eCourts 2024 sees record-breaking attendance, showcases legal innovations and challenges

December 18, 2024 -- Pressing issues such as cybersecurity, data management, and the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal system took center stage at last week’s eCourts 2024 conference in Las Vegas.

Attracting more than 1,100 in-person and virtual attendees, this year’s record turnout underscores the conference’s significance in the court and legal community.

“eCourts presents a unique opportunity for courts to bring teams of leaders together,” said Jesse Rutledge, NCSC’s Vice President for Public Affairs. “After three days of learning and networking, they return home recharged and refocused.”

Keynote speaker Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, discussed how AI is transforming industries, including the legal sector. In “Artificial Intelligence: A Primer for Legal Practitioners,” Professor Farid highlighted how advances in AI can impact legal practitioners, particularly in areas like misinformation, digital evidence validation, and facial recognition.

“AI is both terrifying and exciting at the same time,” he remarked, encouraging courts to leverage digital forensic techniques to enhance the reliability of digital evidence.

Following the keynote, over a dozen sessions featuring state and national experts from NCSC and courts across the country offered practical insights and solutions to real-world challenges. Topics included NCSC tools for tackling data challenges, lessons from the recent Kansas cybersecurity attack, and construction of an access-to-justice infrastructure.

NCSC data experts Andre Assumpcao and Miriam Hamilton showcased three new NCSC tools designed to tackle data challenges: the Duplicate Recognition Tool, the Racial Imputation Tool, and the Equity and Inclusion Assessment Tool (EIAT). These tools aid courts in improving efficiency, equity, and decision-making and are available now or coming online in 2025. The event also featured NCSC's exclusive Center Quarter Talks, which were short 15-minute sessions providing overviews of critical issues facing state courts.

Catching up on technology and finding workable solutions were important to eCourts 2024 attendee Deborah McNabb, chief judge of the 17th Circuit Court, Kent County, Michigan.

“My team and I came here looking for solutions, and we're leaving with many new ideas to test," she said. "We have a lot of work to do!”

Explore more

Read our LinkedIn articles for a deeper understanding of the conference and its key takeaways. These articles offer additional insights and information on several eCourts 2024 sessions:

Up next: CTC 2025

Join us for the next opportunity to learn and network with industry experts at the world's largest court technology conference: CTC 2025. The event will be in Kansas City, Missouri, from September 16 to 18, 2025. Register by December 31, 2024, for a highly discounted rate.