Designing the Future: How Vanderbilt Law Students Enhanced AAA's ClauseBuilder AI

By: Kendal Enz

In our ongoing series on technological innovation at the American Arbitration Association^® (AAA^®), we spotlight how our team leverages emerging technologies to overcome complex challenges and enhance our operations. Earlier this year, the AAA partnered with students at Vanderbilt and Suffolk University Law Schools to refine ClauesBuilder® AI (Beta)—our cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool aimed at crafting clear and effective arbitration and mediation agreements. American Arbitration Association Senior Counsel Kelly Turner, Esq. and AAA President and CEO Bridget McCormack discuss how the students in Vanderbilt’s “Legal Problem Solving” course applied human-centered design principles to improve ClauseBuilder AI.

Q: How did the partnership between the AAA and Vanderbilt students begin?

Kelly Turner: The partnership originated from a connection between AAA Chief Development Officer Steve Errick and Caitlin Moon, who is the professor of the “Legal Problem Solving” class. Their relationship led to our collaboration with Vanderbilt’s AI Law Lab (an initiative of the Program on Law and Innovation).

Q: What were the primary goals of this partnership?

Kelly Turner: From our perspective, the goal was to provide the students with meaningful insights into our process of developing the ClauseBuilder AI tool and to obtain their feedback from the user standpoint. We viewed the students as a unique audience, as they are young and likely to use generative AI extensively in the future. They also provided a fresh perspective, as, unlike the arbitrators and lawyers we’ve previously had test ClauseBuilder AI, they’re not experts in dispute resolution.

Bridget McCormack: Engaging with the Vanderbilt students allowed us to integrate innovative ideas from the next generation of legal professionals directly into our AI development. Their fresh insights are vital as we strive to make our tools as user-friendly and effective as possible.

Q: What methodology did the students use to evaluate and provide feedback on ClauseBuilder AI?

Kelly Turner: As the students used and tested ClauseBuilder AI, they answered specific design-focused questions we had asked, such as how easy the tool was to use and if they found any of its functions confusing. They also logged on a spreadsheet their feedback as to the accuracy of the tool’s output. Finally, we had a virtual feedback meeting, and the students then summarized their feedback in a memorandum. The overall approach was for the students to gauge the user experience and the substance of ClauseBuilder AI’s responses compared to our regular ClauseBuilder Tool.

Q: How has the feedback from students influenced the development of ClauseBuilder AI?

Kelly Turner: We haven't finalized how we’ll incorporate their feedback yet, but I believe all their suggestions are valuable. They proposed several ideas to improve the user experience, ranging from specific changes like replacing the outdated hourglass loading animation with a color-changing circle to more general enhancements.

The students also noted that, unlike the regular ClauseBuilder, the AI version doesn't provide explanations or additional information directly on the page about the generated clause or standard clause options. They suggested integrating FAQs or other resources to help users understand their options better.

We are considering which ideas to implement, focusing on enhancing both functionality and user interaction.

Bridget McCormack: The students’ feedback catalyzed rethinking how we present complex legal options through AI. We are carefully considering their suggestions for enhancing accessibility and understanding.

Q: What impact did the project have on bridging the gap between legal education and practical legal tech innovations?

Kelly Turner: I think it was a highly effective project for the students. While they weren’t involved at the very beginning of the ClauseBuilder AI innovation process, they actively participated in developing a legal product that combines technology and user-focused design. Legal tech innovation, which was virtually non-existent when I was a law student, was a focal point of the class and I was impressed.

According to the syllabus, the students were divided into teams, each tasked with different legal tech projects. Although I'm not familiar with the projects the other teams worked on, I thought the course was an excellent way to connect what the students are learning legally with strategies to market legal services and products. This merging of legal knowledge and tech innovation prepares students to enter the workforce ready to handle contemporary challenges. All the students on our team have already secured jobs, which is outstanding. Their hands-on experience will empower them to contribute innovative ideas in their new roles, suggesting improvements for their organizations' operations.

Bridget McCormack: This project exemplifies how academic partnerships can significantly enhance the practical application of legal technology. It prepares students for the real-world challenges they will face in their careers and helps us refine our tools to meet our users' needs better.

Q: In what ways did the project allow students to apply human-centered design principles?

Kelly Turner: Their feedback emphasized improving the user interface and making it more intuitive, particularly for users who are not familiar with all the possible options for arbitration clauses. This aligns with human-centered design by focusing on how the product is used and making it more accessible.

Q: Do you see potential for similar collaborations in the future?

Kelly Turner: Yes, I think it would be very interesting to work with law students again on any type of innovation or product that we have going on. There are probably other law schools doing similar programs, and I hope they continue to integrate AI technology and innovation into legal training.

Conclusion

The partnership between the AAA and Vanderbilt Law students exemplifies a successful integration of academic insights into real-world applications, highlighting the growing intersection between legal education and technological innovation. This collaboration enriched the development of ClauseBuilder AI and provided students with invaluable hands-on experience, preparing them for the technological demands of their future careers. The feedback and improvements from this project underscore AAA's commitment to evolving and enhancing legal tools through diverse, innovative contributions.