law briefs
Dear Suffolk Law alumni and friends:
The rapid acceleration of technological change and mounting pressures on democratic institutions have created an inflection point for the legal profession. Lawyers today face a fundamental question: How do we prepare for a future arriving faster than we can fully comprehend?
At Suffolk Law, we’ve been answering that question for nearly 120 years by continuously adapting our educational model to meet the moment. This issue of the Suffolk Law Alumni Magazine explores three dimensions of what we’re calling “the Future of Law”: the law of technology, the technology of law practice, and the enduring challenge of protecting the rule of law at a time of change.
THE LAW OF TECHNOLOGY
As artificial intelligence transforms virtually every sector of our world, Suffolk Law is on the front lines of helping to shape the legal framework. For example, in our Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic (IPEC), students recently navigated uncharted waters for a client seeking to secure copyright protection for a graphic novel that combined human creativity with AI-generated artwork. The experience forced them to confront fundamental questions about authorship and originality when the line between human and machine contribution is increasingly blurred.
Our faculty are similarly shaping the law through their scholarship. For instance, Professor Darrell Mottley, who directs IPEC, is examining how copyright law should evolve to address AI-generated works, contributing to a national conversation that will influence courts and policymakers. And Professor Peter Karol, who specializes in intellectual property and emerging technologies, is analyzing how a recent billion-dollar copyright settlement will shape the AI industry’s approach to training data.
Through groundbreaking scholarship, teaching innovation, and engagement with real-world challenges, Suffolk Law faculty are defining the legal principles governing technological change and helping our students prepare for the future.
THE TECHNOLOGY OF LAW
In addition to shaping the law governing emerging technology, Suffolk Law has become a national leader in advancing the development of technologies that enhance the delivery of legal services.
Among other initiatives, our Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Lab teaches students how to use cutting-edge technology and innovative methods to deliver legal services in more efficient and effective ways. This past year, the LIT Lab’s eviction record-sealing platform, praised by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell at its launch, translated complex statutory requirements into accessible mobile-friendly guidance. In our American Arbitration Association Online Dispute Resolution Innovation Clinic, students are redesigning the divorce process under the guidance of former Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court John Casey, JD ’82, creating digital workflows that could help thousands of self-represented litigants.
This fall, we became one of the first law schools to integrate generative AI training into our mandatory first-year Legal Practice Skills course. Meanwhile, Professor Dwight Golann’s AI-powered negotiation platform—developed in partnership with our LIT Lab—has drawn national attention by demonstrating how AI can be deployed to help teach essential lawyering skills.
This issue also highlights alumni who have embraced innovation, like Julia Rodgers, JD ’16, who founded HelloPrenup to democratize access to prenuptial agreements through document automation. Also featured is James Haley, JD ’75, cofounder of Haley Guiliano, LLP, who helped establish the legal framework for biotechnology patents in the 1980s and now uses AI to revolutionize prior-art searches.
THE RULE OF LAW
Finally, this issue examines the role of lawyers in defending democratic institutions in times of political polarization—a responsibility that transcends party affiliation. Two principles are especially critical: Lawyers must be able to ethically represent their clients without fear of government retaliation, and law schools must be able to teach their curricula and engage in free academic inquiry without government interference.
This year saw a powerful defense of these principles. You will read about U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, JD ’74—a prominent federal judge appointed by President George W. Bush—who issued an important ruling striking down an executive order that sought to punish a law firm for representing clients and causes this presidential administration opposed.
Judge Leon’s decision reminds us that safeguarding lawyers’ ability to advocate ethically and law schools’ freedom to educate without political interference is central to our mission and the foundation upon which our students’ future contributions to justice depend. Whether our students and alumni represent unpopular clients, challenge government overreach, or advocate for their chosen causes, they must be able to do so without fear of punishment.
CONTINUING OUR TRADITION
The stories in this issue represent more than isolated achievements—they reflect Suffolk Law’s longstanding commitment to our mission. When Gleason Archer founded the Law School in 1906, he envisioned a law school that prepares students for the realities of law practice. Today, we continue that tradition by ensuring that outstanding students from all backgrounds can navigate an evolving legal landscape, harness new tools to better serve clients, and defend the foundational principles that animate our work as lawyers and citizens.
Andrew Perlman
Dean & Professor of Law
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Photographs by Michael J. Clarke
winter 2026
