Looking back on two inspiring days in Salzburg!
On 6–7 November 2025, the 6th International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Legal Didactics took place at the University of Salzburg — this year under the theme “From Paragraphs to Algorithms: AI in Legal Didactics.” The event brought together experts from law, education, psychology, and technology, offering a multidimensional view of how artificial intelligence is shaping the present and future of legal education.
https://rechtsdidaktik.erz-salzburg.at/programm/
The following key questions guided the discussions:
- How will AI transform legal research, reasoning, and assessment?
- Which competencies do students need in an increasingly digitalized legal profession?
- How can critical reflection, linguistic proficiency, and mental health be maintained and/or strengthened in legal studies?
- What role do media, visualization, and Open Access play in modern legal teaching?
Highlights of the program included:
- A thought-provoking keynote by Clemens Thiele on the evolving role of lawyers in the age of AI.
- Sessions on the use of AI in judicial decision-making, legal research, and exam assessment — always with a strong focus on both opportunities and ethical/didactic challenges.
- Contributions on critical reflection, students’ mental health, and ambition in legal studies emphasized that, despite technological progress, human cognition and learning remain at the core.
- Workshops on sketchnoting, podcasting, and Open Access demonstrated the wide range of innovative tools available for legal education today.
A central takeaway: AI cannot replace legal reasoning — but it can significantly enhance how we teach, learn, and practice law. The key lies in thoughtful, transparent, and pedagogically grounded implementation.
Many thanks to my co-organizers and speakers/participants for an enriching event full of insights and future-oriented discussions.
