Can Judges Use AI? Inside Court Rules & Ethics [Episode 34]

Can state court judges safely use generative AI? In this episode of AI and the Future of Law, hosts Jen Leonard and Bridget McCormack break down the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s interim policy on AI in courts — what judges and staff can do, what they can’t, and why guardrails like human review and confidentiality matter.

The conversation also dives into real-world AI workflows, including Claude as a book editor and a ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini slide-design showdown. In What Just Happened?, they unpack MIT’s much-discussed report on “failing” AI pilots, exploring why adoption is high but ROI is slow. Finally, they examine what interim policies mean for courts, why AI is more like electricity than a software upgrade, and how pilots like Michigan’s partnership with Learned Hand are shaping the future.

Talking Points:
AI Aha!: Claude as editor, GPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini for slides
What Just Happened: MIT’s AI pilot study and ROI debate
Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s interim AI policy and guardrails
Court “AI labs,” enterprise access, and Michigan’s Learned Hand pilot
Why AI in courts is more like electricity than an upgrade

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