Universities urged to integrate AI in legal training

Zetech University Vice Chancellor Njenga Munene presents an award to Nelson Mutuku, a beneficiary of TechSheria Initiative, at the Technology Campus in Mang’u, Juja, Kiambu County. [Courtesy]

Universities have been urged to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the training of lawyers as technology continues to reshape the legal profession and the wider economy.

Former Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga said law schools should embrace emerging technologies and equip students with the skills needed to remain relevant in a rapidly changing professional environment.

Dr Mutunga said although AI had its limitations, lawyers could use the technology to simplify their work, improve efficiency and support tasks that would otherwise take considerably longer.

“Lawyers tend to say we know everything, but we don’t,” Dr Mutunga said, noting that legal practitioners could benefit from AI while retaining their professional judgment.

He spoke at Zetech University during the unveiling of the first beneficiaries of the institution’s TechSheria Scholarship programme.

Dr Mutunga said the growing use of AI made it important for lawyers to understand the technology and incorporate it responsibly into their practice.

He cited his own experience using AI to assist in preparing written work, saying he had used it when working on a lengthy article.

“I have positively used it before where I wanted to write an article of 35 pages and it was 100 pages. It helped me,” he said.

His comments come at a time when AI is increasingly being incorporated into professional and academic work, raising questions about how institutions can ensure students benefit from the technology without becoming overly dependent on it.

At Zetech University, the School of Law has made technology a central component of its training, with students being introduced to AI as a tool to support legal research, learning and professional practice.

School of Law Dean Eric Kibet said the university had chosen to embrace AI rather than resist its growing influence on the legal profession.

“Our law school programme in our university is oriented for technology, and therefore AI is very central. What we are doing is we are not fighting AI. We are embracing it,” Dr Kibet said.

He said the increasing use of AI presented both opportunities and challenges, making it necessary for law students to understand how to use the technology responsibly.

Dr Kibet said Zetech had developed a policy and code of ethics governing the use of AI, while students were also being trained on responsible use of the technology.

“We are also careful to be sure that our students use it ethically in a way that enhances their learning, not suppress or reduce their learning,” he said.

The dean said the university was particularly concerned about ensuring AI did not erode students’ ability to think independently, analyse legal issues and develop their own professional judgment.

He said students were taken through the limitations of AI and the areas where caution was required when using the technology.

“We train our students to use AI and use it ethically in ways that improve and enhance their learning. We also take them through areas of caution so that they are able to use AI in ways that make them better lawyers, rather than reducing their cognitive abilities,” Dr Kibet said.

The university’s approach is anchored in its TechSheria initiative, which brings together technology and sheria (law), with a focus on preparing future lawyers to operate at the intersection of law, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Zetech University Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics, Research, Extension and Student Affairs Alice Njuguna said the initiative was also designed to expand access to quality legal education and nurture exceptional talent.

Prof Njuguna spoke during the unveiling of the first TechSheria scholars, who will receive 100 per cent tuition support for the prescribed four-year Bachelor of Laws programme, subject to the scholarship’s terms and conditions.

“This scholarship that we unveiled today provides 100 per cent social support for the approved Bachelor of Laws programme for the prescribed duration, which is four years, subject to the scholarship’s terms and conditions and students’ continued academic and administrative compliance,” she said.

She challenged the beneficiaries to make the most of the opportunity by maintaining high academic and administrative standards throughout their studies.

“It sets you now to a new level because you have to execute academically, and you have to also be administratively compliant. To us, this is a significant investment in the students’ education and the future,” Prof Njuguna said.

For the first beneficiaries, the scholarship represents an opportunity to pursue their legal ambitions while gaining an education that incorporates emerging technologies.

Roney Okelo said the scholarship had come as a relief after he was initially admitted to another university to pursue a different course.

“I am quite joyful. I never thought I would get this opportunity. I was called to a different university for a totally different course, so for me, it’s actually a relief,” he said.

Wambui Muthoni observed that the opportunity had reinforced the importance of hard work and the need to make the most of opportunities available to young people.

Another beneficiary, Nelson Mutuku from Mombasa, revealed that his desire to pursue law was influenced by exposure to court proceedings and challenges he had witnessed in his community.

“When I was going to the courts, I saw the proceedings, the judges, the lawyers, everything there. Then, in my background, issues with land grabbing and what’s not. So I wanted to be able to help the people in my place,” Mutuku said.

He said the scholarship had strengthened his determination to become a lawyer who would return to his community and contribute to addressing challenges affecting residents.

“I’m just grateful and inspired to be a lawyer who will come back to my society and help my society,” he said.

The TechSheria Scholarship is part of Zetech University’s broader effort to combine access to legal education with technology-driven training, as the legal profession adjusts to the growing influence of AI and other emerging technologies.