Responsible AI for court systems with CoCounsel Legal – Thomson Reuters Legal Solutions

Report on the Adoption of Professional-Grade AI in Judicial Systems and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: AI Integration and its Impact on SDG 16

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into judicial systems presents a critical juncture for legal professionals, with initial adoption marked by significant caution. A survey indicates that 31% of court professionals express concern over AI, compared to only 15% showing excitement. This hesitation is largely driven by the unreliable outputs of generic AI tools, which have produced fabricated legal citations and undermined the integrity of court filings. Addressing these challenges through the adoption of professional-grade, verifiable AI is essential for strengthening judicial processes, directly supporting the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. This report outlines the role of specialized AI in mitigating risks and advancing the rule of law.

Enhancing Judicial Integrity and Access to Justice (SDG 16)

The Challenge of Unverified AI to Institutional Accountability

The use of public-facing AI systems, which lack access to proprietary and comprehensive legal databases, poses a direct threat to Target 16.3 of the SDGs, which aims to promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice. The risks are exemplified by the case of Sylvia Noland v. Land of the Free, L.P., et al., where an attorney’s use of unverified AI resulted in the submission of inaccurate and fabricated legal authorities. Such actions erode the foundation of the justice system and led to judicial sanctions. This case highlights the urgent need for a standard that ensures the reliability of technological tools used in legal practice, thereby reinforcing the development of effective, accountable, and transparent institutions as mandated by Target 16.6.

The Solution: Professional-Grade AI for Verifiable and Transparent Outcomes

Professional-grade AI solutions, such as CoCounsel Legal, offer a pathway to responsible technological adoption in the legal sector. These systems are designed to uphold the rigorous standards required by the judiciary and contribute to achieving the aims of SDG 16.

• Grounded in Authoritative Content: The system’s outputs are based on trusted legal resources like Westlaw and Practical Law, ensuring that all generated information is derived from verified and authoritative sources.
• Enhanced Verification and Transparency: By employing a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) approach, every answer includes verifiable citations and hyperlinked sources. This allows legal professionals to validate results, build defensible arguments, and maintain transparency in their filings.
• Strengthening Accountability: By providing a benchmark for verified AI-generated content, courts can more effectively identify and penalize the submission of unverified materials, holding legal professionals accountable for the tools they use.

Fostering Innovation and Resilient Infrastructure in the Legal Sector (SDG 9)

Technological Upgrading for Advanced Legal Research

The development of advanced AI capabilities represents a significant technological upgrade for the legal industry, aligning with SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Tools like Deep Research on Westlaw Advantage enhance the capacity for complex legal analysis, contributing to innovation as outlined in Target 9.5.

1. Systematic Research Mapping: The technology aids users by structuring research pathways, moving from initial queries to supplementary questions to ensure comprehensive review.
2. Targeted Authority Retrieval: The system identifies and retrieves the most relevant legal authority and analysis for complex issues, including constitutional questions, standards of review, and circuit splits.
3. Nuanced Analysis: The platform encourages iterative, follow-up questions from users, enabling the system to refine its search and generate more nuanced legal analyses grounded in authoritative content.

Ensuring Data Security to Build Institutional Trust

The foundation of a strong and trusted judicial institution, as envisioned in SDG 16, relies on robust data security and confidentiality. Professional-grade AI systems prioritize these elements through enterprise-level security protocols.

• Compliance and Certification: Adherence to high standards such as SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 is built into the development process.
• Data Protection Architecture: A zero-retention API architecture ensures that user data remains confidential and proprietary.
• Continuous Security Monitoring: 24/7 threat detection provides assurance that sensitive legal information is protected, fostering the trust necessary for effective institutions.

Strategic Implementation for Future-Ready and Sustainable Justice Systems

Workflow Integration and Human Oversight

For AI to effectively support the goals of SDG 16, it must be integrated seamlessly into existing legal workflows while preserving human oversight. The objective is to reduce manual tasks without relinquishing the critical “human-in-the-loop” interaction required for professional judgment and compliance with regulatory standards. This balanced approach ensures that technology serves as a tool to enhance, not replace, the accountability of legal professionals.

