Top US law schools are banning AI and technology from core classrooms to prevent students from taking shortcuts that stunt intellectual growth. The University of Chicago Law School will prohibit phones, tablets and laptops in first-year courses, forcing students to engage through the traditional Socratic method. Chair William Hubbard explains the goal is to ensure students learn by doing things the 'hard way' rather than relying on AI tools.

Dean Adam Chilton emphasizes adapting curriculum to teach students 'with, without, and about AI' rather than banning it outright. Similarly, UC Berkeley's Law School prohibits AI for any academic writing tasks, with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky stating that student work should reflect their own thinking. The institutions aim to balance AI literacy with foundational legal reasoning skills, arguing that true mastery requires human engagement and critical thinking developed through direct practice.