Humanizing Legal Tech: A Chat With Judge Victoria Pratt

As legal technology advances at an astonishing pace, it’s easy to overlook the most crucial element of its success: people.

At the 2024 Clio Cloud Conference, we sat down with Judge Victoria Pratt, a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform. Her message? While technology plays a central role in shaping the future of law, true justice can only be achieved through human connection.

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Technology as a driver of change

Technology is often hailed as a game-changer for making legal workflows more efficient—and that’s true. But as Judge Pratt highlighted, its impact goes beyond convenience. Technology holds incredible potential for increasing access to justice, particularly for underserved communities.

“The New York court system automated processes to help marginalized individuals file complaints and navigate the system more easily,” she shared. “I observed how technology can create meaningful experiences for those intimidated by the legal process.”

However, the key to technology’s success, she noted, is the people using it. Lawyers must continue to prioritize listening and human connection—especially as lawyers continue to adopt AI. “Technology offers many benefits, but if we’re not careful, it can also be detrimental. It’s up to us to integrate it in ways that truly serve people.”

AI in the legal arena

Judge Pratt also touched on one of the biggest shifts in law: the rise of artificial intelligence.

Judge Pratt observes: “AI is already here in the legal industry. When people say ‘AI can’t be in this space,’ I tell them that the train has already left the station.”

And she’s right. According to this year’s Legal Trends Report, 79% of legal professionals are using AI in their legal practice today.

Drawing on her experience as Chief Judge in Newark Municipal Court, Judge Pratt spoke about the challenges of ensuring fair treatment for all individuals in one of the country’s busiest transit hubs.

“It’s about understanding the specific needs of diverse communities,” she explained. “Even if someone has committed an offense, they still deserve to be informed about their charges and bail in a timely manner. In a place like Newark, where English may not be a person’s first language, we must account for language barriers and unique community needs. Technology helps bridge that gap.”

The challenges of AI in legal decisions

While Judge Pratt is optimistic about AI’s potential to help lawyers work smarter, she warns that human oversight is essential. The reason: the data AI systems rely on can contain biases.

Judge Pratt shared her experiences with bail reform and the integration of AI systems that advise judges on setting bail and whether complaints should be handled by summons or warrants. “This impacts whether individuals remain in jail until their cases are heard. I know my community well, and the reality is that only a small portion of the community commits crime or offense.”

If an AI system flags someone as a “red flag,” it’s based on data from past convictions, suggesting they might not return to court or could re-offend. However, this data doesn’t capture the whole picture. In areas with a heavy police presence, individuals are more likely to be stopped and searched for drug possession, skewing the numbers and ultimately leading to unfair assumptions.

“Therein lies the problem when we stop using our own judgment,” she said. “AI can assist us, but we need to critically analyze its results. It’s vital to have the common sense to look beyond the data and consider other factors that ultimately predict human behavior.”

Reimagining the client experience

In law, the stakes are high. Clients often seek out lawyers during the most stressful moments of their lives—whether it’s facing criminal charges, navigating a family dispute, or managing a business conflict. It’s the lawyer’s responsibility to ease that anxiety and offer support, which can shape their perception of the justice system.

“A client’s first experience with the justice system starts with you,” Judge Pratt stated. “That initial contact sets the tone for how they perceive the entire process and defines what justice looks like. If you’re not returning phone calls or ignoring your clients, you’re teaching them that this is what justice looks like.”

Judge Pratt stressed the importance of making clients feel heard and respected. From her experience, when clients feel treated with dignity, they’re far more likely to respect the legal process.

“The work that you do on the front end really does impact the end result,” she said. “If people believe they are treated fairly and with respect, they’ll be satisfied with the judge’s rulings, even if the judge rules against them.”

Yet, despite the critical nature of these skills, many law schools prioritize competitive argumentation over compassionate practice.  “We’re taught to fight, but we aren’t taught the soft skills that make a good attorney—like how to listen and make clients feel valued. These skills are crucial for effective legal practice,” she said.

The future of legal tech

Looking to the future, Judge Pratt is hopeful about where technology can take the legal profession. Yet, she emphasized, it can never replace the human element.

“Technology is there to help us, but it can’t replace what we do in advocating for our clients,” she concluded. “It’s about using these tools wisely while never losing sight of the fact that, at the end of the day, we are here to help people. Clients need to feel heard and seen—that’s where the human side of law comes in.”

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We published this blog post in October 2024. Last updated: November 1, 2024.

Categorized in: Clio