As US courts face severe staffing shortages and increasing workloads, they are cautiously adopting AI as a tool to boost efficiency and maintain access to justice, while emphasizing the need for human-centered implementation, comprehensive training, and strong governance to preserve public trust and judicial integrity
Key highlights:
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Staffing crisis and rising caseloads — US courts are struggling with significant staffing shortages and increasing caseloads, leading to operational delays and overworked employees.
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Cautious but growing AI adoption — Most courts are proceeding carefully with limited training and a strong focus on protecting confidentiality, ethical standards, and human judgment.
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Human-centered, governance, and education needed — Experts stress that successful AI integration requires leadership, comprehensive education for court personnel, and robust governance policies to ensure AI supports, rather than replaces, human roles in the justice system.
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A staggering 91% of professionals surveyed at state courts said they believe AI will have a moderate to transformative impact on judicial operations. Indeed, the mainstreaming of AI technology arrives at a critical juncture for America’s court systems. Today, courts in the United States are wrestling with the dual challenges of severe staffing shortages coupled with the urgent need to drive adoption of AI tools to alleviate the pain, according to findings from a recent webinar that was part of the AI Policy Consortium, a joint initiative from of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the Thomson Reuters Institute (TRI).
More than two-thirds (68%) of judges and court professionals surveyed for the Consortium’s 2025 Survey of State Courts report said their courts had experiencing staffing shortages in the past year, with 61% anticipating continued shortfalls. Indeed, these challenges are forcing judges and court administrators to navigate between immediate operational needs and long-term technological transformation.
David Slayton, Executive Officer and Clerk of Court for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, says that there is also “the challenge of people leaving. We have people in our workforce in Los Angeles that have been here 35, 40, 45 years. Well, they are getting to the end of their careers. They are ready to leave, and they are going to take a lot of knowledge with them. And at the same time, we have the challenge of getting newer folks to the organization to come work for the court.”
Current state of court staffing
Because of this staffing crisis, critical positions across the judicial system remain unfilled as courts struggle to hire enough court reporters, interpreters, and administrative staff. These roles are essential to maintain citizens’ constitutional rights to due process and access to justice.
The operational impact of these shortages is severe and far-reaching, the data shows. Despite having fewer staff members, 45% of courts report increasing caseloads, which is enabling a perfect storm of overwhelming demand and diminished capacity. For example, 77% of courts encounter hearing delays weekly; and 38% of the court workforce now work between 46 and 50 or more hours per week — yet only 52% say they feel they have adequate time to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.
“Of the people who are working 50-plus hours, only about 12% said they are feeling like they have enough time to do the things needed,” explains Rabihah Butler, Enterprise Content Manager for risk, compliance, government and courts at TRI. “It seems like we need to find a way to both decrease the hours that people are working, and also make sure that they feel like they’re able to get done the things that they need to get done to successfully handle their jobs.”
Careful implementation of AI necessary
Only 25% of court systems currently offer AI training to their personnel, according to the report. This cautious approach reflects the judiciary’s measured response to emerging technology by prioritizing careful implementation over rapid adoption. Despite acknowledging AI’s importance, courts remain focused on addressing immediate operational needs rather than rushing into wholesale technological transformation.
The promise of AI applications in court operations extends across multiple domains, from making administrative efficiency improvements in document processing, scheduling, and case management to enhancing public services through AI-powered chatbots for basic inquiries. For example, Slayton says that the Superior Court of Los Angeles County has deployed an AI-powered jury duty rescheduling system that allows citizens to interact conversationally with backend systems.
Join the AI Policy Consortium — a joint initiative from of the National Center for State Courts and the Thomson Reuters Institute — for its next webinar on AI in Courts: Insights from South Korea, Australia, and Singapore
Still, technical barriers loom large, as courts struggle with limited technology budgets, dependence on external IT support, and the critical need for private, secure AI systems rather than public tools that could compromise sensitive case information. Ethical concerns also weigh heavily on judicial leaders who must balance innovation with fundamental principles of judicial independence, the critical role of humans in decision-making, confidentiality and maintaining public trust.
Add in to that the worries that rising attrition among court staff is another potential barrier to wide-scale AI adoption. However, the Honorable Joseph A. Zayas, Chief Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System says he does not see this as a threat. “I really do not anticipate job loss being an issue, because AI is something that requires human monitoring,” Judge Zayas explains, adding that AI tools can help address staffing shortages, since they are capable of assisting with tasks like transcription and language translation, “and there’s just not enough people for us to hire to handle these things.”
The goal in deploying AI, he continues, is “not [to] avoid hiring other people but filling the void that has [been] created by the sort of mass resignations that we see happening just generally with certain generations.”
Looking ahead
To leverage the opportunity of AI and address some of the concerns involved, Jen Leonard, Founder & CEO of Creative Lawyers, recommends that state courts adopt a measured human first-AI forward philosophy and that court leadership can move forward with implementation. Specifically, Leonard observes that leadership matters more than specific tools in addressing mounting operational challenges and achieving successful implementation. More specifically, Judge Zayas, Slayton, and Leonard recommend that courts start with these actions as part of any successful AI integration efforts:
Begin with training & education — Comprehensive training programs are needed across all court levels to build AI literacy among judges, staff, and attorneys. “I think the best way to overcome concerns [about AI] is through education and training in the use of AI technology, even if it just means getting familiar with that technology — for everyone involved in the daily work of the court system,” including judges, court staff, attorneys, and unrepresented litigants, says Judge Zayas.
Focus on the human-centered approach — Centering human needs around technology ensures that AI serves as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human judgment.
Institute good governance — The development of policies and procedures remains key, as courts need governance mechanisms for establishing clear AI usage guidelines. The Judicial Council of California, for example, is adopting statewide rules requiring every court to develop AI policies, addressing ethical considerations including confidentiality, bias prevention, and appropriate use boundaries.
As courts navigate unprecedented staffing challenges, AI emerges not as a replacement for human workers, but as a critical tool to fill gaps and enhance efficiency. Success will depend on thoughtful implementation, comprehensive training, and maintaining the delicate balance between innovation and judicial integrity.
You can access a full copy of the 2025 Survey of State Courts report from the AI Policy Consortium, a joint initiative from of the National Center for State Courts and the Thomson Reuters Institute here
