It is an interesting time to work in the U.S. court system — and that is putting it mildly.
Four generations of court professionals — baby boomers, Generation X, millennials, and the first wave of Generation Z — are learning how to work with one another effectively. At the same time, new technologies are propelling many professions into an era of unprecedented change. Courts find themselves caught between staying current and being mindful of the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) implementation. Plus, all of this is happening while some persistent challenges remain unresolved in the court systems.
This white paper will provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of court operations, highlighting the crucial challenges and proposing smart, sensible ways AI might address the main pain points. It will highlight how AI can automate routine tasks, improve case management, and expand public access to justice. It will also discuss the necessity of human involvement with AI, including oversight and judgment, as well as the need for standardized processes to ensure accountability and reliability.
The state of court systems today
To understand how AI can help courts usher in a brighter, better tomorrow, it's important to first understand their current state. While some aspects of today’s courts below will be familiar, others could offer new insights.
Staffing challenges and digital divide
The challenges courts face today start with understaffing. In the Staffing, Operations and Technology: A 2025 Survey of State Courts report, Thomson Reuters Institute and the National Center for State Courts AI Policy Consortium for Law and Courts sought the opinions of 443 state, county, and municipal court judges and court professionals. The results overall are eye-opening, including the findings on staffing challenges. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they experienced staffing shortages in the past 12 months, and 61% said they anticipate facing shortages in the next 12 months. Furthermore, nearly half of the respondents said a shortage of skilled labor was having a transformative or high impact on court operations. Given the longstanding difficulties courts have with recruiting, retaining, and funding new talent, it seems unlikely that this shortage will be alleviated anytime soon — raising the possibility that today’s issues could become tomorrow’s bigger problems.
Adding to these challenges is the issue known as the “digital divide.” Experienced professionals nearing retirement may lack the experience or interest in new forms of technology, whereas workers just entering the workforce may enthusiastically embrace technology like AI, only to encounter limitations in its workplace adoption. This disparity creates a high-friction environment, leading to frustration for different reasons. As a result, crafting a one-size-fits-all solution becomes nearly impossible.
Stagnant productivity and increasing workload
In court systems across the country, many staff members are working more than 40 hours per weekend and are still feeling overwhelmed. Consider these findings from the 2025 Survey of State Courts report:
- 53% of respondents said they work between 40 and 45 hours a week on average
- 25% of respondents reported working 46 to 50 hours a week
- 13% of respondents indicated they work more than 50 hours per week
- 10% of respondents reported working 40 hours a week or less
Prolonged work hours not only exhaust court personnel weekly but also erode team morale. Feeling like you are not making progress against a mountain of essential tasks can quickly diminish job satisfaction. When this dynamic persists for too long, the impact can be profound. Talented and experienced professionals are at risk of burnout, leading them to leave their roles or disengage from their work. The resulting turnover can lead to even greater pressure on those who remain, trapping courts in a vicious cycle of swelling workloads and dwindling resources.
Furthermore, communities that depend on timely access to justice are directly affected as delays lengthen and confidence in the judicial process weakens. Courts are then placed in the difficult position of simultaneously trying to rebuild internal morale and external trust, a task that grows more difficult the longer the problem continues.
Despite misconceptions, working longer hours doesn't automatically drive productivity. While extended hours can boost output in some cases, professionals shouldn't expect automatic gains from simply grinding away at their desks. When more efficient methods exist to accomplish tasks, working more hours often proves counterproductive.
Generational shifts
Baby boomers are nearing retirement age. At the same time, digital-native Gen Z workers are entering the workforce, joining the millennials and Gen Xers who are moving into management positions. Courts are no exception to this rule.
This convergence of generations presents both opportunities and challenges for courts. Younger employees bring innovative ideas and comfort with new technologies that can modernize operations. In comparison, seasoned staff possess institutional knowledge and procedural experience that is critical to maintaining judicial integrity and consistency.
What this generational shift creates is a workforce where different values, preferences, work and communication styles, and attitudes toward technology coexist. Bringing every generation of workers onto the same metaphorical page is a tall order, but the ongoing effort is worthwhile and each step forward is something to appreciate.
Transitioning to the safe and effective use of AI
These insights shouldn’t be discouraging; if anything, they reveal areas of opportunity for progress. Technology is one of the principal ways court systems can overcome challenges, meet goals, and create environments where professionals of all generations feel valued, comfortable, and productive.
