Two of California's largest courts are testing an AI tool that can draft orders and produce research memos. Judges so far are using it primarily for civil cases, but documents obtained by CalMatters indicate the possibility of expanded applications in criminal cases, where people's freedom and access to justice are on the line.
Two of California 's largest courts are testing an AI tool that can draft orders and produce research memos . Judges so far are using it primarily for civil cases, but documents obtained by CalMatters indicate the possibility of expanded applications in criminal cases, where people's freedom and access to justice are on the line.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court began a pilot program in February to test a tool created by the company Learned Hand. Learned Hand uses a combination of language models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google to act as an AI clerk for judges. In Riverside County, which has a $10,000 agreement with the company to test the program, civil and probate attorneys are primarily using the tool to draft research memos that help judges reach their decisions.
Use of AI in courts has been controversial because of the propensity of AI models to cite falsehoods and to produce sycophantic text. Models from major companies like Google and Anthropic can reduce critical thinking and brain activity, according to a 2025 MIT study. Language model hallucinations have already made it into the judicial system.
Researcher Damien Charlotin has documented hundreds of instances of litigants, lawyers, and judges making mistakes when using AI to do their jobs including nearly 90 cases in state or federal courts based in California since August 2024. A majority of California's superior courts now have generative AI use policies.
Judges so far are using it primarily for civil cases, but documents obtained by CalMatters indicate the possibility of expanded applications in criminal cases, where people's freedom and access to justice are on the line
AI Courts Drafting Orders Research Memos California Los Angeles County Superior Court Riverside County Learned Hand Anthropic Openai Google Critical Thinking Brain Activity Language Model Hallucinations Generative AI Use Policies California's Superior Courts Shlomo Klapper UCLA Law School Professors Surveillance Technology Company Palantir
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