NAPD Virtual Tech Expo 2026

1. Understand the ethical challenges and responsibilities when using AI in public defense, including bias in algorithms
2. Learn to evaluate AI tools to ensure they comply with legal and ethical standards for client representation.
3. Discuss the potential impact of AI errors on case outcomes and how to mitigate these risks.
4. Develop an understanding of the ethical obligations of defense counsel in deploying and managing AI tools in practice.

Imagine a world where you can easily navigate exponential amounts of data stored in various formats and systems to identify critical connections that could change the course of a case. A world where AI-powered tools help you find the proverbial needle in the haystack. Where data is a resource instead of a task in your day, where tools find meaningful and actionable insights, provide a clearer roadmap for advocacy, and ensure equal treatment for all. This is the power of human-machine collaboration – a force multiplier in the pursuit of justice.

This session will explore realistic/practical opportunities for public defenders to leverage existing tools and resources to amplify impact, reduce disparities, and redefine what's possible. Combining human expertise with machine learning can level the playing field, reveal hidden patterns, and empower advocates as we work to deliver on the promise of Fundamental Fairness under the law. Join us as we redefine what's possible in public defense, one data point at a time. Together, we can create a future where justice is truly blind and Fundamental Fairness is a reality for all, including you!

From Patterns to Precedents – Leveraging AI for Evidence-Based Systemic Reforms" is a Blue-Sky exploration of how artificial intelligence could drive meaningful change in the justice system. We’ll consider AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of public defense and justice system data to uncover systemic issues such as racial disparities and sentencing inconsistencies. We’ll discuss possible ways to harness AI tools to build compelling, data-driven arguments for court, creating visualizations that effectively communicate complex patterns to judges and juries. Finally, we’ll discuss how, with enough data, predictive modeling could forecast the impact of proposed reforms, providing a solid foundation for advocacy efforts. Attendees will leave inspired to find and build the use cases that will lead to systemic reforms.

1. Understand the key considerations when evaluating potential AI vendors, such as cost, data security, and support services.
2. Learn to assess AI vendors for compliance with privacy and confidentiality requirements specific to public defense.
3. Develop a framework for comparing AI tools, focusing on functionality, user-friendliness, and adaptability to public defense needs.
4. Explore best practices for ensuring transparency and accountability in vendor relationships.
5. Learn how to engage staff feedback and pilot programs to make informed decisions about adopting AI tools.
6. Selecting staff in the office to do testing and influencing others.  

Hundreds of jail calls dumped right before trial. More and more body cameras in each case. Digital discovery often holds critical pieces of evidence that change the course of the case, but requires hours of searching for the "needle in the haystack" moments.

Last year, the Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference rolled out a new software platform called JusticeText to automatically transcribe their voluminous discovery. In this discussion, you will hear from the agency's Training Director Kevin McGee who has incorporated this AI tool in her workflow to save hours reviewing body-worn camera footage and securing fairer outcomes for his clients. This session will help you maximize the utility of video evidence while minimizing the workload burden to you and your team.

In this session, learn how you can use cutting edge AI tools to transcribe, clip, translate, and redact important moments from video evidence to strengthen your case. We will also introduce MirandaAI, a powerful AI assistant designed to supercharge your discovery review. This latest release allows attorneys to generate case timelines, surface inconsistent statements, and identify supporting facts for a given case theory - all within seconds.

Can’t wait until the session? Learn more about JusticeText, the UChicago school-project built specifically for public defenders, by watching this short video about our partnership with the Harris County Public Defender's Office.

https://justicetext.com/

Docket Time Entries While in Transit
 AI-powered transcription tools can help us record time entries hands-free while commuting after a full docket of hearings, ensuring we capture key updates on our cases so that our time entries are detailed and comprehensive, without having to wait for us to get back to the office, and without us having to deal with the friction of drafting formalized report writing. Just say what happened and what the details are and let the AI worry about formalizing your tone
Summaries of Initial Jail Meetings
 We can quickly generate summaries from jail meetings that capture the core of each client’s story, initial legal questions, any hot button complicating issues (citizenship, parole holds) and other essential case info. This summary can then be directly added to the case file and be more thorough than notes written after meeting with several clients at the jail
Summarizing Voluminous Adult Probation Reports
 When we receive lengthy probation reports, AI tools can produce summaries that distill critical insights and highlight potential areas to address, saving hours of reading and summarizing manually.
Creating a Data Pipeline for Police Reports
AI can create a structured, searchable tables from police reports, automatically extracting relevant details such as times, locations, and key witnesses, enabling a more efficient review process across cases and allowing us to move that data into our case management systems without having to type a word
Link to resources

Public defense workloads are increasing, and one major culprit is the huge influx of digital evidence—from body-worn camera footage to jail calls—making it more onerous than ever to review all of your discovery. This talk explores how AI can ease the burden of reviewing hours and hours of audio and video discovery, offering tools like “Ctrl-F” to quickly locate critical evidence.
Using example case ‘archetypes,’ we will showcase how AI tools address the unique challenges public defenders face, such as:

• Reviewing a variety of audio/video discovery
• Working with huge volumes of discovery (think 100s of jail calls)
• Reviewing recordings of the same event from many police officer body cams
• Working with recordings in another language
• Extracting and presenting evidence in a compelling way

In addition, the talk will share a framework for categorizing AI tools, and share typical accuracies across different “types” of AI tools, so you can assess how reliable they can be for real world use cases.

Public defenders face unique challenges in navigating the expanding landscape of digital evidence and adapting to rapidly evolving technology. In this session, “Engineering Justice for Tomorrow: From Legacy Systems to AI Innovation,” we’ll explore the technological journey of public defense, from outdates legacy systems to cutting-edge AI-driven solutions. This session will highlight how Axon is leveraging AI to develop solutions that enhance efficiency and support decision-making, all while maintaining a steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical integrity. We’ll also discuss the potential risks associated with AI, and how Axon’s approach is designed to safeguard against them. Join us to learn how Axon’s AI-powered innovations can help public defenders manage the complexities of modern justice while preserving the core values of fairness and equity.

Automating for Impact: Enhancing Public Defense Through AI & Technology" is an introduction and exploration of how automation and artificial intelligence can revolutionize public defense operations in large and small ways. We’ll discuss practical, accomplishable applications of these cutting-edge technologies, focusing on streamlining administrative tasks, improving data management, and enhancing decision-making processes. We will also briefly address some of the exciting opportunities that these solutions can bring to direct client services. Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of what’s possible with AI and automation today, insights on identifying automation opportunities within their organizations, and next best steps towards implementing these solutions effectively.