The intersection of law and AI presents numerous opportunities for impactful project work.
3.1 EU AI Act Compliance
The EU AI Act is the first comprehensive legal framework on AI worldwide, creating significant opportunities for legal professionals:
Key Compliance Milestones
- February 2025: Prohibitions became effective
- August 2025: Key obligations binding; penalty regime in effect
- Ongoing: Implementation of transparency and documentation requirements
Compliance Actions Requiring Legal Expertise
- Establishing AI inventory with risk classification
- Clarifying company roles (supplier, modifier, or deployer)
- Preparing technical and transparency documentation
- Implementing copyright and data protection requirements
- Training employees on AI competence requirements
- Adapting internal governance structures
Penalties for Non-Compliance
- Up to EUR 35 million or 7% of global annual turnover for prohibited AI practices
- Up to EUR 15 million or 3% for certain other obligations
3.2 AI Ethics and Governance
Key Frameworks
- UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI: First global standard, applicable to 194 member states
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework
- Microsoft Responsible AI Standard: Six principles (fairness, reliability, inclusiveness, privacy, transparency, accountability)
Project Areas
- Algorithmic auditing frameworks
- Bias mitigation strategies
- Transparency and explainability mechanisms
- Human oversight protocols
- AI impact assessments
3.3 Data Privacy and AI
The intersection of data protection and AI presents numerous project opportunities:
- GDPR “right to explanation” for AI decision-making
- Data quality and protection in AI training
- Cross-border data transfer issues
- Privacy-by-design for AI systems
- Consent mechanisms for AI-processed data
3.4 AI in International Arbitration
Given backgrounds in International Commercial Arbitration, this is a particularly relevant area:
Recent Developments
- AAA-ICDR AI Arbitrator: Launched November 2025 for documents-only construction cases
- ICC Commission Task Force: Launched 2025 to consider AI use in arbitration
- Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center Guidelines: Standardized methods for handling AI in arbitration
- Dubai International Arbitration Centre: Partnered with Jus Mundi and Jus AI for case management
Project Opportunities
- AI applications in arbitrator selection
- Predictive analytics for case outcomes
- AI-assisted evidence collection and review
- Ethical guidelines for AI in arbitration proceedings
- Cross-jurisdictional AI governance in dispute resolution
3.5 Algorithmic Accountability
- Developing audit frameworks for AI systems
- Creating accountability measures for AI outcomes
- Establishing independent oversight mechanisms
- Designing algorithmic impact assessments
- Comparing regulatory approaches (EU AI Act vs. US Algorithmic Accountability Act)
Legal Intern Best Practices Series
This is Part 3 of a 10-part series on best practices for designing capstone projects for legal interns at AI companies.
- Part 1: Best Practices for Intern Capstone Projects
- Part 2: Leveraging Legal Expertise in AI Company Settings
- Part 3: Intersection of Law and AI (You are here)
- Part 4: Successful Examples of Legal-Tech Intern Projects
- Part 5: Skills Development Goals
- Part 6: Project Scoping and Mentorship
- Part 7: Deliverable Formats
- Part 8: Evaluation Criteria
- Part 9: Specific Project Ideas
- Part 10: Resources and References