Friends keep sending me contracts they created with ChatGPT or Claude.
They read well. The formatting is clean.
But essential clauses are often missing—or the terms don’t reflect the actual business deal.
Sometimes I revise heavily. Sometimes I start over.
This post isn’t about whether AI is capable.
It’s about whether the person prompting knows how contracts actually work in business.
A contract isn’t a CYA document like my friends think. It reflects how the parties have chosen to allocate risk, reflect their priorities, and protect relationships and business interests.
AI can assist with drafting. I use it. I teach it. But without commercial judgment, even the best prompt won’t protect the business.
We’re need to train future lawyers and all workers not to rely on AI but to partner with it.
At University of Miami School of Law, we’re preparing students to step into the real world—with both digital and business acumen.
In our Transactional Skills Program, students don’t learn theory.
They negotiate, redline, bill, meet with simulated clients, and use AI responsibly. They also work with real-world agreements—documents they’ll see in practice:
✅ NDAs, employment, and contractor agreements
✅ SaaS, MSAs, and licensing deals
✅ Escrow, loan, and asset purchase agreements
✅ Commercial leases, underwriting, and private equity documents
They learn from practicing lawyers—GCs, partners, and in-house counsel—who emphasize what clients care about most: risk, clarity, and commercial outcomes.
And I bring the lens of a former commercial litigator and in house counsel—so students understand what happens when contract language meets conflict, ambiguity, pressure, or scope creep.
I’d love to hear your views:
What’s the number one skill transactional lawyers need right now?
And how do you think that skill will evolve in the next five years?
As I finalize our fall syllabi, I’m reflecting deeply on what we’re teaching—and how we can do it better. Your insights are welcome—especially if you’re hiring, mentoring, building tools, or working directly with contracts every day.
And if you want to help shape what’s next…
Join us on September 5 in Miami for our one-day Transactional Skills Bootcamp + Canes Contract Challenge:
✅ Two CLE tracks (junior + senior lawyers)
✅ Live negotiation simulation
✅ Law student drafting competition
✅ Practical training and real-world application
✅ Networking Miami-style
We’re inviting:
✅ Speakers
✅ Schools who want to send competitors
✅ Planning committee members
✅ Bar association partners
✅ Sponsors
✅ Firms that want to upskill associates & meet top talent
Reach out: mweldon@law.miami.edu.
The future belongs to those who combine business sense, legal clarity, and AI fluency. Who’s in to help me build it?