WashU Law Cements Leadership in Legal Tech with New Global AI Partnership
Washington University in St. Louis School of Law is building a global network to advance education and research at the intersection of AI and the law. The consortium links leading legal programs across six continents to spur cross-border knowledge sharing and raise AI literacy for future lawyers, judges, and policymakers.
The focus is practical: align teaching, exchange faculty and students, and build inclusive curricula that reflect multiple legal systems. Beginning in 2026, the network will roll out webinars on AI regulation, joint research forums, and in-person training.
Who's in the inaugural network
- University of Queensland (Australia)
- Fudan University Law School (China)
- Universidad de la Sabana (Colombia)
- Addis Ababa University School of Law (Ethiopia)
- National Law School of India University (India)
- Utrecht University (Netherlands)
- Comillas University (Spain)
- Koç University Faculty of Law (Turkey)
- University of Nottingham (United Kingdom)
What's planned for 2026
- Virtual webinars on AI regulation and enforcement trends
- Joint research forums and comparative projects
- In-person training for faculty and students
- Aligned teaching methods and inclusive curricula that reflect diverse legal systems
- AI & Law Seminar Program (WashU Law + Koç University) and proposed AI "hackathons" connecting scholars and policymakers
Why this matters for legal professionals
Across institutions, the message is clear: AI fluency is becoming a baseline skill. Ryan Durrie, WashU Law's director of AI initiatives and co-director of the WashU Law AI Collaborative, put it plainly: "WashU is a global law institution. By working with multiple partner institutions around the world, we will be able to share new developments, best practices, and practical tips about how the practice of law is evolving across the world."
Dean Stephanie Lindquist framed the urgency: partnerships like this "reflect the urgent need for legal education that keeps pace with rapid advances in artificial intelligence," helping students and scholars engage AI with "insight, accountability, and an appreciation for the diversity of legal traditions."
Deans see immediate value. Rick Bigwood (University of Queensland) said law schools have been "scrambling" to adjust to the shifting legal climate and that collaboration with U.S. schools helps them anticipate trends "even if they haven't yet reached Australia." Sudhir Krishnaswamy (National Law School of India University) emphasized graduating lawyers who can use and evaluate AI while strengthening core critical, argumentative, and doctrinal skills.
Faculty are already moving. Koç University's Cem Veziroğlu called AI a "transformative force with profound implications for justice, markets, and society," and hopes joint work will produce concrete policy proposals for Turkey's regulatory needs. The shared theme: teach lawyers to use AI-and to audit it.
Why WashU Law is positioned to lead
- Early training: In January, WashU Law ran a week-long, comprehensive AI training for students, faculty, and alumni (built with Wickard AI).
- Governance: The school appointed an AI advisory board with prominent leaders in legal tech.
- Community: WashU Law hosted Legal Tech Week with industry demonstrations focused on legal workflows.
Implications for law schools, firms, and courts
- Curriculum and CLE: Expect standardized modules on AI literacy, verification, and comparative regulation. Cross-border case studies will become common.
- Policy and risk: Institutions will need clear AI-use policies, confidentiality controls, vendor due diligence, and red-teaming protocols for model outputs.
- Research and policy labs: Joint projects can inform national strategies on AI in evidence, procedure, consumer protection, and competition.
- Talent pipeline: Graduates will arrive trained to evaluate AI outputs and document verification-something employers can test for in hiring.
Actions you can take now
- Set verification norms: Require human review, source tracing, and issue spotting for any AI-assisted work product.
- Start a focused pilot: Pick one workflow-contracts, due diligence, eDiscovery, or research-and run a 60-90 day pilot with clear metrics.
- Update policy: Clarify permitted tools, confidentiality boundaries, logging, and client consent. Include auditing and retention rules.
- Track key frameworks: Follow the EU AI Act and emerging enforcement guidance to anticipate risk and compliance impact.
- Upskill your team: Create role-based learning paths for partners, associates, knowledge teams, and litigation support.
If you're building structured learning paths by role, see curated options here: AI courses by job role.
What stakeholders are saying
- Ryan Durrie (WashU Law): Collaboration enables sharing of developments, best practices, and practical tips across jurisdictions.
- Stephanie Lindquist (WashU Law Dean): Global partnerships prepare students and scholars to meet AI's challenges with accountability and respect for diverse traditions.
- Rick Bigwood (University of Queensland Dean): Collaboration helps schools stay ahead of trends before they reach their region.
- Sudhir Krishnaswamy (NLSIU Vice-Chancellor): Training must pair AI competence with rigorous doctrinal and argumentative skills.
- Cem Veziroğlu (Koç University): The partnership should deliver concrete policy proposals suited to national needs.
Further reading
Bottom line: AI training is moving from optional to expected. This network signals where legal education-and legal work-is headed next.
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