What happened
UC Berkeley Law has opened applications for its LL.M. Certificate in AI Law and Regulation, a specialized program for executive track students. The curriculum, which began in 2025, is designed to provide lawyers with both technical understanding of AI systems and knowledge of emerging global regulatory frameworks. The program offers flexible study options, including remote coursework and summer sessions, with application deadlines for the 2027 cohort set for December 11, 2026, and March 15, 2027.
The LL.M. Certificate in AI Law and Regulation is an executive track program at UC Berkeley Law that provides specialized training for legal professionals. The curriculum covers a broad spectrum of topics, including the law and governance of AI, in legal practice, corporate strategy, and the intersection of AI with geopolitics.
For the summer 2027 cohort, the school is introducing a new course titled 'Litigating With AI,' taught by Professor Sean Farhang. This course is intended to help students understand the implications of AI in civil and criminal adjudication, including the use of algorithmic risk assessment tools in sentencing and bail decisions.
The program is structured to accommodate working professionals through two primary tracks: a two-summer residency or an academic year of remote study combined with one summer on campus. Applications for the remote and summer option are due by December 11, 2026, while the two-summer track remains open until March 15, 2027.
The school reports that the program has attracted students from over 40 countries, with an increasing number of domestic U.S. law firm attorneys enrolling to gain expertise in AI-related legal challenges.
Source details: law.berkeley.edu
Why it matters
As artificial intelligence increasingly influences legal practice, corporate governance, and judicial decision-making, the demand for legal professionals who understand the underlying technology is rising. Berkeley Law’s program addresses a critical gap in legal education by combining technical literacy—such as understanding how models fail or hallucinate—with the study of complex regulatory regimes like the EU . By training lawyers to navigate these systems, the program aims to prepare them for roles in corporate counsel, AI policy, and legal technology, where the ability to audit and govern AI is becoming a professional necessity.
The legal profession is currently undergoing a transformation driven by the adoption of . Lawyers are increasingly required to advise on issues ranging from data privacy and biometric regulation to the ethical use of AI in legal research and contract management.
Berkeley Law’s approach emphasizes that understanding the technology is a prerequisite for effective regulation. Students are trained to evaluate how AI systems function, where they add value, and how they can mislead, which is essential for lawyers tasked with holding systems accountable or defending their use in court.
The program provides a bridge between technical AI development and the 'Silicon Valley regulatory conversation,' offering students access to a policy ecosystem that informs how AI is governed in practice. This dual focus on technical fluency and legal theory is intended to prepare graduates for high-level roles in corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors.
Graduates of the program have already transitioned into specialized roles, such as supporting data center infrastructure at Microsoft and serving as product subject matter experts at legal tech firms like Ironclad, demonstrating the practical career utility of the certification.
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What to watch next
Prospective students should note the upcoming application deadlines: November 16, 2026, for priority scholarship consideration, and December 11, 2026, for the remote and summer study track. The program continues to evolve its curriculum, with a new course, 'Litigating With AI,' scheduled for summer 2027. Observers should monitor whether other top-tier law schools adopt similar specialized certificate models as the legal industry continues to grapple with the integration of into daily practice and courtroom procedures.
The primary immediate milestone is the November 16, 2026, deadline for priority scholarship consideration, followed by the December 11, 2026, application deadline for the remote and summer track.
The introduction of the 'Litigating With AI' course in 2027 will be a key indicator of how legal education is adapting to the specific challenges of AI in the courtroom, particularly regarding technical due process and the use of algorithmic evidence.
The program's ongoing expansion of its curriculum suggests a trend toward more granular, sector-specific legal training, which may influence how other institutions structure their own AI-focused legal offerings.