Extract from Justin Smith’s article “Judges Share Their Perspectives on Generative AI and the Law at Everlaw Summit”
The courtroom is one of the few places that, upon entering, you know exactly where you are.
There are the church-like pews lining the aisle, the fluorescent lights casting their artificial glow, the wooden gavel lying in wait, the uniformed bailiff standing guard, the oversized bench from which the judge presides in their flowing black robes.
Your voice lowers, your footsteps soften, your body tenses, your senses heighten.
And yet, although courtrooms are still where the rule of law is upheld and the gears of the legal system grind, in our post-Covid world, the virtual court has emerged as a viable alternative for the judiciary.
Add to that the explosion in the amount of discoverable data, the ever-evolving role of ediscovery, and new types of technology like generative AI, and it’s safe to say the 21st century courtroom—and the judge that presides over it—has a lot on its plate.
At Everlaw Summit, the Hon. Rebecca Pallmeyer (N.D. Ill.), Hon. Allison Goddard (S.D. Cal.), and Hon. Evette Pennypacker (Santa Clara County, Cal.) spoke with Everlaw CLO Gloria Lee about changes in the legal profession during their time on the bench, what they think about its current state, and where they see things going next.
