Heading into its third academic year, the Vanderbilt AI Law Lab (VAILL) has announced several updates to its student-facing programming, as well as the appointment of Emily Pavuluri to the role of Associate Director.
GenAI Bootcamps for first-year law students
VAILL is partnering with the Legal Research and Writing program to deliver a series of GenAI bootcamps to the entering 1L class, placing AI instruction inside the course where students are already learning to find, evaluate, and rely on legal authority. These workshops mirror the AI education VAILL delivers to law firms, preparing students for their professional obligations before they enter employment.
While VAILL has led 1L bootcamps before, this year’s offerings sit inside existing coursework and take place after the fall semester, allowing students to build fundamental legal research and writing skills before AI-related training enters the curriculum.
“Students arrive having used general tools without knowing how those tools behave on legal questions,” said Pavuluri. “Running the sessions through Legal Research and Writing helps to frame AI competence as part of legal practice, rather than as a separate technical skill.”
Workshop series utilizing AI legal tools from AltaClaro and Harvey
The Lab will continue to offer two to three workshops per semester, featuring VAILL team members delivering CLE-style content and legal technology leaders demonstrating practical applications of technology in law practice. Students will conduct simulated depositions through AltaClaro’s DepoSim and leverage the generative AI platform Harvey.ai to assist with drafting, research, and analysis.
VAILL student cohort
Interested students will have the opportunity to join an informal cohort of students who will test tools, contribute to benchmarking and other lab research projects, and connect with visiting thought leaders and vendors.
“We’re seeking interested law students to lead the conversation with our thought partners and give them an opportunity to engage directly with leaders in the field,” noted Mark Williams, VAILL Founding Co-Director.
New Associate Director
Emily Pavuluri has been named Associate Director of the Lab, effective August 2026. Pavuluri, a Lecturer and Assistant Director of Faculty Services, has been a member of VAILL since its inception. She designs and teaches courses, workshops and bootcamps focused on practical AI use in legal research and practice. Her AI Augmented Legal Research course, one of the first of its kind in the country, led her to create ailegalresearch.org, a site that U.S. law schools have used to shape their own research instruction.
“We’re thrilled to announce Emily’s well-deserved promotion,” said Cat Moon, Founding Co-Director of VAILL. “Her work has been instrumental in advancing VAILL’s mission.”
Building on a Strong Foundation of Legal AI Programming and Coursework
The offerings are the latest additions to a robust AI curriculum, open to students enrolled in the J.D., LL.M., and MLS programs, as well as the Legal Studies Minor. Courses include:
- AI in Law Practice, one of the first courses of its kind.
- Introduction to AI in Law Practice, taught to undergraduates as part of the Legal Studies Minor, three-credit graded course.
- AI Literacy for Legal Services, offered in the Master of Legal Studies curriculum as of Fall 2026.
- AI Augmented Legal Research.
- VAILL Practicum, where students use tools in creative ways to develop new legal solutions and grapple with the future of legal work as the technology advances.
- Law as a Business, which focuses on the impact of technology, specifically AI, on the law firm business model and the industry as a whole.
- AI Governance, Ethics and Compliance.
- Agentic AI for Law.
- Legal Practice Technology.
- Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: Legal and Policy Implications.
- Data in Law Practice.
- Legal Operations.
- Legal Problem Solving.
- Quantum Technology: Legal and Societal Implications of the Quantum Age.
- Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and the Law.
- The Law of Data as an Asset.
- E-discovery.
- Policing in the 21st Century.
“The breadth and depth of our curriculum keeps us at the forefront of legal AI education, but it’s important to note that several of the courses were in place before the creation of VAILL,” said Moon. “We’ve been engaged with this work for a decade.”