This week, the University of Georgia School of Law hosted a delegation of lawyers and judges from Central and South American countries through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The morning visit to Athens was part of a three-week regional project entitled “The U.S. Judicial System: A Regional Project for the Western Hemisphere.” Seven individuals representing seven countries participated and learned about principles of the U.S. judicial and legal systems while deepening their understanding of federal and state judicial systems during their time in the U.S.

Professor Thomas “TJ” Striepe, Director of the Law Library, and Professor Brandy Ellis, Research Services Librarian, presented on practical applications of generative Artificial Intelligence (“genAI”) in U.S. legal education and in the legal system. They gave an overview of the law school’s approach to genAI instruction and use, as well as examples of how genAI has been used in courts and law firms in the U.S. recently. Professor María P. Angel, an expert in AI law and policy, contributed to the dialogue and provided specific examples of Georgia Law’s thought process behind the development and implementation of a new AI policy. The session concluded with a discussion of professional responsibility as it pertains to genAI usage in law school, academia, and the larger legal profession.

The visit concluded with a talk from Dean Usha R. Rodrigues, who shared her perspective on Georgia Law’s comprehensive approach to ensuring law students graduate with essential critical thinking and analytical skills as well as fluency in the latest technology.

Launched in 1940, the IVLP deepens ties between the United States and other nations through carefully designed professional visits to the United States based on U.S. foreign policy goals for current and emerging foreign leaders. Each year, approximately 4,000 IVLP participants from around the world are selected by U.S. embassies to engage professional counterparts across the United States. Through these encounters, they develop a deeper understanding of the political, economic, and cultural influences within U.S. society. IVLP participants also gain a firsthand experience of the United States, its people, and its culture. Current and emerging leaders represent government, politics, the media, education, nongovernmental organizations, the arts, public health, international security, business and trade, and other fields. Over 500 current and former heads of government and state, 1,600 cabinet officials, 1,000 Members of Parliament, 12 Nobel Laureates, and many other distinguished world leaders in the public and private sectors have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program.

Special thanks to Hannah Kim, Program Coordinator – Georgia Council for International Visitors (GCIV), and Lindsay Weinmann, Administrative Specialist to the Dean Rusk International Law Center, for their logistical support of this visit.