2026–2027 Academic Policy on Student Use of AI

Dear members of the Columbia Law School community, 

I am writing to share the Law School’s updated default Academic Policy on Student Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the 2026–2027 academic year. 

The policy makes clear that Columbia Law students bear full intellectual responsibility for all submitted work, while preserving flexibility for instructors to adopt creative approaches to AI in their courses. It reflects thoughtful input from Law School faculty, students, administrators, and alumni, and builds on the work of our AI Task Force.

As AI transforms the study and practice of law, the challenge before us is not whether to engage with AI, but how to do so in a way that advances the Law School’s academic and educational purpose: teaching our students how to think critically and rigorously, and helping them develop the judgment, discipline, and technological fluency that modern legal practice increasingly demands.

Our approach to AI reflects these commitments. The policy neither imposes a blanket prohibition on AI, nor endorses its unrestricted use. Instead, it reinforces the expectation that work submitted for academic credit reflects each student’s judgment, reasoning, and analysis, and establishes a framework for students to use AI thoughtfully, responsibly, and effectively.

We fully anticipate that students will encounter a range of approaches to AI during their time at Columbia Law School, reflecting the varied professional environments, policies, and expectations they will experience throughout their careers. AI is evolving rapidly, as are the norms surrounding its appropriate use; we will continually assess our AI policies and practices, endeavor to learn from experience, and refine our approach collaboratively. 

I encourage you to read the policy in full, and to take it as an invitation to continue the many conversations around AI that have already begun in our classrooms, offices, and across the Law School. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Students should contact Student Services. Faculty and staff may reach out to the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs.

We will be sharing much more in the coming weeks about AI tools and resources, curricular developments, and other initiatives. I am grateful to all those who contributed to this important effort, and I look forward to our work together in the year ahead. 

Sincerely,

Daniel Abebe
Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law