The University of Michigan Law School has launched its AI Advisory Council, a distinguished group of alumni and leaders from across the legal profession, the technology sector, and academia. The council reflects Michigan Law’s growing engagement with artificial intelligence and its commitment to shaping how the legal profession adapts to rapidly evolving technologies.
The launch of the AI Advisory Council builds on a growing portfolio of AI-related teaching, research, and experiential learning at Michigan Law. Faculty are already engaging students at the frontier of legal and technological change through courses such as Artificial Intelligence and the Law, which explores how AI is reshaping areas from liability and intellectual property to privacy and regulation. In hands-on offerings like the AI Sandbox, students work directly with emerging tools.
At the same time, Michigan Law is exploring how AI can expand access to justice. A new clinical initiative led by Professors Bridgette Carr, ’02, and Vivek Sankaran, ’01, examines whether AI tools can help close the justice gap faced by low-income communities. Complementing this work, faculty research is beginning to demonstrate the real-world impact of AI in legal practice, including gains in efficiency and, in some cases, improvements in legal reasoning.
Across these efforts, a common theme has emerged: the importance of pairing technological fluency with critical thinking, ethical awareness, and professional judgment. From classroom discussions about how AI risk is framed and governed to library-led initiatives that train students to evaluate AI-generated research, Michigan Law is approaching AI not simply as a tool but as a domain in which lawyers will play a central role in shaping outcomes.
The AI Advisory Council is designed to extend and sharpen this work, bringing industry insight and strategic guidance to help ensure that Michigan Law’s approach remains rigorous and responsive to a rapidly changing profession.
“The legal profession is being reshaped in real time by advances in artificial intelligence,” said Neel U. Sukhatme, David A. Breach Dean of Law and professor of law. “Our responsibility is to prepare students not only to understand these tools but to use them thoughtfully and ethically in service of clients and the rule of law. The AI Advisory Council brings together an extraordinary group of leaders whose insights will help ensure that Michigan Law remains both forward-looking and grounded in the core values of the profession.”
The council recently convened for its inaugural meeting, bringing together a wide range of perspectives to inform the Law School’s approach to AI. The discussion marked the beginning of an ongoing strategic dialogue focused on the opportunities and challenges that AI presents for legal education and practice.
“The opportunity is to ensure that lawyers are equipped to use these tools to better serve their clients; the responsibility is to question those same tools, improve them, and understand their limits. That’s where this kind of collaboration becomes essential,” said Mary E. Snapp, ’84, the council’s chair and a senior fellow in Microsoft’s Corporate External and Legal Affairs division.
The AI Advisory Council will continue to meet regularly with Law School leadership, offering guidance on curriculum, programming, and strategic priorities. Members will also engage with students and faculty through events and other initiatives, helping to position Michigan Law as a leading voice in the evolving intersection of law and technology.
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Michigan Law Advisory Council
Mary E. Snapp, ’84 (Chair)
Senior Fellow, Microsoft Corporate External and Legal Affairs
Daniel J. Bergeson, ’82
Founder and Partner, Bergeson, LLP
David A. Breach, ’94
President, Vista Equity Partners
Bruce R. Byrd, ’92
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Palo Alto Networks
David A. Caragliano, ’09
Global Head of Ads Safety, Google
Clarissa Cerda, ’92
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Pindrop Security
Jennifer W. Chaloemtiarana, ’97
Former General Counsel, Doximity
James G. DeVaney
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Founding Executive Director, Center for Academic Innovation, University of Michigan
Noel K. Egnatios, ’06
CEO and Chief Legal Officer, DivX LLC
Lisa Gevelber
Global Vice President, Google
Dennis M. Kennedy
President and Principal Investigator, Dennis Kennedy Advisory Services
Jerry S. Kowal, ’99
Co-Founder, Stealth AI Startup
Daniel W. Linna Jr., ’04
Director of Law and Technology Initiatives, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
John M. Lummis, ’82
CEO, Soncy Capital
Bridget M. McCormack
President and CEO, American Arbitration Association
Carla S. Newell, ’85
Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, GSR Ventures
Idan Netser, S.J.D. ‘17, LLM ’08
Partner, Sidley Austin
James D. Peters, ’03
Managing Director, North America, Lawhive
Ashish S. Prasad
Vice President & General Counsel, Haystack
Michael H. Rubin, ’00
Partner, Latham & Watkins, Global Chair of Artificial Intelligence
James P. Shaughnessy, ’79
Chief Legal Officer, Docusign
Nikki Sokol, ’98
Director & Associate General Counsel, Meta
Robert P. Stefanski Sr., ’89
Co-Founder & Managing Director, eLab Ventures
Darth Vaughn
Associate General Counsel & Managing Director, Policy and Legal Operations, Ford Motor Company
Jeremy E. Wenokur, ’92
Partner, Lightbox Ventures
Daniel A. Zibel, ’04
Vice President & Chief Legal Counsel, National Student Legal Defense Network
The launch of the AI Advisory Council builds on a growing portfolio of AI-related teaching, research, and experiential learning at Michigan Law. Faculty are already engaging students at the frontier of legal and technological change through courses such as Artificial Intelligence and the Law, which explores how AI is reshaping areas from liability and intellectual property to privacy and regulation. In hands-on offerings like the AI Sandbox, students work directly with emerging tools.
