Suffolk Law to embed generative Aritifical Intelligence training into required first-year curriculum

In partnership with Hotshot, Suffolk University Law School will mandate a new AI learning track for all 1L students starting fall 2025.

Suffolk University Law School has announced it will integrate a custom generative AI learning track into its required Legal Practice Skills course for all incoming first-year students, beginning in the 2025–26 academic year. The new track was developed in collaboration with Hotshot, a legal training platform.

Suffolk Law is the first law school in the country to make this Hotshot AI training mandatory for its entire 1L cohort. The move comes amid increased pressure on legal education providers to prepare students for the operational realities of a rapidly evolving legal sector.

Hands-on content tailored for early legal instruction

The AI track will be embedded in the fall semester of Suffolk’s Legal Practice Skills course, which currently ranks third nationally for legal writing, according to U.S. News. Students will complete a sequence of asynchronous videos and in-class exercises that introduce core AI concepts and connect them to legal applications.

Topics include the basics of generative AI and large language models, legal ethics, professional responsibility, and discipline-specific use cases. Upon completion, students will receive certificates that can be shared with potential employers.

Dyane L. O’Leary, professor of legal writing and director of Suffolk Law’s Legal Innovation & Technology Center, says: “Today, legal skills press far beyond traditional memos and research. Law students and lawyers are expected to understand the basics of Generative AI tools, including their limitations and risks. While Suffolk Law’s LIT Concentration offers unique upper-level electives for a deep dive, all students need a strong, foundational understanding.”

Emphasis on practical tools over theory

Hotshot’s content is already used by half of the Am Law 100 and several law schools. Its modular format is designed to bridge theoretical understanding with real-world legal practice, a combination Suffolk says aligns with its educational mission.

O’Leary adds: “Suffolk’s program strives to teach students ‘old’ but still critical analysis skills alongside transformative tools—we can’t pretend they don’t exist, or that students aren’t using them. The asynchronous, flexible Hotshot videos offer the perfect kick-off in combination with our curriculum as we help students transition from personal users of tools like ChatGPT to professional ones.”

Ian Nelson, co-founder of Hotshot, comments: “Suffolk’s approach to legal education perfectly aligns with our mission to provide practical, accessible training for all lawyers, law students and other legal professionals. By working together to create a custom learning track for all 1L students, Suffolk is ensuring students have the traditional skills and the technological fluency that they need.”