How AI Is Transforming US Courts: Stanford JSD Leo Li on US/China/Europe Differences

In recent years, AI has entered judicial systems worldwide at an unprecedented pace, not only transforming how courts process cases but also raising a fundamental question: In the AI era, how should judicial data be governed, and where should the boundaries of judicial decision-making be redrawn?
Against this backdrop, I sat down for an in-depth conversation at Stanford with Leo You Li (Leo Li), J.S.D. candidate at Stanford Law School.
Leo is one of the first friends I made after arriving in Silicon Valley. He has long focused on the intersection of AI, data governance, and judicial institutions, working under Professor David Freeman Engstrom (one of the most influential scholars in U.S. legal technology). His recent paper, The Faces of Judicial Data Governance, was awarded the 2025 Colin B. Picker Graduate Prize by the American Society of Comparative Law — a prestigious recognition for the best research paper submitted by a young global comparative law scholar.
This discussion centers on his award-winning paper, drawing from real-world observations of AI applications in U.S. courts to offer a comparative analysis of the profound differences in judicial data governance models and legal tech pathways across the United States, China, and Europe. Join us in exploring the future of justice in the AI age!

近几年，AI正以前所未有的速度涌入各国司法体系，不仅重塑法院处理案件的方式，更抛出一个根本性问题：在AI时代，司法数据到底该如何治理？裁判权的边界又该如何重新划定？
正是在这样的背景下，我在斯坦福校园里，与斯坦福法学院法律科学博士（JSD）候选人李有（Leo Li）进行了一次深度对谈。
Leo是我来到硅谷后最早结识的朋友之一，长期专注AI、数据治理与司法制度的交叉研究，师从David Freeman Engstrom教授（美国法律科技领域最具影响力的学者之一）。他的最新论文《The Faces of Judicial Data Governance》刚刚荣获2025年American Society of Comparative Law颁发的Colin B. Picker Graduate Prize——该奖项表彰全球青年比较法学者的最佳研究。
本次对话正是围绕这篇获奖论文展开，从AI在美国法院的真实一线应用出发，对中美欧三地在司法数据治理模式与法律科技路径上的深刻差异进行比较性观察。欢迎一起探讨AI时代司法的未来！