Pericles and the Plumber: reigniting the debate of the purpose of legal education for the age of AI

Much is now being said in the wake of artificial intelligence (AI) about marking and assessments. This year represents the first year in which generative AI usage is considered by the scholarly community to be widespread. The article responds to the recent policy outlined by UCL Laws to introduce a return to traditional assessments, which preserve the integrity of a law degree. We place this debate within the wider context of law schools and what legal education ought to provide for society, more generally. Universities and law schools have different public mandates and should respond in accordance with their aims, community and identity.