Does AI Replace Corpus Linguistics? | Randy Barnett, Jack Kieffaber & James Heilpern

As artificial intelligence transforms legal research, could it also replace corpus linguistics as a tool for interpreting statutes and the Constitution?In the latest installment of the Georgetown Law Federalist Society's Daniel Webster Debate Series, Jack Kieffaber, founder of Garner Ink, and James Heilpern, counsel at Schaerr Jaffe, debate the future of legal interpretation, moderated by Georgetown Law Professor Randy E. Barnett.The discussion explores the use of large language models in textualism and originalism, the transparency and replicability of corpus linguistics, AI's potential to automate linguistic analysis, and the implications of increasingly sophisticated AI for judicial decision-making. The speakers also consider whether specialized AI models trained on curated historical texts could combine the capabilities of both approaches.Recorded September 23, 2026, at Georgetown University Law Center. Presented by the Georgetown Law Federalist Society as part of the Daniel Webster Debate Series, in cooperation with the Georgetown Center for the Constitution.