NCSC forms strategic AI partnership with Thomson Reuters Institute

June 27, 2024 -- NCSC and the Thomson Reuters Institute today announced the launch of a strategic artificial intelligence (AI) partnership called the TRI/NCSC AI Policy Consortium for Law and Courts. This joint initiative is designed to inform and educate the judiciary about the opportunities and challenges of evolving AI and generative AI solutions thereby enabling judges and legal and court professionals to make informed decisions about adoption and use.

“The TRI/NCSC AI Policy Consortium will provide timely information and education to judges and court staff in the states, and internationally,” said NCSC President Mary McQueen. “The courts’ appropriate use of artificial intelligence is both a challenge and opportunity for courts to expand access to justice and protect fair and impartial courts, and we believe that by working together, NCSC and TRI can lead the way during this era of innovation. This initiative is a key part of NCSC’s broader court innovation agenda.”

The partnership has developed a policy consortium composed of forward-leaning legal thinkers and court leaders to address these vital goals, as well as discuss policy developments and responses crucial to the future of the justice ecosystem. Co-Chairs include McQueen and Mike Abbott, head of TRI, and the initial membership roster includes:

Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Judge J. Michelle Childs, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
James C. Duff, executive director of the Supreme Court Historical Society
Dr. Gary Marchant, regent professor of law, and director of the Center for Law, Science and Innovation, Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law, Arizona State University
Bridget Mary McCormack, president and CEO, American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution
Jami McKeon, chair, Morgan & Lewis
Andrew Perlman, dean and professor of law, Suffolk University
Justice Elizabeth “Beth” Walker, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals

The policy consortium’s work will consist of ongoing study and evaluation of AI governance, education, and AI solutions and focus on three key areas:

The future impact of generative AI on the practice of law and the courts,
How AI and generative AI can be appropriately harnessed to increase access to justice, and
What policy responses should be explored and recommended to protect the rule of law from any potential ill-effects of generative AI.

The policy consortium’s work will be supported and informed by the efforts of four AI policy workstreams, including:

AI governance and ethics,
Workforce readiness for AI adoption,
Rules and practices pertaining to AI, and
AI’s impact on access to justice.

For more information about the work of the NCSC/TRI Policy Consortium, contact NCSC Principal Court Research Associate Diane Robinson.