Industry Leaders Come Together to Develop Curriculum
Berkeley, CA – August 13, 2024 – Berkeley Law, renowned for its innovative legal education and leadership in law and technology, is proud to announce the launch of the first-ever law degree with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Set to begin in summer 2025, the AI-focused Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree is now open for applications.
Berkeley Law has long been recognized as the nation’s leading program in IP and tech law. The introduction of the AI Law and Regulation certificate for students in the LL.M. executive track represents a major step forward in this tradition, further equipping legal professionals to navigate the complexities of AI. The program can be completed over two summers or through remote study combined with one summer on campus.
“At Berkeley Law, we are committed to leading the way in legal education by anticipating the future needs of our profession. Our AI-focused degree program is a testament to our dedication to preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies,” said Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. “This program underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence, ensuring our graduates are at the forefront of the legal landscape.”
“The new degree program is ideal for both international legal practitioners and U.S. attorneys seeking to future-proof their practice,” said Assistant Dean Adam Sterling. “Students will learn from faculty, practitioner-lecturers, and guest speakers on topics such as AI ethics, the fundamentals of AI technology, and current and future efforts to regulate AI, including a focus on the EU AI Act.”
The curriculum for the new certificate was designed in consultation with an advisory group of industry leaders, including:
- Wei Chen, Chief Legal Officer, EVP, Government Affairs, Infoblox
- Jennifer Dumas, General Counsel, Allen Institute for AI
- Beth George, Partner, Freshfields
- Brian Israel, General Counsel, Anthropic
- Miriam Kim, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson
- Josh Lee Kok Thong, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Future of Privacy Forum
- Irene Liu, Executive in Residence, Berkeley Law and AI Advisor to California State Senate
- Nicole Ozer, Technology and Civil Liberties Director, ACLU of Northern California
- Karen Silverman, CEO and Founder, Cantellus Group
- Dumitru Sliusarenco, Senior Case & Policy Officer, Meta Oversight Board
- Hanna Steinbach, General Counsel at Harness
- Duane Valz, Founder, Valz Legal
- Nikki Vo, Director and Associate General Counsel, Meta
- Jon Zieger, Co-Founder and Director of Responsible Innovation Labs
Berkeley Law’s proximity to Silicon Valley provides unparalleled access to practitioners dealing with AI-related legal issues in real-time. The AI Law and Regulation certificate will help students build core skills and knowledge in areas including data privacy, intellectual property (IP), licensing, and risk.
Available courses include Law and Governance of Artificial Intelligence, taught by Professor Colleen V. Chien — one of the top 20-cited IP and cyberlaw scholars in the U.S. One focus of her new class will be how AI is transforming the practice of law, and the opportunities AI and automation technologies offer to ameliorate or exacerbate existing inequalities in the practice of law, including the access to justice gap.
“Students will gain fluency with AI technologies and explore the ways in which law and policy are being developed and applied in order to minimize the harms and maximize the benefits offered by AI,” Chien says. “Examining a variety of governance tools, including court adjudication, legislation, regulatory frameworks, industry standards, and best practices, this course will dive deeply into the intersections of AI and human rights, civil liberties, privacy, IP, consumer protection, employment, and other laws.”
“This program will equip participants with in-depth knowledge of the ethical, regulatory, and policy challenges posed by AI,” Sterling added. “It will focus on building practice skills to help them advise and represent leading law firms, AI companies, governments, and non-profit organizations.”
Designed for working professionals, the LL.M. executive track can be completed over a calendar year with part-time online coursework and one full-time summer in Berkeley, or over two consecutive summer semesters in residence. The program attracts lawyers from over 40 countries, including those with a J.D. from the United States.
Applications for the program open on August 1, 2024. Interested candidates can email [email protected] for more information.
