Justice Sotomayor Urges Law Students: Learn Legal AI Tools, Heed Their Risks
Justice Sotomayor told students at UCLA and Kansas law schools to master legal AI tools, despite risks.
Why it matters: Legal professionals face rapid change as artificial intelligence enters the legal field. Preparing now helps lawyers navigate both new risks and critical skills needed in a tech-shaped future.
- Justice Sotomayor called AI 'very dangerous' but stressed legal students must master it.
- She spoke at UCLA School of Law on Feb. 6 and the University of Kansas in April 2026.
- Sotomayor highlighted the importance of advocacy and communication alongside tech skills.
- Her talks focused on preparing students for how AI will transform legal work.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor pressed law students to become proficient with artificial intelligence, even as she warned of its dangers, in recent speeches at major law schools.
- At UCLA and the University of Kansas, Sotomayor described artificial intelligence—tools that automate tasks like contract review and legal research—as a force law students cannot ignore.
- She called AI "very dangerous" but necessary for future lawyers to master, saying in remarks covered by Legaltech News, "You have to master it, or be left behind."
- Beyond technical skills, Sotomayor emphasized the human side: "It is you young people... who have the intelligence, resources, and, I hope, the heart to leave the world better."
- She urged future lawyers to blend technology literacy with advocacy, communication, and civic engagement—skills she sees as essential to maintaining democracy.
Sotomayor's message comes as many law schools begin to update their curricula to address the impact of generative AI and automation on legal practice. Law professionals and educators see her remarks as part of a growing call to balance technical and human strengths in the legal field.
By the numbers:
- >600 — Attendees at Justice Sotomayor's speech at UCLA in February 2026
- 2 — Law schools addressed by Sotomayor on legal AI in 2026
Yes, but: Some legal educators worry that overemphasis on technology could sideline core advocacy skills essential to legal practice.
What's next: Several law schools plan curriculum reviews to integrate AI training based on recommendations from legal leaders, including Justice Sotomayor.