How Judges Can Use AI Without Losing Human Judgment with Justice Jerod Tufte

Artificial intelligence offers transformative potential for the judiciary, provided judges maintain rigorous oversight and accountability. Justice Jerod Tufte of the North Dakota Supreme Court demonstrates how integrating AI into chambers—specifically through custom-built databases like Model Context Protocols—enables efficient analysis of voluminous case records and accurate citation verification. By treating AI as a junior law clerk, judges can streamline workflows while mitigating hallucination risks through strict, evidence-based instructions. Beyond internal efficiency, these tools address the growing access-to-justice crisis by helping self-represented litigants navigate legal complexities and understand their standing in disputes. As litigation volumes rise, judicial adoption of these technologies becomes essential for maintaining institutional trust and operational capacity. Judges must move beyond theoretical concerns and actively experiment with real-world case data to develop the necessary technical intuition for modern legal practice.