Honors alumna shares AI law scholarship with honors students

As a University Scholar, Margaret Hu, currently the Davison Douglas Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School, enrolled in “What is the Good Life?” taught by Beth Schultz.

Guided by Schultz, Hu and her fellow scholars’ discussions centered on what makes life meaningful. With these ideas in mind, Hu laid out plans to become a civil rights lawyer.

“The chance to be a part of the program and to be mentored by so many people who cared about me, and then committing on paper what I hoped to achieve one day, solidified my future career,” Hu said.

After graduation, Hu spent almost ten years working with data-driven systems for the federal government, although her passion was then, as it is today, to approach law as “a creative outlet.”

In the early 2000s, Hu started working on a textbook about emerging issues related to artificial intelligence. That book, “AI Law and Policy,” was released in 2025 as part of Aspen Publishing’s Casebook Series.

Soon after the book’s publication, Hu became a frequent virtual guest of “AI Governance and Privacy Law,” the honors seminar taught by associate law professor and Linda D. Ferrell & Richard C. Tombari Honors Faculty Fellow Najarian Peters. 

Returning to KU as a visiting scholar in November, Hu made an in-person appearance to the class, answering students’ questions about a life in law — conversations that continued during lunch with students the next day.

That evening, she gave a talk at the Dole Institute of Politics titled, “250 More?: Democracy and Governance in the AI Age,” where she spoke about the trajectory of AI in government and noteworthy concerns and considerations for the future. 

Hu was introduced by Peters’ students, Iman Suleman, Sam Krueger, and Belle Mouber. In their remarks, the trio shared how Peters’ seminar gave them a space to think deeply about the nuances of AI governance, guided by Hu’s profound insights in the field.  

Reflecting on America’s upcoming 250th year of independence, Hu described the current historical moment as another foundational one, and a time to reflect on America’s rapidly progressing future — work she is engaged in as a legal scholar.

“My goal for my research is to slow things down,” said Hu, “The hope is to bring these goals of justice and equality — which animate everything that motivates me as a scholar and a teacher — into sharp focus.”