Extract from Grace Herman’s article, “An Old Standard for New Tools: What Judges Expect from AI in Legal Work.”
Reveal spoke with judges across California’s superior courts and federal courts to understand how they are navigating the rise of AI in legal workflows and evidence. The findings are clear: judges aren’t necessarily resistant to technology, but they demand defensibility and competency. The lawyers who embrace AI thoughtfully, validate their tools, and communicate transparently will be best positioned to succeed.
“Technology is here to stay, and the quicker lawyers learn to harness these tools effectively, the better equipped they’ll be.” — U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison Goddard, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
An age-old stereotype holds that courts lag when it comes to technological innovation. Famously, Chief Justice John Roberts asked what the difference was “between email and a pager,” and Justice Antonin Scalia wondered whether text messages from a workplace affair case could simply be printed and distributed. To their credit, that was 2010, and the judicial system itself favors deliberation, reactivity, and caution by design.
