Mark J. Williams

Mark J. Williams is a Teaching Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he serves as Founding Co-Director of the Vanderbilt AI Law Lab (VAILL) and Associate Director for Collections and Innovation at the Law Library. His work bridges legal education, artificial intelligence, and access to justice through interdisciplinary collaboration.

• Education
  • J.D., B.S., University of Idaho
  • M.S.L.I.S., Wayne State University

Williams focuses on legal technology and AI governance, designing curricula that integrate law with computer science and data science. He pioneered the first law school course on generative AI in legal practice and launched a Coursera course on AI for legal professionals.

His research emphasizes ethical AI implementation in legal workflows, including document drafting, litigation support, and privacy frameworks. As a certified AI Governance Professional, he applies technical governance strategies to legal innovation.

Notable contributions include co-founding VAILL to advance AI research in law and leading the Massey Law Library’s collections services. He teaches Advanced Legal Research in Business & Securities and Legal Practice Technology courses.

• Contact
  • Office: 142C Law Building
  • Phone: 615-875-3337

• Professional Recognition
  • Certified AI Governance Professional (IAPP)