Yale legal scholar Scott Shapiro is working to use artificial intelligence to make legal services easier to access
Major law firms are increasingly investing in AI to boost efficiency — but artificial intelligence can also expand access to justice. That social mission is at the heart of the Yale Legal AI Lab, co-founded by Professor Scott Shapiro, which focuses on building responsible, practical AI tools for legal problem-solving.
Shapiro created the lab after noticing that discussions about AI at Yale centred on ethics and risks, but not on actually building useful tools. Working with computer science professor Ruzica Piskac, he is exploring AI techniques best suited to legal reasoning. Shapiro’s enthusiasm for AI often surprises people, but he emphasises that most Americans lack access to lawyers — and AI can help bridge that gap, especially for issues like public housing, benefits, and eviction prevention. For many people, he says, “it’s either AI or nothing.”
Key points:
- Shapiro has deep roots in computer science.
He studied the field as an undergraduate, revisited it in his recent book on cybersecurity, and leads the Yale CyberSecurity Lab. He and Piskac now co-teach a course on law and large language models.
2.The lab uses theorem provers to build legal-reasoning tools.
Unlike large language models such as ChatGPT, theorem provers can deliver precise, rule-based answers — ideal for navigating the complex legal rules that often block access to public benefits.
3.Early prototypes already exist.
The team is exploring how best to deploy the tools, from distributing apps to partnering with legal aid organisations. One idea is to equip pro bono lawyers with accurate, easy-to-use tools so they can confidently assist clients in unfamiliar areas of law.
4.One prototype supports Yale’s HR department.
A digital assistant called “Alfred” helps answer common HR questions, such as employee benefits, by walking users through the relevant rules — demonstrating that AI can relieve staff of repetitive, routine enquiries.
5.AI tools are also being created for media law.
Through Shapiro’s DocProject clinic, students trained an AI model to respond to common legal questions from documentary filmmakers, allowing the clinic to help more clients, faster.
Shapiro emphasises that the lab’s goal is not to replace lawyers, but to equip them — and the public — with tools that make legal help more accessible and more efficient.
Source: Yale News
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