Latest news with #SuffolkLaw
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Suffolk Law Partners with Hotshot to Deliver GenAI Learning Track to All 1L Students
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Suffolk University Law School today announced a partnership with Hotshot, a popular learning platform for lawyers, to integrate Hotshot's AI content into its mandatory 1L curriculum for all first-year students. Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, all first-year students will complete a custom Generative AI learning track as a required component of their Legal Practice Skills course, making Suffolk Law the first law school in the nation to mandate this Hotshot learning track for all its incoming students. During the fall semester of the Legal Practice Skills course, which recently ranked No. 3 in the country in the U.S. News Rankings for Legal Writing, students will complete a tailored learning track featuring Hotshot courses specifically selected in collaboration with Suffolk Law. The course combines asynchronous videos with in-class exercises designed to bridge foundational knowledge with practical application. The learning track features a curated list of Hotshot AI courses covering topics like understanding GenAI and why it matters for lawyers; large language models, including use cases, risks, and limitations; ethics and professional responsibilities; and practice-area specific use cases and considerations. The partnership gives Suffolk Law students access to Hotshot content used by major law firms, including half of the Am Law 100, as well as other top law schools nationwide. This ensures students are learning what they'll need to know in practice. Upon completion of the track, students will receive personalized certificates they can share with employers via LinkedIn to show their practical AI knowledge. 'Today, legal skills press far beyond traditional memos and research,' said Dyane L. O'Leary, Professor of Legal Writing and Director of Suffolk Law's Legal Innovation & Technology Center. 'Law students and lawyers are expected to understand the basics of Generative AI tools, including their limitations and risks. While Suffolk Law's LIT Concentration offers unique upper-level electives for a deep dive, all students need a strong, foundational understanding.' The partnership reflects Suffolk Law's commitment to preparing students for the realities of modern legal practice. 'Suffolk's program strives to teach students 'old' but still critical analysis skills alongside transformative tools—we can't pretend they don't exist, or that students aren't using them,' O'Leary continued. 'The asynchronous, flexible Hotshot videos offer the perfect kick-off in combination with our curriculum as we help students transition from personal users of tools like ChatGPT to professional ones.' 'Suffolk's approach to legal education perfectly aligns with our mission to provide practical, accessible training for all lawyers, law students and other legal professionals,' said Ian Nelson, Co-Founder of Hotshot. 'By working together to create a custom learning track for all 1L students, Suffolk is ensuring students have the traditional skills and the technological fluency that they need.' The program launches in fall 2025, with all incoming 1L students participating in the integrated curriculum. About Suffolk University Law School Suffolk University Law School is a leading institution known for its innovative curriculum and commitment to practical legal education. The school's Legal Practice Skills Program, ranked No. 3 nationally by U.S. News, emphasizes real-world application and professional readiness. About Hotshot Hotshot is a learning platform for lawyers that supports on-demand, interactive, and experiential learning as well as CLE in nearly all MCLA jurisdictions. They offer 300+ short, practical courses and training materials across corporate, litigation, technology, and business topics. Hotshot's customers include half the Am Law 100 law firms, regional and boutique firms, top law schools, and companies. For more information, visit
Boston Globe
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
America's ‘nicest judge' in America's angriest moment
During nearly 40 years on the bench in Providence, Caprio's famous leniency often provided a lifeline to people when they needed it most, moments when paying to have a boot removed from their car would mean going without groceries or missing rent. 'How were the ends of justice served if I imposed a maximum penalty on or revoked the license of a parent in financial difficulty who then could no longer take their kids to school or drive to work?' Caprio writes in his new book, ' .' ' In that case, I was compounding problems, not meting out a just punishment.' Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up So at a moment in this country when we have a president who thrives off division and never stops attacking his political opponents — even during tragedies like last week's Advertisement 'I would implore everybody to be compassionate and understanding of their fellow human beings,' Caprio said Tuesday, shortly after he left the set of ' Predictable. Poignant. And perfectly on brand for a man who didn't become internationally famous until after he turned 80, when his real-life court TV show, 'Caught in Providence,' was syndicated. Now, at 88, Caprio is battling what he calls 'uncurable' Frank Caprio, Sr. promotes his new book, "Compassion in the Court," on "Good Morning America." Good Morning America Caprio was one of the first in his family to graduate from high school, and the first to earn a college degree. After graduating from Providence College in 1958, he dreamed of attending Boston University Law School, but he couldn't afford it. Instead he worked as a public school teacher in Providence while attending Suffolk Law at night. Advertisement But his first dream wasn't to wear a black robe. It was politics. He was elected to Providence City Council, and then ran unsuccessfully for attorney general. One chapter in his book, 'How prejudice affected my political career,' outlines his lifelong gripe that his opponent's attempt to connect him to organized crime is what cost him the race. 'It took me a long, long time to let that go,' Caprio writes. 'If I'm being honest, I'm not sure I'm over it still. It's not something I like to discuss because it reopens deep wounds.' To be sure, Caprio turned out just fine. He made a fortune as an attorney and businessman, and became among the most influential behind-the-scenes players/fixers/dealmakers in Rhode Island politics for decades. The judgeship was always a part-time side hustle, but his brother Joseph started filming the courtroom in the late 1990s, and 'Caught in Providence' was born. In a typical episode, Judge Caprio listens to a person's sob story about why they couldn't pay their parking tickets in Providence, tells a charming story about his own life, and then lets them off with a heavily reduced fine. Tear-jerking. Hilarious. Relatable. And wildly popular. 'Caught in Providence' was broadcast for decades on local TV, then the Caprios sold the rights to Debmar-Mercury in 2017, and the little judge from Providence became a star. The show now boasts 16 million Advertisement 'The show has resonated around the world,' Caprio said. What made it work so well? On camera or off, Caprio said he couldn't think of a time since he became a judge in 1985 that he wasn't willing to grant some form of leniency to his defendants — 'I don't wear a badge under my robe, I wear a heart,' he says often enough for it to become something of a tag line. Even in moments where he wanted to slap someone with a stiff fine, he'd step back, and place himself in the shoes of the other person. 'You don't know what they're going through at that moment,' he said. He continued: 'Some judges get carried away with their authority. Just because you have authority doesn't mean you have to use it.' That's another good lesson for the times we are living in. Dan McGowan can be reached at
