UP Law adopts new rules on AI use for first-year students

The University of the Philippines College of Law will require offline classes and examinations for core subjects and prohibit the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for certain writing requirements among first-year law students under its new rules on AI use. In a policy statement adopted by the college’s regular faculty on Aug. 4, the college said the measures aim to develop an “AI-resilient” approach to legal education while strengthening students’ legal analysis and critical thinking skills. The policy will take effect at the first-year level of the Juris Doctor program beginning Academic Year 2026–2027. Under the new guidelines, first-year core subjects, particularly those traditionally covered in the Philippine Bar Examinations, will be taught offline to the greatest extent possible. Classes for these subjects will return fully onsite, except in exigent circumstances, make-up classes, or when allowed by the dean. Students will also be prohibited from using digital or electronic devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, smart watches, smart glasses, and recorders, during onsite core classes unless permitted by instructors for class activities or emergencies. Major assessments, including midterm and final examinations, will also be conducted individually, onsite, and offline. For writing requirements such as academic papers and legal memoranda, students will not be allowed to rely on generative AI at any stage of the research and writing process, including conceptualization, drafting, editing, and grammar checking. The college will also prohibit the use of research or legal databases that are principally reliant on AI. However, faculty members may allow limited use of AI-based research tools after students have been taught and assessed on research fundamentals. Students permitted to use such tools will be required to disclose the scope and extent of their AI use. The college said the policy was developed amid concerns over the impact of regular AI use on students’ legal reasoning and argumentation. “We have noted a considerable decline in the quality of reasoning and argumentation coinciding with the regular use of AI by students for case briefing, answering simple queries during class, and research,” the faculty said. The faculty also cited feedback from employers that raised similar concerns about new graduates, saying many students had become “not just AI-literate but AI-dependent.” The college said AI tools should supplement, rather than replace, strong analytical skills needed by lawyers. “We believe that these tools at best supplement strong analytical skills,” the faculty said. It warned that lawyers who lack a strong grasp of legal fundamentals risk malpractice and the misapplication of law. The Faculty Colloquium on Technology, Legal Education and Law Practice will monitor compliance with the policy and its effects as the college prepares similar guidelines for higher-year subjects.