AI, legal education and the future of professional judgment

MMTC researcher Yuliya Khvatsik Opens in new window. recently participated in IE Lawtomation Days 2026 in Madrid, contributing to an international discussion on how generative AI is transforming legal education, professional learning and access to legal assistance.

Yuliya Khvatsik, Assistant Professor in Law at Jönköping International Business School, participated in the fifth edition of IE Lawtomation Days, held at IE Law School on 24–25 September under the theme “Redesigning Law in the AI Age: From Legacy to Legitimacy.”

Together with colleagues from Spain, Poland and Lithuania, Yuliya organised the panel “AI as a Legal Clinics Killer?”, examining how generative AI may change pro bono work and clinical legal education.

Drawing on an exploratory survey of legal-clinic participants and examples of emerging AI-enabled clinical models, the panel considered the opportunities AI offers for increasing efficiency and access to legal assistance, alongside questions about critical thinking, human responsibility, client relationships and professional development.

A particular focus was the potential emergence of an “apprenticeship gap.” If AI increasingly performs research, drafting and revision traditionally undertaken by students and junior lawyers, future professionals may have fewer opportunities to learn through practice, feedback and the gradual development of legal judgment.

The discussion highlights a broader dimension of digital transformation: new technologies can change not only how professional work is carried out, but also how expertise, skills and professional judgment are developed. This opens important questions for further research into how professional education can make use of AI while preserving the learning processes through which novices become experts.