Units / LAW4542
LAW4542 · AI, technology and the law
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 4Faculty of Law
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
The focus of the Unit will be on what the law and lawyers can do to make AI conform to the Rule of Law. This includes the legal implications of AI misuse: its potential for bias, injustice and disruption as well as opportunities it may provide if properly regulated. The aim is to encourage future lawyers to think about the future of law and technology within a range of real-world contexts and topics, such as algorithms and their decision making; privacy in a world of online user analysis and facial recognition; democracy and electioneering; concepts of legal personhood and; how all of this might be regulated and controlled.
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | First semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assignment 1 | Written | 50% | — |
| 2 | Assignment 2 | Written | 50% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge and evaluation of the impact of AI on selected areas of law (none of which are outside the pre-requisites of the course) and legal practice, including contemporary predictions regarding the future of the legal profession.
- Assess relevant academic literature and apply the results of the research to the specific issues under review.
- Critically assess, and communicate in writing, developments and challenges in relation to AI and the law.
- Reflect on their own capabilities and performance and make use of feedback to support their academic development.
Workload
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcome for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 36 hours |
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