By investing thoughtfully in user-friendly digital tools, expanding training programs, designing clear and sensible policies, and fostering a culture that embraces change, courts can ensure progress is not only achievable but sustainable. Incremental improvements can yield significant long-term benefits for both court personnel and the public they serve.
System modernization
Some courts have made impressive tech strides, while many others are updating their tools to meet current demands. Modernizing court technology systems is challenging, but the potential benefits make it worth pursuing.
For example, upgrading court technology with APIs enables data sharing between relevant organizations and agencies, reducing administrative bottlenecks and errors caused by manual entry. Digital evidence systems provide secure, organized, and accessible storage, streamlining discovery and facilitating courtroom presentation. Together, these tools increase efficiency, lower costs, and improve transparency. Ultimately, modernization enhances public trust in the judiciary by delivering faster, fairer, and more reliable access to justice.
Enhancing comfort level with AI
As AI tools multiply and become more sophisticated, public fascination with their capabilities continues to grow. At the same time, concerns about AI tools are growing, particularly about consumer-grade versions — those available to the general public rather than secure, purpose-built systems designed for specialized applications — that may compromise confidentiality and return inaccurate results.
Primarily, professionals report being concerned that AI will replace human judgment or eliminate the need for human involvement altogether. For example, 35% of respondents to the staffing, operations, and technology report said they are concerned that AI use will lead to an overreliance on technology at the expense of skill.
That concern is valid, but it misses an important nuance: AI use without human skill is one thing, but AI use plus human skill is another entirely. Some of the brightest minds working on AI and similar technologies scoff at the idea that AI will replace human workers, instead advocating for deliberately designing a hybrid of AI intelligence and human literacy. In fact, many people stress at every opportunity that AI needs human involvement, from judicious use and critical evaluation of output to pure and simple common sense, to live up to its highest potential. That is as true for court professionals as it is for everyone else.
Much of the mistrust and suspicion surrounding AI stems from limited exposure to it. As court professionals use AI and leadership emphasizes its role as a supportive tool rather than a replacement, this apprehension will likely fade.
AI-driven document analysis and case management
One of the tasks AI is impressively good at is document analysis and categorization. In the context of a court system, professionals can use AI tools to analyze legal documents, manage cases, and schedule hearings. Doing so could reduce the amount of time they have to spend on mundane tasks and increase overall efficiency.
Revisiting the notion that long hours don’t always boost productivity, an AI tool that streamlines time-consuming work into faster, more efficient processes can significantly benefit overworked court professionals.
Educational initiatives
Earlier, we discussed the digital divide and the apprehension some workers feel toward AI. As noted, much of this suspicion stems from a lack of familiarity. To bridge the digital divide and support workers across generations, courts should emphasize the safe and intelligent use of AI and technology tools to simplify and enhance the efficiency of court professionals’ work. The following are some ways to do that.
Education
Knowledge is power. As professionals deepen their understanding of AI and its applications, they gain confidence in using the tools. Educated workers feel empowered to use AI resources to their fullest potential, maximizing effectiveness.
Clear, specific policies
Policies for when, why, and how to use AI give workers a sense of structure and comfort. Such policies help professionals realize how AI fits into their workflow and make them feel more at ease.
Visible human involvement
Court professionals need to know that AI systems operate under human oversight and auditing. Merely stating this is insufficient; repeated visual evidence of human judgment and input will clarify AI’s supportive role.
Standardizing processes
When two individuals perform the same task, variations in approach are inevitable. Multiplying this across an entire court system highlights how different methods can create inconsistencies.
Professionals can use AI technology to standardize procedures, ensuring accuracy and achieving the desired outcome. It can also generate templates to guide new employees who are unfamiliar with specific tasks and ensure that all necessary information is captured. Overall, AI can minimize errors, improve consistency, and streamline frequent tasks.
AI today for a better tomorrow
As you have learned, court systems face a great many challenges while continuing to fulfill their mission of serving the public and facilitating justice. Although hurdles remain, technology like AI can help reduce workload, increase consistency and accuracy, and help courts become more efficient and effective.
By thoughtfully integrating AI tools into daily operations, courts can streamline case processing, automate routine administrative tasks, and deploy human skill and judgment where it is needed most. These advancements not only improve productivity but also enhance the overall quality of a court’s collective work product. As a result, both court professionals and the public benefit from faster resolutions, clearer communication, and a justice system better equipped to meet modern demands.
