How AI Is Being Used to Clear Court Backlogs in LA
Courts are facing increased caseloads, with advancements in AI making it easier and cheaper to produce legal filings, resulting in a 49% rise in filings in a year. The Los Angeles Superior Court is testing an AI tool called Learned Hand in civil cases to help judges with summarizing filings, organizing evidence, and drafting rulings. The intent is to reduce administrative workloads so judges can focus on core legal analysis and maintain judicial discretion. Learned Hand’s system operates within a limited pool of legal material to minimize AI errors or “hallucinations,” and it breaks down tasks for specialist models to maintain reliability. The tool is designed for ease of use and does not require judges to have technical skills. Court officials emphasize that AI will not replace judicial decision-making or compromise impartiality. Developers stress the importance of verifying AI output for accuracy. AI is seen as a way to let judges spend less time on routine paperwork and more on substantive legal decisions, but its outputs must be carefully evaluated for trustworthiness.
