The University of Chicago Law School is banning phones and laptops in required first-year courses to prevent students from using artificial intelligence [1].
This move reflects a growing tension between traditional legal pedagogy and the rapid adoption of generative AI in professional education. By removing digital devices, the school aims to ensure that foundational legal reasoning is developed without the assistance of automated tools.
The policy was unveiled on Thursday, July 9, 2026 [1]. The restriction applies specifically to the required courses taken by students in their first year of study at the Chicago, Illinois, institution [1], [2].
Law school administrators said the use of AI tools in coursework was the primary driver for the ban [1], [4]. The school is returning to a more analog environment to prioritize student engagement and critical thinking, skills central to the Socratic method of teaching [2].
While many legal institutions have integrated technology into the classroom, this policy represents a hard pivot back to paper and pen for the most critical stage of legal training [3]. The ban targets the potential for students to use AI to generate answers or summarize case law in real time during lectures [4], [5].
This strategy is part of a broader effort to maintain academic integrity as AI capabilities evolve [6]. The school has not specified if the ban will extend to second- or third-year students, focusing instead on the introductory curriculum where fundamental habits are formed [1], [3].
“The University of Chicago Law School is banning phones and laptops in required first-year courses”
This policy signals a shift toward 'digital detox' environments in high-stakes professional education. As AI becomes more capable of mimicking legal analysis, institutions may increasingly view the physical removal of technology as the only reliable method to verify human cognitive effort and ensure that students master basic legal principles before utilizing assistive technology.
