Oliver Roberts, Co-Director of the WashU AI Collaborative and an Adjunct Professor of Law, recently led two AI programs in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a presentation for Bangladesh’s Minister of Law and Justice and an lecture for students and faculty at North South University Department of Law, one of the country’s leading universities.
At Bangladesh’s Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Roberts delivered a presentation titled “AI and Court Efficiency: Reducing Backlog and Building Trust” for the Minister and senior government and judicial officials. The presentation examined how courts can use AI to improve administrative efficiency, address Bangladesh’s substantial case backlog, expand access to legal information, and strengthen public trust in the judicial system.
Roberts discussed potential applications of AI in case management, legal research, document review, translation, and public-facing court services. He also addressed the importance of human oversight, responsible procurement, transparency, data governance, and safeguards appropriate for courts and government institutions.
Separately, Roberts delivered a lecture on artificial intelligence and law at North South University Department of Law. The lecture explored how AI is changing legal education and practice, including legal research, drafting, litigation, client service, and professional responsibility. Roberts also discussed how law schools can prepare future attorneys to use AI effectively while recognizing its limitations and legal and ethical implications.
Before the engagements, Margaret Onder, 3L, and a Fellow in the WashU Law AI Fellowship Program, assisted the WashU Law AI Collaborative by conducting important background research on Bangladesh’s judiciary and its existing uses of technology.
The two engagements provided opportunities to exchange perspectives with Bangladesh’s government, judicial, and academic communities and to identify potential areas for continued collaboration in judicial innovation and legal education.
