Two top law schools lean in, now require AI essays for admissions

Two prestigious U.S. law schools are requiring applicants to use artificial intelligence in their admissions essays, marking a significant shift from the typical prohibition against AI assistance in college applications. The University of Michigan and University of Miami law schools have introduced AI-powered essay questions for fall 2026 admissions, reflecting AI’s growing integration into legal education and practice.

What you should know: These schools are pioneering a new approach to evaluating prospective law students’ AI competency alongside traditional metrics.

• The University of Miami requires applicants to create detailed prompts for generative AI tools like ChatGPT to generate a “comprehensive analysis” about choosing law schools, plus three to five follow-up prompts for deeper exploration.
• Michigan Law asks students to use AI to answer: “How much do you use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT right now?” and predict their future usage by graduation.
• Both schools maintain strict AI bans for personal statements and other traditional essays.

The big picture: Law schools are adapting admissions processes to assess students’ readiness for an AI-integrated legal profession.

• “It helps me see their maturity level and how they’re thinking about these questions, and whether they’re coming in with the AI skills that are needed as we are expanding AI in the classrooms,” said Katrin Hussmann Schroll, Miami’s associate dean of enrollment management.
• The essays provide admissions officers with insights into applicants’ motivations and technical capabilities that weren’t previously available.

Early adoption rates: Student response to these AI essay options varies significantly between schools.

• Only about 5% of Michigan Law applicants have chosen the AI essay from among 10 possible topics, according to senior assistant dean Sarah Zearfoss.
• Miami’s AI essay has proven more popular, with 45% of applicants submitting responses so far.
• “I’ve definitely seen some quite good ones—and also many that are, as you would expect, bland or dull,” Zearfoss noted about the quality of submissions.

Why this matters: This represents a broader trend of AI becoming mandatory training at more U.S. law schools as the legal profession grapples with integrating artificial intelligence tools.

• The essays serve as both an assessment tool and a window into how future lawyers will interact with AI technology.
• “It’s giving us a unique insight into applicants that we didn’t have before,” Schroll explained about the value of these AI-powered responses.