Equalizing Justice: Harnessing AI for Litigants Without Lawyers - Softcover

Branting, L. Karl

Softcover

ISBN 10: 100977946X ISBN 13: 9781009779463

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2026

Synopsis

Millions of individuals worldwide struggle to understand and assert their legal rights without legal representation. Equalizing Justice examines how AI and other technologies can address this access to justice crisis by providing unrepresented litigants with knowledge and skills traditionally available only through lawyers. This volume takes a needs-first approach, identifying tasks that unrepresented litigants must complete and mapping specific technologies to each task, such as generative AI, computational logic, and document automation. The book highlights real-world applications, demonstrating proven impact, and presents case studies and interviews to explore both the potential positive outcomes and potential challenges of AI for access to justice. Equalizing Justice proves that AI technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to create equitable justice systems serving everyone, not just those who can afford representation. The volume argues for legal AI assistants as a public good that should be accessible to all.

About this title

About the Authors

L. Karl Branting (1952–2024) was the Chief Scientist of Machine Learning for Computational Law at the MITRE Corporation (2007–2024). Karl served as the President of the International Association for Artificial Intelligence and Law (2004–2005), was a United States Supreme Court Fellow (2001–2002), and published more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles and books on artificial intelligence.

Mia Bonardi is a Research Attorney II at the Supreme Court of Guam. Mia was a member of Suffolk LIT Lab's Document Assembly Line Project and has published several articles at the intersection of human rights and technology.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 100977946X
• ISBN 13: 9781009779463
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 388