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Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) these days. And everyone includes legal educators and law librarians. The news broke in 2023 that GPT-4 aced the bar exam, and the story dominated the news cycle for weeks. Those of us at law schools are especially concerned with the best way to go about teaching the next generation of lawyers to use this technology. GPT-4 is a large…, Define Your Objective:, Before jumping onto an AI platform, figure out what you wish to achieve or in the case of legal research, what specific legal issue or question is at play., Provide Clear and Concise Prompts:, The results that you get from any AI tool will be better if you provide clear and concise instructions. Avoid using jargon or ambiguous language. For example, if you want an AI tool to draft a client letter, make sure that you include the specific legal question at issue, key facts, target jurisdiction, and the desired tone of the letter (if applicable)., Understand Limitations:, You should be aware of the specific constraints of any particular AI tool. What can the tool do or not do? Most importantly, understand the data pool that the tool is using to generate content., Review and Edit:, Great, AI has generated an answer or written product for you! Now you must review that product to ensure that it is accurate, relevant, and free of plagiarism. If drafting a document, you also want to make sure that it reflects what you wish to communicate and is free of grammatical errors and logical inconsistencies., Be Aware of Ethical Implications:, As law students and lawyers, it is critically important to understand when you should and when you shouldn’t use an AI tool. , Students should never use an AI tool for school work product when they have been prohibited from doing so by their professor, . If you’re not sure whether AI use is permissible for school work, check with your professor or supervisor. Likewise, practicing attorneys must ensure the privacy of their clients through the careful drafting of prompts and by understanding the privacy policies of different platforms. Lawyers are ultimately responsible for the ethical representation of their clients and no AI tool can replace…, Sorry 1Ls, you won’t have access to the Lexis+ AI Assistant until next year as a second year (2L). , For more information about using Practical Law AI and Lexis+ AI Assistant, check out these video tutorials: Lexis+ AI Assistant tutorials and Westlaw Practical Law AI . And, of course, your friendly law librarians are always available to help you navigate the new world of AI or help you with any of your other research questions. Reach out to us anytime at law libraryhelp@rwu.edu .
Type: Article
Type: Photo Gallery
BRISTOL, R.I. – , Roger Williams University announces that Shabana Basij-Rasikh , a changemaker and founder of the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA), the first and only remaining boarding school dedicated to educating Afghan girls in the world, will deliver the keynote speech and receive an honorary degree at the RWU Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 17. This year's RWU Commencement exercises will…
Type: Article
Growing up as a first-generation American, Geovanny Amaya thought there was a strong chance he would go into immigration law. But when he arrived at RWU Law three years ago, he thought he should keep an open mind to other options that might present themselves. Initially, he worked in housing law with the Indigent Help Desk and the Pro Bono Collaborative, both of which he found rewarding enough to…
Type: Article
Get your racing outfit on as we celebrate a beloved part of our law school this week, the library. Each year, the American Library Association (ALA) announces a week in the spring to celebrate libraries across the nation. This year’s celebration begins April 7th and lasts through April 13th. The theme is Ready, Set, Library! Inspired by this, the law library staff has crafted their own Formula…
Type: Article
This is a hands-on program focused on advanced deposition skills, particularly conducting and defending the rule 30(b)(6) deposition. Students will learn strategies for using the 30(b)(6) process to uncover relevant information in discovery as well as strategies for responding to a 30(b)(6) notice and defending the 30(b)(6) witness. The program consists of a combination of live and recorded…, Co-sponsored by the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University School of Law, and the Federal Bar Association, Rhode Island Chapter, REGISTER HERE, CANCELLATION POLICY, Please contact Rana Smith at 401.752.7210 or Rana_Smith@rid.uscourts.gov no later than Monday, April 22, 2024 to receive a full refund. You will be required to return all course materials to receive your refund. If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to contact the program chairs, Brooks Magratten ( bmagratten@pierceatwood.com ; 401-490-3422) or Professor Niki Kuckes (…
Type: Event
