Oliver Roberts, Co-Director of the WashU AI Collaborative and an Adjunct Professor of Law, delivered a presentation to the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges on July 23.
His presentation, titled “AI in the Trial Courts: Judicial Risks, Emerging Trends, and Practical Tools,” examined how artificial intelligence is affecting courts, judicial decision-making, litigation, and the administration of justice.
Roberts discussed emerging trends in judicial use of AI, recent sanctions and court decisions involving improper AI use, hallucinated legal authorities, evidentiary issues, judicial ethics, and other practical considerations facing judges as AI becomes more common in legal practice.
In the second half of the program, Roberts moderated live demonstrations of legal AI tools from Thomson Reuters, LexisNexis, xAI, and Learned Hand. The demonstrations provided judges with a practical look at how AI-powered platforms can support legal research, document analysis, judicial workflows, and other court-related functions.
The presentation was part of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, which brought together approximately 700 judges from across the Commonwealth, including members of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Through the WashU Law AI Collaborative, Roberts develops judicial education programs, legal AI training, academic initiatives, and partnerships focused on the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence in courts and the legal profession.
