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.

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.  

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

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.

Explore how the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior NeuroLaw Library empowers public defenders to integrate neuroscience into juvenile and young adult criminal defense strategies. This session will showcase the library’s cutting-edge tools and resources, designed to provide accessible, research-based information about brain development, trauma, and adolescent behavior. Attendees will learn how to use this free, open-source technology to craft compelling arguments for mitigating culpability, promoting alternatives to incarceration, and advocating for rehabilitation-focused outcomes. Tailored for the tech-savvy defender, this presentation offers practical guidance on harnessing neuroscience to advance justice and equity in young clients' cases. Based at Massachusetts General Hospital, the mission of the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior is to transform law and criminal justice through the use of accurate, actionable neuroscience.  link to library - www.clbbneurolawlibrary.com

Using AI Agents for Automated Follow-Ups

• DA Follow-Ups for Pre-Indictment Offers
   AI agents can draft personalized, natural-sounding requests to the DA for pre-indictment offers, based on your typical tone and follow-up style, and manage timelines for subsequent follow-ups.
• Automated Scheduling for New On-Bond Clients
   We can use AI to manage new client intake, handling scheduling for initial meetings in real time by syncing with our calendar and the client’s preferred times, ensuring no client slips through the cracks.

Chatbots for Client Questions and Court Information
A client-facing chatbot can answer common questions, such as court date, location, or whether a personal appearance is necessary. The bot could adapt to each client’s preferred contact method (text, email, etc.) for responses and then if the client has a question requiring legal advice it will schedule an appointment based on the attorneys availabilities
Link to resources

Creating a Data Pipeline for Public Odyssey Records
 Similarly, by building a data pipeline for Public Odyssey records, we can automatically gather case status updates, prior convictions, and other critical data, which would otherwise require manual entry and checking
Practicing Cross-Examination with AI-Modeled Expert Witnesses
 AI can analyze past testimony of well-known State experts and simulate their responses, helping us practice and refine our cross-examination approach in a realistic way.
Generating Mitigation Packets After Initial Client Meetings
Generate comprehensive mitigation packets immediately after the first client meeting by transcribing a recording of the meeting and organizing background details, social history, and personal narratives. This saves time by creating a draft that can be quickly reviewed and expanded upon, followed up on by the client and by investigators, and even drafting the cover letter to the DA.
Link to resources

1. Understand how to use AI to identify systemic issues, such as racial disparities or sentencing patterns, in public defense cases.
2. Learn techniques to present data-driven arguments in court to support systemic challenges.
3. Explore ways to leverage AI tools to build compelling narratives for reform advocacy.
4. Develop skills to gather and analyze data using AI for legislative, court, and public presentations.
5. Discuss the ethical considerations and best practices when using AI-generated data in systemic advocacy efforts.

1. Understand the key elements that should be included in a policy for AI use in public defense offices.
2. Learn to assess and mitigate risks associated with the use of AI tools in the context of public defense.
3. Develop a framework for evaluating new AI tools and determining their suitability for office use.
4. Explore best practices for drafting office policies to address data security and ethical use of AI technologies.
5. Learn strategies to involve stakeholders, including staff and clients, in policy creation and updates.