You might say Stefanie Fischer’s success in law school started with sled dogs. Fischer is a member of the Roger Williams University School of Law Class of 2024. As a teaching assistant for multiple courses and editor-in-chief of the, Roger Williams University Law Review, , she has excelled at every opportunity offered to her as a law student. But she credits her accomplishments at least in part to one chance she didn’t take. , Dogs and horses, After graduating from the George Washington University in three years, Fischer briefly considered law school but chose a more adventurous path. In 2011, she moved to Seward, Alaska to work for the Seavey family, a multi-generational dogsledding family that included two champions of the famous Iditarod sled race. She did everything from administrative assistance to mushing for the family’s racing…, “A lot of yesses” , Fischer applied only to RWU Law because she wanted to stay in state. In law school, she wanted to distinguish herself in a competitive career. She also had the Iditarod in the back of her mind and didn’t want to say no to another chance. “I didn't ever want to turn down an opportunity and regret it later. Part of that was that I was coming to this as a second or third career and at a much older…, Law Review, team of around sixty high achievers. “It made me a much more empathetic person,” Fischer says. “I was much more able to step back from something and say, ‘Okay, what is this person thinking? What are they feeling like?’ … That sounds really simple, but it's really hard to do.” After graduation, Fischer will clerk for Chief Justice Paul Suttell of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Eventually, she…
Type: Article
Terrence Haas L'07 is an adventurer. In his twenties, he lived off the grid in rural northern Michigan in a shelter with no electricity or water. After law school, he moved to Alaska to become a public defender in a town outside of the state’s road system. In September 2023, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy appointed Haas as the Alaska Public Defender. But for anyone who believes the best option…, Off the grid, Haas was born in California and raised in Indiana. As a college student in Michigan, he moved into the woods. “I don’t think it was that conscious of a decision,” he recalls. “It was just kind of a thing that people were doing in that part of the world.” That adventure ended with another adventure: the birth of Haas’s first child. At that time, he moved back to Indiana and completed an…, On to law school, Haas had previously worked in group homes for disabled adults. He liked the experience and also realized that he wanted to pursue advocacy as a career. This led him to Roger Williams University School of Law. He enjoyed being an active law student, serving as the Editor in Chief of the Law Review and clerking for Judge Mary Lisi of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island…, A new adventure, Haas and his family moved to Bethel, a community of around six thousand residents in western Alaska. He recalls that he was “learning the job at the same time that I was trying to learn the culture. There were bumps in the road to be sure. But ultimately, the people there are very, very patient, kind, [and] understanding.” Eventually, Haas became the head of the local public defender’s office and…, A tricky business, As the supervisor of the state’s approximately one-hundred public defenders, Haas is eager to impart to a new generation of lawyers what it means to be a public defender. “Public defense is a tricky business,” he observes. At its best, public defense means helping people in need. At its worst, a public defender’s office can be merely a stamp of approval on a broken process, ensuring that it meets…
Type: Story
One of the highlights of the recent Women in Law Leadership Lecture, featuring guest Director Rosie Hidalgo of the US Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and RWU Law's Prof. Emily J. Sack, was the presentation of the 2024 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Essay/Art Contest., Elementary School Winner (Grades K-5), Visaagan Vipakaran's artwork entitled "Equality for All People" won the prize for art. Visaagan is a Grade 5 student at Woodridge Elementary School., Middle School Winner (Grades 6-8), Reese Lourenco's essay, "The Great Influence of Ruth Bader Ginsburg," earned the Middle School prize. Reese is a Grade 6 student at Segue Institute for Learning. According to Reese, the late RBG inspired with her bravery and perseverance., High School Winner (Grades 9-12), Avery Blais's essay, “The RBG Within ME,” secured her the High School prize. For this Grade 9 student of Mount Saint Charles Academy, RBG is a goal—a symbol of perseverance in paving the way for the next generation of Americans, serving as a reminder for Avery not to give up. Information on the annual RBG Essay/Art Contest, this year's winners, as well as copies of the essays and an image of the…
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