AI for Judges

Prompts That Help Judges Work With Care

1. The lessons

   1. Legal Research and Standards: Use AI to quickly understand legal issues, standards, and conflicting cases before you research further.
   2. Drafting Court Orders: Use AI to draft, check, and simplify routine court orders so they are clear and consistent.
   3. Jury Instructions and Trial Prep: Use AI to draft and simplify jury instructions and prepare voir dire questions for trial.
   4. Motion and Brief Review: Use AI to summarize motions, outline briefs, and pull out key facts before you rule.
   5. Hearing and Bench Preparation: Use AI to prepare bench memos, hearing questions, and time plans so you walk into court ready.
   6. Sentencing and Disposition: Use AI to organize sentencing factors, draft a sentencing statement, and check the final order for errors.
   7. Mediation and Settlement Conferences: Use AI to prepare settlement conference agendas, mediation summaries, and explanations of settlement options.
   8. Complex Case Analysis: Use AI to map complex case issues and stress-test your draft ruling by arguing counterpoints.
   9. Court Administration and Communication: Use AI to draft courtroom procedures memos and plain-language explanations of rulings for the public.
2. What the Course Covers

   The course follows the arc of a judge's work. It starts with legal research and standards, then moves through orders, jury instructions, motions, hearings, sentencing, settlement conferences, complex cases, and court communication.

   Each lesson gives you prompts you can adapt to your jurisdiction and your style. You stay in charge of the final words and the final decision.

3. How the Lessons Connect

   The early lessons build a foundation in research and routine drafting. The middle lessons prepare you for trial and hearings. The later lessons help with sentencing, settlement, complex analysis, and explaining your work to the public.

4. How to Use the Prompts Well

   Give the AI clear context, your role, and the outcome you need. Ask for a short summary first, then for a draft. Always ask what is missing or uncertain.

   Keep your own notes about what worked. A prompt that fits your court will serve you better than a generic one.

5. Who This Course Is For

   This course is for judges who want to use AI carefully in chambers and in court. It assumes no technical background. It is also useful for judicial clerks, court attorneys, and others who support the bench.

6. Safety and Privacy for Judges

   Never put confidential case details, sealed records, or personal information into a public AI tool. Use only court-approved tools and settings. Treat every AI output as a draft that needs verification against the record and the law.

   Your ethical duties do not change when you use AI. You must still avoid ex parte information, disclose when required, and preserve the integrity of the proceedings.

7. Your Next Step

   Start with the lesson on legal research and standards, then try one prompt on a low-risk task. When you are comfortable, work through the rest in order. Use the video courses to go deeper on the topics you meet in your current cases.