National Law Review, in partnership with Wickard, has selected Mark Williams, Founding Co-Director of the Vanderbilt AI Law Lab (VAILL), as one of the top 50 legal innovators in academia for 2026.
Selected through an independent selection committee process, the honorees reflect a broad range of contributions to the continued evolution of legal education, from curricular and institutional innovation to scholarship, technology, and new models of professional training.
Williams, a Professor of the Practice of Law and Associate Director for Collections and Innovation at the Vanderbilt Law Library, works at the intersection of legal technology education and innovation. His work examines artificial intelligence, legal services, and access to justice while connecting legal education with emerging technologies.
Williams has helped shape VAILL, launched in 2023, into a hub for AI research and education. As a certified AI Governance Professional through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), Williams applies his knowledge of AI implementation and governance frameworks across his various roles.
Williams developed “AI in Legal Practice,” one of the first law school courses focused on generative AI in legal practice. The course examines applications and limitations of AI in legal research, document drafting, litigation support, and ethical considerations. He also created the Coursera online course “Generative AI for Legal Services Primer,” which was the first of its kind on this topic, extending these educational opportunities to practicing legal professionals globally.