At the same time, Michigan Law is exploring how AI can expand access to justice. A new clinical initiative led by Professors Bridgette Carr, ’02, and Vivek Sankaran, ’01, examines whether AI tools can help close the justice gap faced by low-income communities. Complementing this work, faculty research is beginning to demonstrate the real-world impact of AI in legal practice, including gains in efficiency and, in some cases, improvements in legal reasoning.
Across these efforts, a common theme has emerged: the importance of pairing technological fluency with critical thinking, ethical awareness, and professional judgment. From classroom discussions about how AI risk is framed and governed to library-led initiatives that train students to evaluate AI-generated research, Michigan Law is approaching AI not simply as a tool but as a domain in which lawyers will play a central role in shaping outcomes.
The AI Advisory Council is designed to extend and sharpen this work, bringing industry insight and strategic guidance to help ensure that Michigan Law’s approach remains rigorous and responsive to a rapidly changing profession.
“The legal profession is being reshaped in real time by advances in artificial intelligence,” said Neel U. Sukhatme, David A. Breach Dean of Law and professor of law. “Our responsibility is to prepare students not only to understand these tools but to use them thoughtfully and ethically in service of clients and the rule of law. The AI Advisory Council brings together an extraordinary group of leaders whose insights will help ensure that Michigan Law remains both forward-looking and grounded in the core values of the profession.”
The council recently convened for its inaugural meeting, bringing together a wide range of perspectives to inform the Law School’s approach to AI. The discussion marked the beginning of an ongoing strategic dialogue focused on the opportunities and challenges that AI presents for legal education and practice.
“The opportunity is to ensure that lawyers are equipped to use these tools to better serve their clients; the responsibility is to question those same tools, improve them, and understand their limits. That’s where this kind of collaboration becomes essential,” said Mary E. Snapp, ’84, the council’s chair and a senior fellow in Microsoft’s Corporate External and Legal Affairs division.
The AI Advisory Council will continue to meet regularly with Law School leadership, offering guidance on curriculum, programming, and strategic priorities. Members will also engage with students and faculty through events and other initiatives, helping to position Michigan Law as a leading voice in the evolving intersection of law and technology.
—————
Michigan Law Advisory Council
Mary E. Snapp, ’84 (Chair)
Senior Fellow, Microsoft Corporate External and Legal Affairs
Daniel J. Bergeson, ’82
Founder and Partner, Bergeson, LLP
David A. Breach, ’94
President, Vista Equity Partners
Bruce R. Byrd, ’92
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Palo Alto Networks
David A. Caragliano, ’09
Global Head of Ads Safety, Google
Clarissa Cerda, ’92
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Pindrop Security
Jennifer W. Chaloemtiarana, ’97
Former General Counsel, Doximity
James G. DeVaney
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Founding Executive Director, Center for Academic Innovation, University of Michigan
Noel K. Egnatios, ’06
CEO and Chief Legal Officer, DivX LLC
Lisa Gevelber
Global Vice President, Google
Dennis M. Kennedy
President and Principal Investigator, Dennis Kennedy Advisory Services
Jerry S. Kowal, ’99
Co-Founder, Stealth AI Startup
Daniel W. Linna Jr., ’04
Director of Law and Technology Initiatives, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
John M. Lummis, ’82
CEO, Soncy Capital
Bridget M. McCormack
President and CEO, American Arbitration Association
Carla S. Newell, ’85
Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, GSR Ventures
Idan Netser, S.J.D. ‘17, LLM ’08
Partner, Sidley Austin
James D. Peters, ’03
Managing Director, North America, Lawhive
Ashish S. Prasad
Vice President & General Counsel, Haystack
Michael H. Rubin, ’00
Partner, Latham & Watkins, Global Chair of Artificial Intelligence
James P. Shaughnessy, ’79
Chief Legal Officer, Docusign
Nikki Sokol, ’98
Director & Associate General Counsel, Meta
Robert P. Stefanski Sr., ’89
Co-Founder & Managing Director, eLab Ventures
Darth Vaughn
Associate General Counsel & Managing Director, Policy and Legal Operations, Ford Motor Company
Jeremy E. Wenokur, ’92
Partner, Lightbox Ventures
Daniel A. Zibel, ’04
Vice President & Chief Legal Counsel, National Student Legal Defense Network
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