- AI Prompt-a-thon – Forget the tired “hallucinations” talk. Learn practical AI strategies from someone who actually trains law firm partners. Walk away with prompts and workflows you can use immediately.
- Business & Financial Literacy – When I went in-house, I had to take a 3-day “Accounting for Lawyers” course just to catch up. We’ll give you the essentials in one session from a former BigLaw partner, an in house lawyer from one of the largest business insurers, and an accountant—so you can speak the language of your business clients.
- Clauses that Matter – Poor drafting can cost millions (and AI cut-and-paste won’t save you). Hear what counsel zero in
Canes Contract Drafting and Negotiation Challenge Sept 6 At University of Miami and Bonus Bootcamp
- Teams: 2–4 students, at least one must be a law student. Coaches welcome.
- $100 for 2-person teams / $200 for 4-person teams.
- Only 12 team slots available — registration closes August 20 at 11:59 PM ET (or when full). We only have a few slots left.
- Contract problem released upon registration or August 1, whichever comes later.
- Contract
Teaching and Lawyering in the Age of AI
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
Navigating the Relationship Between the Administrative State and Emerging Technology- University of Miami Law Review Symposium February 14, 2025
This year’s symposium, titled Navigating the Relationship Between the Administrative State and Emerging Technology, will focus on the evolving regulatory frameworks around emerging technologies like digital assets and artificial intelligence (AI). These technologies are rapidly transforming the way individuals and businesses engage in commerce, interact socially, and innovate. These advancements, however, raise profound questions about the applicability of existing regulatory structures. The symposium will bring together leading experts to discuss how the administrative state can balance the protection of innovation with the mitigation of risks associated with these technologies, while ensuring that laws evolve to meet the challenges of the future.
We are thrilled to welcome Michele Korver, Head of Regulatory & Operating Partner at a16z crypto, to deliver the opening keynote. Michele’s wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors will provide invaluable insights into the state of digital asset regulation. The event will conclude with a thought-provoking closing address, offering reflections on the key discussions of the day.
Welcome and Opening Remarks (1:15 PM – 1:25 PM)
The symposium will begin with brief welcoming remarks, setting the stage for an afternoon of in-depth discussions and exploring the complexities surrounding the intersection of technology, law, and
Learn About the Future of Contracts in Miami February 10-11
Miami in February. Sunhine. Mojitos. Superbowl Party. Contracts.
Yes. All of these things go together.
Registration is Now Open for Future Contracts Miami!
We’re thrilled to announce that the University of Miami School of Law will host the inaugural Future Contracts Miami conference on February 10-11, 2025!
Featured Topics
How AI is reshaping contracts for law firms and in-house
How UM Law is preparing future lawyers in the age of AI
The rise of contract standardization
Featured Speakers
Darryl Chiang, Director of Legal at Google
Juliet Astbury, Corporate Practice Leader, Dentons
Isabel Parker, Chief Innovation Officer, White & Case
Kyle Pankratz, VP Legal Operations, Mastercard
and so many more!
Event Details
February 10th-11th, 2025
University of Miami Shalala Student Center
1330 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Featured Event Sponsors
Law Insider
HarveyAI
SimpleDocs
Exclusive Alumni Tickets
Thanks to our sponsors, we’re able to offer 40 FREE all-access passes* (including the Super Bowl Watch Party on Sunday, February 9th):
Register here for your complimentary ticket
See you in Miami!
Do Lawyers Need to Look at Ethics Differently?
In law school, students take a professional responsibility exam and then take the MPRE exam. After graduation, they sit through (often boring) continuing legal education courses and try to get that precious ethics credit.
I don’t teach professional responsibility anymore, although I do speak about ethics in my Compliance, Corporate Governance, and Sustainability and my Business and Human Rights courses.
But as business professors, I’m not sure that we spend enough time talking about business ethics. Yes, it’s important to know about conflicts of interests but do we know how to advise our business clients on the issues that affect them?
I get to flex my “ethics” muscles in an interdisciplinary Innovation, Technology, and Design program housed in our School of Engineering, where I teach a course on Ethics, Equity, and Responsibility- basically Ethics and Technology.
They say grading is the worst part of being a professor.
But not this week.
My students in the ITD class brought me to tears reading their final exams.
I was impressed by their projects on regulating technologies like social media, cloning, AI, and robotics, and by their business plans and pitches for new innovations.
