About

Patrick Barry is a clinical assistant professor of law and the director of digital academic initiatives at the University of Michigan Law School. He also serves as a visiting lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School and the UCLA School of Law. His research focuses on persuasion, creativity, team dynamics, and artificial intelligence. Barry has received multiple teaching awards, including the Wayne Booth Prize for Excellence in Teaching, the Provost’s Innovation in Teaching Prize, and the Outstanding Research Mentor Award. He has been recognized as a faculty fellow by the Center for Educational Outreach, a Public Engagement Fellow by the Center for Academic Innovation, and has received an Arts & Curriculum grant from the Arts Initiative.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Sociology
• Gerontology
• Emergency medicine
• Social psychology
• Nursing
• Internal medicine
• Psychology
• Family medicine
• Pediatrics

Selected publications

• AI Tips and Traps

  2026-01-01

  book1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Feeling unprepared for the AI boom? You’re not alone

  2026-01-23

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• P047 Can clinical parameters replace hypoxic challenge testing?

  Journal of Cystic Fibrosis · 2025-06-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• AI-Powered Lawyering: AI Reasoning Models, Retrieval Augmented Generation, and the Future of Legal Practice

  Journal of law & empirical analysis. · 2025-01-01 · 15 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Generative AI is set to transform the legal profession, though its most promising uses and ultimate effects are still unclear. While AI models like GPT-4 improve efficiency, they can also “hallucinate” and may undermine legal judgment, particularly in complex tasks typically handled by skilled lawyers. This article examines two emerging AI innovations that may mitigate these concerns: Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), which grounds AI-powered analysis in legal sources, and AI reasoning models, which structure complex reasoning before generating output. We conduct the first randomized controlled trial assessing these technologies, assigning upper-level law students to complete legal tasks using a RAG-powered legal AI tool (Vincent AI 2024), an AI reasoning model (OpenAI’s o1-preview), or no AI. We find that both AI tools significantly enhance legal work quality, a marked contrast with previous research examining older large language models like GPT-4. Moreover, these newer models appear to maintain the efficiency benefits associated with older AI technologies. Our findings also show that these AI tools significantly boost productivity in five out of six tested legal tasks, with statisti-cally significant gains of anywhere from 50% to 130%. They perform particularly well in complex tasks like drafting persuasive letters and analyzing complaints. Notably, o1-preview improves the analytical depth of work product and Vincent AI avoids introducing more hallucinations, suggesting that integrating domain-specific RAG capabilities with reasoning models could yield even larger improvements.

  PublisherDOI

• EPS6.10Spirometry grading and spirometry errors: a four-year review of home spirometry recording in adults with cystic fibrosis

  Journal of Cystic Fibrosis · 2025-06-01

  review
  PublisherDOI

• Joining forces: a complex cardio-obstetrics case report of severe ergometrine-induced vasospasm

  European Heart Journal - Case Reports · 2025-02-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: Ergometrine is part of the current guideline-directed management of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). However, it is also a potent vasoconstrictor capable of causing significant coronary artery vasospasm in susceptible individuals. Case summary: A 31-year-old primigravida suffered from post-partum haemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation following vaginal delivery. She was urgently resuscitated with intravenous fluids and blood products. Intramuscular ergometrine was administered, and surgery was required due to retained placenta. Two days later upon extubation, she demonstrated symptoms of speech apraxia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed extensive cerebral and cerebellar infarction with subcortical sparring. Her electrocardiogram showed diffuse T-wave inversions, and a high-sensitivity troponin-I peaked at 37 000 ng/L. Echocardiography showed severe left ventricular (LV) failure, apical akinesia, and thrombi formation. One week later, she suffered a middle cerebral artery stroke causing aphasia and right-sided hemiparesis, necessitating emergency thrombectomy. Cardiovascular MRI showed moderate LV systolic impairment and focal apical infarction. Coronary angiography was unremarkable. The most likely unifying diagnosis was severe ergotamine-induced coronary vasospasm causing acute myocardial infarction in the setting of life-threatening PPH. Following three weeks of multi-disciplinary care, her speech and motor abilities improved. She was discharged on long-acting nitrates, oral anticoagulation, and heart failure therapy with close outpatient monitoring. Subsequent echocardiograms showed marked improvement in LV ejection fraction (45%-50%). Discussion: This case highlights the potential life-threatening complications of ergometrine and the importance of recognizing pregnancy-associated myocardial infarction as a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. The cardio-obstetrics team plays a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 857 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its impact on home spirometry in adults with cystic fibrosis

  Journal of Cystic Fibrosis · 2024-09-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Amid growth in AI writing tools, this course teaches future lawyers and other professionals to become better editors

  2024-03-18

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• P282 An evaluation of concurrent FIT and colonoscopies as part of the colorectal screening programme for patients with cystic fibrosis. Is FIT fit for purpose?

  Journal of Cystic Fibrosis · 2024-06-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Future lawyers learn key lessons from studying poetry in parks in this course

  2024-08-14

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jacques Boddaert

  Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris

  20 shared

• Marilisa Franceschi

  University of Pisa

  20 shared

• Desmond O’Neill

  Trinity College Dublin

  20 shared

• G. Crepaldi

  A. O. Ordine Mauriziano di Torino

  18 shared

• Niccolò Marchionni

  University of Florence

  18 shared

• Marianna Noale

  Neuroscience Institute

  18 shared

• Stefania Maggi

  Neuroscience Institute

  16 shared

• Marc Verny

  Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

  14 shared

Awards & honors

• Wayne Booth Prize for Excellence in Teaching
• Provost’s Innovation in Teaching Prize
• Outstanding Research Mentor Award
• Herbele Prize for Best Essay Written by Graduate Student
• NCAA Post-Graduate Fellowship