California Courts Are Testing an Artificial Intelligence System to Assist Judges in Case Preparation
In the USA, one of the largest courts in California is testing a new artificial intelligence tool that can prepare draft court rulings and analytical reports for judges, primarily in civil cases, writes Christianpost.
The company Learned Hand, which creates AI exclusively for judges' needs, announced in March a partnership with the Los Angeles County Superior Court to explore the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in the work of judges and court staff at all stages of case consideration.
The pilot program, which currently covers civil cases, will cost over $300,000 and last until early 2027. At the same time, according to information on the Learned Hand company website, the project may be expanded in the future to "limited use in criminal courts."
As stated in the announcement, individual judges will receive tools for "effective case management" thanks to access to artificial intelligence technology that will use case information, material summaries, legal research, analysis, and assistance in preparing documents to support judges during case preparation and work.
Unlike open chatbots such as Claude or ChatGPT, the Learned Hand system was created by former court clerks and legal advisors and operates based on a "closed system of authoritative sources" that links all system outputs to the original materials of a specific case.
Learned Hand's founder and CEO, Shlomo Klapper, is a former assistant to a U.S. Court of Appeals judge and a former technology implementation strategist at Palantir. According to him, the tool is not intended to replace judicial discretion but to help overcome case backlogs and the burden on the judicial system.
"Judges and court staff perform extremely thorough work under significant time constraints. Learned Hand will assist with preparing materials, but, as before, final decisions will be made by judges," Klapper said.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court is considered the largest trial court in the USA. Nearly 600 judges serve over 10 million residents in 36 court buildings. Approximately 1.2 million cases are filed annually.
In addition to cooperation with Los Angeles County, the Learned Hand technology is already used by the Michigan Supreme Court and trial courts in ten U.S. states.
The initiative emerged amid a broader discussion about the role of artificial intelligence in the American legal system, particularly its use by judges and participants in legal proceedings.
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