Over the last semester, we've heard a steady refrain from students, alumni, and employers: AI is showing up everywhere in legal work - so how do we make sure our graduates are ready to use it responsibly and well? That question has driven a wide-ranging effort since this summer to design and implement an AI strategy for CSU Law. Today we're pleased to share news about our first significant step that is already generating real momentum.
AltaClaro + CSU|LAW: Preparing Students for AI-Enabled Practice
Last week we announced an innovative AI training program for students, faculty and staff developed with award-winning legal training provider AltaClaro: Fundamentals of Prompt Engineering for Lawyers. The response has been immediate. Within the first week of announcing the winter program, more than 130 students enrolled.
The course is deliberately practical. It focuses on real techniques for working with generative AI tools, understanding AI's limitations in legal practice, and building a disciplined approach to verification and professional judgment in AI-assisted workflows. The format is designed for skill-building, not passive consumption: it combines self-study modules, hands-on simulated client scenarios, and live review and feedback from seasoned practitioners. Students who complete the course receive an AltaClaro certificate they can list on LinkedIn and on their resumes.
Why this partnership, and why now
We selected AltaClaro because of its national reputation as a training provider, including work with firms like Husch Blackwell and Benesch as well as many others. Equally important, this course aligns with how we think about professional formation. AI competency is not about shortcuts. It's about sound process, careful verification, and ethical judgment, so that technology supports excellent lawyering rather than replacing it.
Step one in a broader CSU|LAW AI strategy
This certificate is not a one-off. It is the cornerstone of a broader strategy to integrate responsible and effective generative AI training into our legal education. Our goal is for employers to recognize that CSU|LAW graduates are prepared to use these tools thoughtfully, ethically, and competently.
We will continue expanding learning opportunities for students, supporting faculty innovation, and contributing to the profession's conversation about standards for responsible AI use. We'll have more to share as this work continues to unfold, but we are starting where we should start: with student readiness and responsible practice.
Building on our strengths
This moment is exciting not because AI is new but because CSU|LAW has been building the law-and-technology foundation for a long time. And we have deep expertise right here on our faculty.
Professors Christa Laser and Mehtab Khan are examples of that leadership. They teach AI-focused coursework, including AI and the Law, and their work helps ensure we approach this space with rigor grounded in real legal questions, not headlines.
Just as important: AI isn’t being treated as a stand-alone topic at CSU|LAW. Our faculty are already integrating it into the places where legal training really takes shape:
- Skills courses, including Legal Writing and Legal Research, where students learn how to use tools responsibly, verify sources, develop sound process habits, and protect the integrity of their work
- Doctrinal courses, where AI is already reshaping how we think about evidence, privacy, IP, professional responsibility, administrative decision-making, and more
That kind of integration is exactly what we want. It means students aren’t simply learning about AI; they’re learning how AI intersects with the work lawyers do every day.
The AI Advisory Council
We’re also strengthening our connection to the profession through our AI Advisory Council—a group of leaders from practice and industry helping us stay aligned with what’s happening now, anticipate what’s coming, and keep our work grounded in the realities our graduates will face.
In the legal tech press
It has been energizing to see the early response beyond campus. This partnership has already generated buzz in the legal tech press, including:
What's next
If you're a student, I hope you'll take a close look at this certificate. The early enrollment tells us what we suspected: students want training that feels real, job-relevant, and grounded in professional standards.
If you're an alumnus, employer, or friend of CSU|LAW working in this space, stay close. AI is changing quickly, and the best legal education is built in active partnership with the profession. Your insight and engagement will strengthen this work.
Warmly,
Brian Ray
Co-Interim Dean, CSU|LAW