Kirk Sigmon is not your typical lawyer. As a partner and intellectual property lawyer specializing in AI law, he constantly seeks to expand his knowledge in the rapidly evolving technological world. But unlike many in his field, Kirk takes a hands-on approach to really understand the engineering behind the AI he works with every day. To this end, Kirk’s online master’s degree in Computer Engineering (Meng-CE) at Dartmouth, which he described as a plan to “repay billions of times in his career.”
Nonlinear pathways to expertise
Kirk’s education and career path demonstrates his passion for high skills. He started with a degree in English literature and Japanese, and then at Cornell University’s Law School. Early in his career, he moved to Japan, where he was a self-taught programmer and then made a complete transition to intellectual property law.
Recognizing the limitations of self-taught engineering, Kirk returned to Arizona State University’s Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and later received an MBA from Temple University while maintaining his career.
“This kind of electrical engineering degree is eligible for patent bars,” he shared. “So, I could be a patent attorney like I am now. But, with my senior year, I realized I wanted to learn more about AI.”
Artificial intelligence popularity in law
When most people think of the legal industry, it is not immediately obvious that AI is the main player. But in the world of IP law, Kirk has been working with clients who ask him questions about the consequences of data privacy and how to protect IP related to AI.
“My client asked me these questions, and the next thing you know is, I’m working on ‘Is this reversible machine learning model?'”
While we are not yet in the realm of AI crime, Kirk focuses on exciting projects related to AI components like self-driving cars or machine learning models that help make businesses better. For these applications of his work, he hopes to further develop his existing engineering and self-taught program experience.
“You don’t know yet that robots are taking over the world’s AI, so before that, I specialized in actual nuts and bolts.”
Why another degree? Why Dartmouth?
Kirk discovered an online master of engineering from Dartmouth while studying AI and completing Coursera’s courses.
“The nature of intellectual property law has kept us looking for ways to improve our engineering skills and improve our knowledge about it there. I’ve actually done IBM certificates on Coursera and when I saw the Dartmouth program, I thought, ‘Oh, that will definitely help me.
The course combines machine learning, deep learning, FPGA courses and embedded systems to provide the precise skills he needs.
“The program is comprehensive and touched by the areas that are immediately useful to my work,” he said. “It’s a perfect combination of AI knowledge and engineering basics, and it’s really where rubber is on the road.”
He noted that his work often brought him to rooms full of engineering professionals who longed to literacy and competence in his field. Knowing that Dartmouth has a high reputation and the online approach is suitable for his already busy life, Meng is very suitable.
“I heard nothing good news except the school and their engineering department. In fact, one of the closest engineers I got to was a Dartmouth Engineering graduate. It was an easy decision.”
Real-time application learning
Even after completing the program, Kirk has seen tangible benefits in his career. He works with self-driving car companies, where his courses in machine vision allow him to talk smartly with engineers about state-of-the-art technology.
“Most lawyers who try to show themselves as AI experts never program their lives,” he said. “But after I finished coding, I opened the door and gave me credibility.”
Kirk also incorporates real-world legal scenarios into his courses. A project he is developing involves using language models to explore copyright boundaries, a proof of concept that connects directly to ongoing cases in AI law.
“The transferability of skills is amazing. Honestly, it all has something to do with my profession. I can talk more wisely about the latest and greatest technology, which is beneficial to us because it means I can walk into a room full of engineers who have worked hard all their lives, at least with some functional effects. ”
A fascinating online experience
Despite being fully online, Dartmouth’s program offers what Kirk considers priceless in community and engagement. He highlighted educators such as Professor Chin (Machine Learning) and Professor Farnham (FPGA and Machine Vision) who went out of their way to make sure students feel connected and supported.
“Professors actually care. They know us by name, they know our work, and it feels like we are actively involved in the program,” Kirk said. “Even if the way changes, the experience is basically the same.”
Kirk’s cohort has about 20 people, giving him a more personalized and intimate experience than larger plans. With hands-on courses sending the kit directly to the student’s doorstep, the learning scope goes beyond theory.
He is excited about his upcoming visit to campus and continues to lean towards the Dartmouth community.
“As an online student, second-class citizens due to a lack of better tenure. We are actively involved in part of the program and you can tell the professors that they are really enthusiastic. I want to be part of it, I want to really get involved.”
Finding niches in his work
Kirk will have five total degrees after graduation in spring 2026, an achievement that demonstrates his determination and commitment to self-improvement. These qualifications offer a wide range of skills, and Kirk has worked well to address a professional niche that serves him and his company well.
“Most lawyers aren’t in AI. Many people just read the Wikipedia summary and they’ll go there, assuming that AI takes over the world. However, many doors have opened me because I’ve actually finished coding, I know what I’m talking about, and I can prove it.”
Advice for potential applicants
Kirk certainly didn’t make the workload or difficulty of the course work. The rigorous curriculum and reputation at the university are two things he realizes are not suitable for everyone. However, his progressive self-support is obvious.
“I’m very happy with the course work, and it’s something I love because of the lack of better terms, bragging. Because it allows me to show, for example, look, ‘This is not something I just do with the feathers of a hat, it’s not a standard night class, they’re here to give me a bunch of A’s and send me home. It’s a real, tough class. I’m proud of myself doing it well.”
His advice for future Dartmouth students? Brush on the basis.
“The best preparation you can do is what Coursera already offers, which is a leading program. C programming with Linux specialization is a one-to-week course where you can get yourself back to a fast speed. It’s a great tester, and hey, I can get me to sit down for 20-30 hours, study for 20-30 hours a week, and it’s also a substitute, and work quickly and quickly at work and work hard and work hard.
Lifelong learning
Currently based in Washington, D.C., Kirk plans to visit Dartmouth’s campus in the fall to further engage with the community and visit the Department of Engineering first-hand. But even from a distance, he is already reaping the rewards of the program, adopting new skills in his legal practice and interactions around the world.
“Being able to understand AI on a technical level is not only fun, but it is related to my work and gives me authority in a space that most lawyers don’t have,” he said.
Kirk Sigmon’s journey reminds people that education and expertise do not always follow a straight line. By combining law, engineering and artificial intelligence, he developed a niche that allowed him to influence the technology and legal landscape to demonstrate that curiosity and dedication can be bridged and embraced.
