AI and the Future of Law AI in LA Courts: David Slayton on Access to Justice
Nov 11, 2025
David Slayton, CEO of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, dives into the intersection of AI and justice. He discusses the innovative Court Help feature and the imperative of making court services accessible to all, especially self-represented litigants. Slayton emphasizes the balancing act of adopting AI—moving too quickly risks eroding public trust, while moving too slowly could overwhelm the system. He also explores how predictive analytics can streamline processes and enhance access to justice, advocating for a thoughtful approach to tech in legal settings.
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AI Helped Plan Vacation And Navigate Court Site
- David Slayton used ChatGPT to plan a two-week family trip to Scotland and to navigate his new court website.
- He also highlighted Court Help on lacourt.gov as a generative-AI tool on the homepage that finds site content quickly.
Scale And Self‑Representation Challenge
- LA Superior Court is the largest in the U.S. with 582 judicial officers, 5,000 employees, and 1.3M cases filed annually.
- Family and eviction dockets show very high self-representation, e.g., ~70–80% in family and 14% tenants represented in evictions.
Prioritize Effectiveness Over Mere Efficiency
- Redefine priorities from 'efficient' to 'effective' and center mission on accessibility, trust, and justice for all.
- Start with people-focused design and use data to guide innovation decisions.