The University of California, Berkeley School of Law is expanding its LL.M. Certificate in AI Law and Regulation, adding new courses and emphasizing the program’s global impact as demand for tech-savvy lawyers grows.
The certificate, launched last year as the first of its kind, is part of Berkeley Law’s LL.M. executive track and can be completed online with a summer in residence or over two summers in Berkeley. Courses cover privacy, intellectual property, algorithmic bias and regulatory frameworks such as the EU AI Act. Graduates have advised tech firms, governments and NGOs on responsible AI policy. Participants have come from more than 40 countries and a growing number of U.S. J.D.s are enrolling to broaden their expertise.
New courses in biotechnology, business and entrepreneurship will deepen the program’s focus on real-world governance challenges that come with rapid innovation. Topics include patenting AI-assisted inventions, compliance with data privacy laws, algorithmic accountability in medical diagnostics and drug development and corporate strategy amid geopolitical rivalry and regulatory uncertainty. Guest speakers and policy experts provide insight into how law is put into practice.
“Today’s lawyers need to integrate technology into their practice, not just understand it in theory,” said Chris Jay Hoofnagle, professor and faculty co-director at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. “Learning to think like a lawyer in the age of AI means using machine learning, computer vision and other digital tools ethically and effectively to investigate, analyze and advocate.”
Graham Ryan, a partner at Jones Walker LLP and part of the inaugural class, said the program has already strengthened his approach to complex problems at the intersection of law and technology.
“Being part of the first cohort has been a deep dive into how AI is transforming business, law and society,” he said.
