Use GenAI tools responsibly in your legal research
Generative AI (GenAI) has already transformed legal practice, and using it effectively requires more than just knowing how to phrase a prompt. Whether you’re a practicing lawyer or a legal practitioner in another sector, you need to understand both the capabilities and limitations of GenAI in legal research to satisfy your professional and ethical obligations to your clients, the courts, and the profession. Competence with GenAI tools is no longer a cutting-edge skill, but rather a necessary part of the legal practitioner’s toolkit.
The GenAI in Contemporary Legal Research Professional Intensive is designed and delivered by Queen’s Law experts with extensive experience in conducting legal research and teaching research skills. This one-day online course equips legal professionals with an understanding of the range of GenAI tools available for legal research , and with the skills to make the most of this remarkable but fraught technology. Participants will learn strategies and best practices for the responsible use of GenAI in the research process, grounded in exploration of real-life scenarios.
Whether you are a lawyer, paralegal, law clerk, legal researcher, or work in another capacity where legal research skills are vital, this Professional Intensive will help you avoid common pitfalls and make informed, professionally responsible decisions about using GenAI for legal research in your practice.
Course Details:
April 17th, 2026
Delivered Online
Cost: $580.00
REGISTER NOW!
Registration closes April 13, 2026. Reserve your spot while availability lasts.
Law Society of Ontario CPD Accreditation:
- LSO accreditation of CPD professionalism hours is pending.
Have questions about the GenAI in Contemporary Legal Research Professional Intensive? Contact us lawprofessionalcertificates@queensu.ca
Interested in this intensive?
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Experts including:
Christa Bracci, BA (Hons), JD, LLM
Christa Bracci is an adjunct professor at Queen’s University Faculty of Law, where she teaches legal reasoning, research, writing, and legal practice skills to students at all levels. Her research focuses on legal skills education. Her professional background includes experience in government, private research services, and legal practice in both boutique and national law firms.
Erica Friesen, BA (Hons), MI
Erica Friesen is a research and instruction librarian and online learning specialist at the Lederman Law Library at Queen’s University. She has taught legal research skills in various courses at Queen’s Law, including Advanced Legal Research for JD and graduate students and Introduction to Legal Skills for JD students.
Full bios available further down this page.
Deepen your knowledge across a spectrum of issues
Designed for practicing lawyers and other legal practitioners, this one-day e-learning course brings theory and practice together to help legal professionals navigate AI-enabled legal research. Gain insights you can take back to your practice, and propel your career with new expertise in this vital and growing field.
This one-day course covers a wide range of topics:
- The legal research process in contemporary law practice
- Capabilities, limitations, and technological nuances of GenAI tools for legal research
- A framework for understanding and critically assessing GenAI tools embedded in the major research platforms.
- Implications of GenAI for best practices in legal research
- GenAI use and professional responsibility
- Key considerations for designing GenAI prompts and integrating GenAI use into the practical research environment.
Intensive at a glance
What you will learn
This course provides participants with the knowledge needed to understand the state of AI technology in relation to legal research. Sessions include a refresher on best practices in legal research in the online environment; a framework for understanding and critically engaging with AI-generated content in a productive and responsive manner; and active learning scenarios where participants can apply their knowledge to realistic legal research problems.
Participants will learn to:
- Describe and use best practices in GenAI-powered legal research;
- Explain lawyers' professional responsibilities in relation to using GenAI for legal research;
- Describe how GenAI works and how this impacts information-seeking for legal problem solving;
- Use a framework to identify and analyze the elements of an AI system; and
- Critically assess AI-generated legal information in the context of legal problem solving.
Who should attend
This course is for practicing lawyers and other professionals who work with legal information, whether in conducting research, supervising, or preparing work products informed by legal research. Any legal professionals who need a clear, practical understanding of how GenAI impacts legal research will benefit from this course.
Fees
The fee for the GenAI in Contemporary Legal Research Professional Intensive is $580 payable upon acceptance of an offer of admission.
Are you part of a larger organization, non-profit, NGO, or educational organization? Discounts are available: contact lawprofessionalcertificates@queensu.ca for details.
Schedule
All times are in EST
| Date & Time | Speaker | Title of Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | ||
| 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Christa Bracci & Erica Friesen | Welcome, Intro and Warm Up |
| 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Christa Bracci & Erica Friesen | How GenAI Works: Fundamentals for Legal Research |
| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Christa Bracci & Erica Friesen | Practical Session #1: Lawyer vs chatbot |
| 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch break | |
| Afternoon | ||
| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Christa Bracci & Erica Friesen | Prompting: Issues, Inconsistencies & Techniques |
| 2:00PM – 3:00PM | Christa Bracci & Erica Friesen | Practical Session #2: Lawyer vs chatbot |
| 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Christa Bracci & Erica Friesen | Course Wrap Up / Q&A |
Instructors
Christa Bracci, BA (Hons), JD, LLM
Christa Bracci is an adjunct professor at Queen’s University Faculty of Law where she teaches legal reasoning, research, writing and legal practice skills. She has designed and taught skills courses to students at all levels – undergraduate Queen’s students, first year and upper year law students, graduate students, and practicing lawyers. She is the Coordinating Instructor for Legal Skills for Queen’s Graduate Diploma in Immigration and Citizenship Law and the Director of the first year Introduction to Legal Skills Program. She holds a BA from Dartmouth College, and a JD and LLM from Queen’s University. Her research focuses on legal skills education. She has worked and practiced in a range of environments, including government, private research services, and in both boutique and national law firms. She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and a past member of the Bar of British Columbia.
Erica Friesen, BA (Hons), MI
Erica Friesen is a research and instruction librarian and online learning specialist at the Lederman Law Library at Queen’s University. She has taught legal research skills in various courses at Queen’s Law, including Advanced Legal Research for JD and graduate students and Introduction to Legal Skills for JD students. She holds a BA from McGill University and a Master of Information (MI) degree from the University of Toronto.