Conclusion: Advancing SDG 16 through Responsible AI Adoption

The transition toward AI-assisted legal work is inevitable. To ensure this transformation strengthens rather than weakens judicial systems, the adoption of professional-grade, secure, and verifiable AI is paramount. By embracing such technologies, the legal profession can enhance its efficiency and accuracy, thereby reinforcing the principles of justice, transparency, and accountability. This strategic adoption is a critical step in leveraging innovation to build the strong, effective, and just institutions envisioned in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article’s discussion on the implementation of professional-grade Artificial Intelligence in the legal sector connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary connections are with goals related to justice, innovation, and economic productivity.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: This is the most relevant SDG. The article focuses on the justice system, discussing how AI can either undermine or strengthen legal institutions. It addresses the need for accuracy, accountability, and reliability in legal proceedings, which are fundamental to building effective and accountable institutions and promoting the rule of law.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article details the development and application of advanced technology (professional-grade AI) to upgrade a specific industrial sector (the legal profession). It highlights innovation in legal research and the creation of a secure technological infrastructure (e.g., SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 compliance) to support it.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article implicitly touches upon this goal by emphasizing how AI solutions can enhance productivity. By stating that the goal is to “greatly accelerate your legal work” and “reduce the need for manual interventions,” it connects technological innovation to increased efficiency and economic productivity within the legal field.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
   • The article directly addresses accountability by highlighting a case where a court sanctioned an attorney for AI misuse. It argues that professional-grade AI with “verifiable citations and transparent sourcing” provides a benchmark that allows courts to “more effectively identify and penalize unverified AI submissions,” thus making legal institutions more accountable.
2. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • The core issue discussed is the risk of AI generating “inaccurate or fabricated” legal authority. The article explains that professional AI ensures court filings are “grounded in sound legal reasoning” by using trusted legal databases. This directly supports the rule of law by ensuring that legal arguments are based on actual, relevant law, which is a prerequisite for justice.
3. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors…encouraging innovation.
   • The article is a showcase for technological upgrading in the legal industry. It describes advanced AI tools like “CoCounsel Legal” and “Deep Research on Westlaw Advantage” as solutions that move beyond generic AI. This represents a clear effort to upgrade the technological capabilities of the legal sector through dedicated innovation.
4. Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through…technological upgrading and innovation.
   • The article promotes AI as a tool to “greatly accelerate your legal work” and create seamless workflows that “reduce the need for manual interventions.” This directly aligns with the goal of increasing economic productivity by leveraging technological innovation to make legal work more efficient.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators that could be used to measure progress, although it does not state them in formal SDG indicator terms.

• For Targets 16.3 and 16.6:
  • Reduction in court sanctions related to AI misuse: The article cites a specific case (*Sylvia Noland v. Land of the Free*) where a $10,000 sanction was imposed for submitting AI-fabricated citations. A decrease in the frequency of such sanctions could indicate that more reliable AI is being used, strengthening accountability and the rule of law.
  • Adoption rate of verifiable, professional-grade AI by legal professionals: The article contrasts the high concern (31%) for generic AI with the push for professional solutions. An increase in the adoption of systems like CoCounsel Legal by law firms and courts would be a direct measure of progress towards more accountable technological integration.
• For Target 9.5:
  • Development and release of new specialized AI tools for the legal sector: The introduction of “Deep Research on Westlaw Advantage” is presented as a “next advance in research technology.” The continued development and launch of such innovative tools serve as an indicator of ongoing technological upgrading in the industry.
  • Attainment of industry-standard security certifications: The article mentions that its systems “maintain SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 compliance.” The number of legal tech solutions achieving such high-level security and data protection certifications can be an indicator of the maturity and reliability of the technological infrastructure.
• For Target 8.2:
  • Improvement in workflow efficiency: The article’s goal to “reduce the need for manual interventions” implies that a key metric for success is the time saved on legal research and document drafting. Measuring the reduction in hours spent on these tasks after implementing AI would be an indicator of increased productivity.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: legal.thomsonreuters.com