Craig Smith

Craig Smith is a Law Lecturer at the University of Salford working within the Salford Business School. He specializes in legal education, legal technology, and AI law, with a research focus on integrating Generative AI into legal education to enhance student engagement and develop critical legal skills. As a strong advocate for embedding AI into law curricula, he ensures students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical competencies necessary for future legal practice in an AI-enabled world.

His research interests span the use of Generative AI in teaching, learning, and assessment; the development of digital legal skills; and the ethical, pedagogical, and regulatory implications of AI in legal practice and higher education. With 19 research outputs spanning from 2015 to 2025, his work demonstrates a clear trajectory toward increasingly focusing on AI's role in legal education, with 18 of his 19 publications appearing since 2023.

• Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) from Advance HE (2022)
• Excellence in Digital Innovation from Whatuni Student Choice Awards (2021)

Craig teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate law programs, leading curriculum innovation projects that embed Generative AI into teaching and assessment. He launched the Digital Skills Initiative to enhance students' confidence in using AI tools and has designed active learning initiatives including simulated assessments and collaborative international projects. As External Examiner at the University of Law since 2023, he contributes to quality assurance in legal education while maintaining his research and teaching commitments at Salford.