Each year, this nation’s state courts are expected to handle more cases with fewer resources; and this has resulted in more filings, more self-represented litigants, greater complexity, and, in many jurisdictions, fewer clerks, court reporters, and qualified staff to keep courthouse operations running. That strain — growing demand rising against shrinking capacity — is not new. What is new is the set of advanced AI-driven tools now available to courts and the urgency of determining how to use them effectively.

To assess where this situation stands, the AI Policy Consortium for Law & Courts — a joint effort by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and the Thomson Reuters Institute (TRI) — gathered information from court professionals nationwide and conducted interviews with select focus groups to look beyond the topline numbers.

Now in its second year, the annual Survey of State Courts Report offers valuable continuity, making it one of the few research papers that tracks, year over year, how the people running America’s courts are actually experiencing advancing technology, increasing workload, and operational change — rather than how vendors or policymakers assume they do.

This year’s resulting report, Staffing, Operations & Technology: A 2026 Survey of State Courts, provides its critical findings at a genuinely pivotal moment for the judiciary.

A system under real pressure

Caseloads and administrative demands continue to climb in many jurisdictions, creating a challenge that’s arriving at precisely the moment when staff shortages are deepening in some of the most consequential roles in a courthouse. That combination is squeezing court operations in ways that ripple outward to everyone who depends on them — litigants wait longer for hearings, clerks are stretched across more responsibilities, and judges manage heavier dockets with thinner support.

AI, along with other emerging technologies, is one of the few levers courts can pull to ease that pressure. The survey finds real evidence that AI is already improving efficiency in certain parts of court operations, and many respondents say they believe the gains available are larger still. That's the encouraging half of the story.

‍The other half: real, unresolved concern

The less encouraging half is that tech adoption isn't simply a matter of flipping a switch. Many court professionals surveyed raised substantive concerns, from the risk that heavy reliance on AI could erode core professional skills over time, to the possibility of malicious or bad-faith AI use inside court processes themselves. A significant share of respondents say they need more training and clearer policy guidance before they can use AI safely and reliably in their day-to-day work. And notably, the field itself is split: a considerable number of court professionals remain genuinely divided on whether, on balance, AI will help or hurt state court operations over time.

That divide deserves attention. It does not mean courts are falling behind. Rather, it shows that those closest to the work understand the stakes and are not willing to treat AI adoption as inevitable simply because the technology is readily available.

From awareness to execution

Perhaps the most important thread running through this year's State Courts Report is a shift in where courts sit in their own transformation journey. For the past several years, courts have largely been in a mode of absorbing disruption, building awareness, and laying the groundwork needed for a more tech-driven future. The 2026 findings suggest that phase is largely behind them, and the more complex challenge now is operational: Translating that previous preparation into deliberate, sustained execution, that includes updating workflows, building governance around AI use, training staff, and closing the gaps that the survey identifies.

Beyond AI, the report also digs into other pressing aspects of state court operations today, including practical approaches to reducing case backlogs, streamlining day-to-day operations, and modernizing legacy court systems. These issues remain foundational no matter how quickly AI adoption progresses.

For state court leaders and anyone seeking a clearer understanding of today’s American judiciary, this report offers a candid, data-driven view of how institutions are facing significant pressure and real constraints while still making meaningful progress.

You can read a full copy of the report, Staffing, Operations & Technology: A 2026 Survey of State Courts, from the NCSC/TRI AI Policy Consortium for Law & Courts, here‍