I would invest in some of them today if
Register for the ‘Canes Contract Challenge Competition January 16-17, 2025!
If you’re a law professor, please consider sending a team to Miami on January 16th for the University of Miami’s inaugural contract drafting and negotiation competition.
We have slots for 4 more teams and there is no registration fee due to the generosity of our sponsors, Law Insider and SimpleDocs. We are excited to welcome students from the University of Miami, William & Mary, SMU Dedman, St. Thomas (Miami), and North Carolina Central University.
We will award $5000 in cash prizes and students will be in beautiful Miami, Florida in January. What more could you want? We will hold registration open until December 20 or until we fill the slots.
Key dates are below:
Saturday December 21, 2024:
8:00am: Written Round prompt release
Monday January 13, 2025:
5:00pm: Deadline for Written Round contract submission.
8:00pm: Release of Negotiation Round 1 prompt.
All required in-person events will be held at the Newman Alumni Center
6200 San Amaro Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Thursday January 16, 2025
3:00-4:00pm: Registration and Check In
4:00-5:20pm: Negotiation Round 1
5:30-7:00pm: Networking Reception
7:30-10:00pm: Dine Around Dinners
10:00pm: Negotiation Round 2 prompts released.
Friday January 17, 2025
8:30am-10:00am: Continental breakfast available
9:00am-10:00am: Registration and Check In
ESG in the Trump/Vance Era Pt. 2: Insights from Private Equity, Startups, and Global Markets
In my previous post on a November 7th Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) panel on ESG through the life cycle of a business, I outlined the shifting landscape of ESG in the wake of recent regulatory and social developments in the U.S. This follow-up provides more detail on the insights shared by my fellow panelists, Eugenia Maria Di Marco and Ahpaly Coradin, who explored ESG in the contexts of startups, international markets, private equity, and M&A. As President-elect Trump continues to name cabinet members and advisors, I and others expect that ESG issues will continue to be a hot button issue here in the US.
Ahpaly shared his perspective on ESG trends, particularly in private equity. Although he acknowledged that in the US, interest in ESG is waning, many PE firms still screen for ESG risks at the initial target selection stage and during due diligence. Larger firms see market positioning and risk mitigation as the main benefits of ESG. However, revenue growth and capital allocation are not primary motivators due to the lack of data. He noted that many limited partners are increasingly deploying capital away from sectors like tobacco, alcohol, and to a lesser
Transactional Skills Drafting and Negotiation Competition in Miami, January 16-17
It’s the day after Thanksgiving so I’ll post part 2 of my discussion in ESG in the Trump/Vance era next week.
Today, as students are stressed out over finals, here’s a post to brighten their day. Please share and forward far and wide.
We are pleased to invite your school to send a team to participate in the inaugural University of Miami Transactional Skills Competition, designed to provide law students with an unparalleled opportunity to refine their transactional lawyering skills in a challenging and dynamic setting.
In keeping with the vibrant culture of Miami, the details and challenges for this competition will be sophisticated, unexpected, and innovative, embodying the city’s forward-thinking ethos. This competition presents a distinctive opportunity for law students to engage with real-world, progressive transactional scenarios in emerging industries.
Unlike traditional moot court or contract negotiation contests, this event invites participants to navigate the complexities of contract drafting while considering broader business factors. Through a blend of virtual and in-person rounds, students will manage high-stakes negotiations while developing essential skills in negotiation, strategic thinking, and client representation. This comprehensive experience prepares participants to excel in transactional law, providing them with the expertise necessary to succeed at the intersection
ESG in the Trump/Vance Era- Part 1
- Elon Musk, who may have significant influence in the Trump administration, has stated, “ESG is a scam. It has been weaponized by phony social justice warriors.”
- The SEC’s climate-risk disclosure rule is already facing several legal challenges and may not survive.
- An open letter from the Attorney Generals of 13 states following the Supreme Court’s SFAA decision re race warned Fortune 100 CEOs that companies using DEI to “engage in racial discrimination should and will face serious legal consequences.”
- AGs from 21 other states reassured CEOs that diversity and inclusion programs “comply with the spirit and the letter of state and federal law” and actually “reduce corporate risk for claims of discrimination.”
- As of September 2024, about 20 states have enacted anti-ESG legislation.
- In July 2024, SHRM, the