Center for Legal & Court Technology
- has become a world center for empirical and legal research on courtroom technology,
- holds legal technology demonstrations and discussions for jurists, lawyers, law faculty, court administrators, technologists, architects, and others from throughout the world, and
- is involved in judicial and lawyer education and training.
CLCT at William & Mary Law School
CLCT places great emphasis on service to the Law School. CLCT is an integral part of the law school experience for students offering many opportunities to get involved. Popular courses include Applied Evidence in the Technological Age, Technology-Augmented Trial Advocacy, and AI & More: Legal Issues Likely to Arise from AI & Related Emerging Technologies.
The Center also conducts experimental trials, or "laboratory trials," which explore how technology can be used to advance the administration of justice. In conducting these trials, CLCT often collaborates with major national organizations, such as the Justice Department and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and, most recently, the U.S. Navy. We frequently use the assistance of a number of Participating Companies and Organizations that support us through the loan of equipment and expertise. Students serve as counsel and distinguished federal and state judges preside over lab trials.
AI & Emerging Technology Research
In 2017, CLCT was awarded a grant by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (funded by Cisco) to research and educate members of the legal profession about legal issues likely to arise from the use of technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, and data analytics. Since receiving this grant (and subsequent renewal), CLCT has launched and developed collaborative, international research efforts, including academic scholarship, innovative law school and continuing education courses, international conferences and workshops, student writing competitions, and a podcast on emerging technologies and the law.
CLCT is also a Partner in the Autonomy Through Cyberjustice Technologies (ACT) Project, where it participates in working groups researching whether and how legal and adjudication systems can effectively and responsibly use of AI decision-support. This six-year research initiative, beginning in 2018, aims to determine the extent to which these systems are already in use in the legal profession and work towards producing a best practices guide to “bolster reliable results while protecting legal rights and minimizing legal liability.”
Conferences
CLCT hosts a number of conferences. In addition to its annual Court Affiliates Conference, past conferences include the Conference on Privacy and Public Access to Court Records, arranged with the support of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts; the Courthouse Construction and Renovation Conference; and the 10th Annual Conference on Substantive Technology in Legal Education and Practice with participants from many countries. In connection with its AI research grant, CLCT hosted its inaugural 2018 International Workshop: Legal Issues Lurking Behind the Convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Blockchain.
CLCT & the Courts
The Court Affiliates Program is a court network with a mission to employ useful, efficient, and economical legal technology to enhance the administration of justice. CLCT provides exclusive written content, online and in person workshops and conferences, and other support services to educate and advise courts on the use, integration, and evolution of legal technologies.Contact Us
Center for Legal & Court TechnologyWilliam & Mary Law School
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, Virginia 23187
Phone: (757) 221-2494
Email: clct@wm.edu