Extract from Justin Smith’s article “Judge Francis on Ediscovery, GenAI, and the Role of Special Masters”
James Francis has been a judge from practically the start of his career.
After graduating from law school in 1978, he practiced for just seven years before assuming his role as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York, and remaining in the judgeship until his retirement in 2017. In his current role as a mediator, arbitrator, and Special Master for JAMS, he’s still taking an active role in the legal system.
During his career on the bench, Judge Francis saw ediscovery take shape and evolve into the practice it is today, making several consequential rulings on preservation and spoliation that still carry weight today.
And now, with the advent of generative AI as the next technological transformation facing the legal profession, he’s excited about its potential for attorneys and judges alike.
Judge Francis spoke with Everlaw about becoming a judge early in his career, generative AI’s use cases in the law, the role of Special Masters in ediscovery, and more.
