edge as they enter firms where junior associates are now expected to use AI tools as soon as they begin practice.
“If I were a law student or junior associate today, I would spend at least 90% of my free time figuring out generative AI and how it can be used in the practice of law,” advises Kelly, noting that advancing the skills to navigate this technology will be essential for career growth. “Overcoming fear of using this new AI machine will become a major differentiator of future talent.”
By contrast, those who avoid the technology will likely fall behind their AI-prone peers. “Best to start now, in law school, while you can freely experiment and collaborate with your fellow classmates. It’s a wonderful time to be a student when a digital revolution is underway,” says Kelly. “I was a law student when the internet was just getting out of the gate in a real way. The internet created massive opportunities for new lawyers, and AI will too.”
Alumni Combine Law With AI, Technology in Fascinating Careers
Syracuse University College of Law alumni are putting their legal training to work at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various industries, combining law with other expertise to drive real impact.
Expert in Ethical AI Strategy and Governance; Business AI Ethics Leader, Harvard University Safra Center for Ethics; Senior Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Retired Partner, Emerging Technology Strategy and Governance Leader, EY Pete Su L’94
Vice President and General Counsel, Moley Robotics; Expert in AI Robotics and patent strategy; Former Partner at Silicon Valley office of Dentons U.S.; Practiced intellectual property law at Fenwick & West; Co-chair of San Francisco Regional Council of Syracuse University; IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders, IAM Strategy 300, Design Engineer at AMD Melissa Vierling L’07
Assistant General Counsel, Technology Contracts, IP, and AI Attorney, Primerica, Inc.; Co-founder AI Governance Collective (AIGC); Speaker on Legal AI
Syracuse University College of Law Professor Jack Graves has developed an Artificial Intelligence bot that uses curated, course-specific materials to assist students in mastering the applicable legal rules and their application. These digital “coaches” are available 24/7 to assist students in understanding challenging concepts and then to quiz students on the application of these concepts, providing immediate feedback in a variety of Q&A formats. Thus far, Graves has deployed the concept in his Evidence and Contracts courses.
Graves uses OpenAI’s private custom GPT feature, which allows him to provide students with an interactive experience that is narrowly tailored to Graves’s specific course. Graves accomplishes this with (1) a comprehensive set of instructions (i.e., prompts) telling the custom Coach exactly what to do and providing guardrails to keep it focused on the objective of assisting students in this course; and (2) uploaded copies of the course text and other key instructional materials that facilitate Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). This domain specific RAG layer increases the accuracy of the Coach’s responses in the context of this specific course and dramatically reduces the potential for errors, as compared to a generic LLM trained on generic data of varying quality.
This “walled garden” of course-specific material addresses the common issue with Large Language Model (LLM) AI platforms that indiscriminately draw from all information on the internet. “The LLMs pick up a good deal of erroneous information from unreliable sources, and they miss a lot of really good information that’s behind firewalls,” said Graves.
“The bot has been instructed to respond to students when they ask for answers by walking them through in a Socratic-style dialog much as I might in class or office hours,” said Graves. “When assisting students, the Coach relies first and foremost on the information uploaded in its RAG layer, not only helping to explain and quiz the students on accurate course doctrine but pointing students directly to appropriate sources within the course text itself.”
Of course, the key to this approach is a collaborative relationship between Graves and the publisher of his course textbooks. While Graves is a co-author of his Contracts textbook, the copyright is held by West Academic (the publisher of both the Learning Evidence and Learning Contracts textbooks used by Graves). Thus, Graves worked closely with West Academic in developing an approach that would appropriately protect all copyrighted material uploaded to the Coach’s RAG layer, and his use of both Learning Evidence and Learning Contracts is done under license from West Academic.
The use of the primary course text within the RAG layer effectively expands the value of the text far beyond the initially assigned readings. At the core of the Coach’s domain-specific content, the textbook continues to anchor the Coach’s role in assisting and quizzing students as they better learn to apply that content.
Graves is quick to explain, “The Coach does not replace basic course prep or attendance. It is purely a supplement to these traditional teaching and learning tools—albeit a very effective one, arguably far more effective than traditional generic study aids or generic LLMs often used by students today. Perhaps most valuable is the Coach’s ability to provide students with unlimited opportunities to apply the course material in a variety of assessment formats, all of which are subject to immediate feedback. At the end of the day, this is often the single most effective teaching and learning tool for law students, and the Coach provides this tool in a manner that is always available and fully aligned with course content and course outcomes. Graves emphasizes, “the teacher’s role is not being outsourced to the Coach—it is being supplemented in new ways for which narrowly tailored AI is uniquely suited.”
Students access the Coach through a dedicated course link, which provides for private interaction between student and Coach, unless the student voluntarily decides to share the unique link generated by a specific conversation. The initial privacy of the conversation encourages students to ask questions they might otherwise be uncomfortable raising (the proverbial “dumb question,” which is often anything but). However, it also allows students to use the Coach in collaborative study sessions or to forward a conversation to Graves for further exploration. This latter feature is particularly useful in terms of quality control of both student prompts and responses by the Coach.
Graves explains, “During the past two semesters, I’ve seen a few responses from the Coach that could be improved and one blatant error. However, the vast majority of interactive challenges arose from imperfect student prompts.” Thus, the students get two additional benefits from using the Coach: (1) they learn the importance of effective inputs (prompts); and (2) they learn the importance of verifying outputs. While the Evidence and Contract Coaches have proven very accurate (Graves directly tests them regularly himself, in addition to frequent student feedback), AI remains imperfect, and Graves has continued to “fine-tune” his Coaches by uploading additional course-specific material based on his own testing and observations of student/Coach interactions. And Graves further explains that his Coaches have thus far proven “far more dependable than generic LLMs alone or generic traditional study aids.”
Graves teaches exclusively in the College of Law’s JDinteractive hybrid online program, so the 24/7 availability of his Coaches is particularly important to a body of students located around the world. “This has allowed me to be more efficient and effective with my time while giving our global students a uniquely tailored experience that will help them master course material, while being available at any time that is convenient to them,” said Graves.
