New York State Courts Announce Interim Policy for AI Use

 The New York State Unified Court System (UCS) unveiled an interim policy on October 10 governing the use of artificial intelligence across all court functions and devices, aiming to balance the technology’s benefits with its risks.

 The policy, available at https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/a.i.-policy.pdf, applies to all UCS judges, justices, and nonjudicial employees, covering any device used for UCS-related work, whether owned by the court system or not.

Subject to revision, the policy aligns with operational needs, legislation, regulation, and public policy, according to the announcement.  The interim guidelines emphasize the responsible use of AI, particularly generative AI, which can produce human-like text or content based on user prompts. The policy restricts generative AI to UCS-approved tools and mandates initial and ongoing AI training for all judges and nonjudicial employees with computer access.

AI tools hold significant potential to assist with tasks like drafting documents and summarizing data, the policy states, while cautioning that such tools can produce unreliable outputs, including fabricated information, biased content, or inappropriate language. It requires careful review of AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and inclusivity. The policy also addresses risks such as breaches of confidential information and underscores that AI must not be used for decision-making tasks that judges are ethically obligated to perform or in ways that violate the ethical responsibilities of nonjudicial employees.  AI technology must be used in a manner consistent with the ethical obligations of judges and nonjudicial employees, the policy states, setting guardrails to ensure fairness, accountability, and security.

The UCS said the policy reflects a commitment to harnessing AI’s potential while safeguarding the integrity of the court system.

Further revisions may be made as the technology evolves, officials noted.

 

New York State Judicial Conduct Commission Releases Annual Report of Activity

In the 2025 Annual Report of its activities for 2024, released March 4, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct reported the following:

• 363 full-fledged investigations were undertaken.
• 11 judges were publicly disciplined: three judges were removed from office, three were censured and five were admonished.
• 13 judges resigned and publicly agreed never to return to judicial office.
• Seven other judges resigned while complaints were pending, where it had not been determined permanent departure from office was warranted or appropriate.
• 23 judges were issued confidential cautionary letters.
• 212 matters were pending at year’s end.

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct is the independent state agency that reviews complaints of ethical misconduct against the 3,500 judges and justices of the State Unified Court System and, where appropriate, renders public disciplinary Determinations.

The annual report is available here.

New York State Jury Service and Reform: Notice of Public Hearing

The Williams Commission is a permanent, independent commission within the New York State Unified Court System, committed to promoting racial and ethnic fairness in the courts. Its mission is to enhance the court system’s responsiveness to communities of color while advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the legal profession.

The Commission will be holding a hearing to discuss challenges to jury service and explore recommendations to improve jury outreach and diversification within the Third Department, including the Third, Fourth, and Sixth Judicial Districts as follows:

Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Appellate Division, Third Department
Robert Abrams Building for Law and Justice
State Street, Room 511
Albany, New York 12223

For more information on the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission, click here.

New York State Courts Launch Constitution Day Essay Contest to Promote Civic Engagement

News Advisory:

In celebration of the signing of the United States Constitution on (September 17) in 1787, the New York State Unified Court System (UCS) is launching an essay contest to highlight the importance of this vital document and inspire civic pride and engagement among young New Yorkers. The aim of the competition is to energize high schoolers statewide to critically examine the principles set forth in our nation’s Constitution. Essay contest participants will receive a Certificate of Participation and a pocket size U.S. Constitution, with the essays of the first, second and third place winners to be featured on the New York State Unified Court System’s public website.

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Essay submissions must underscore the Constitution’s significance in fostering civic >participation. Submissions must not exceed 500 words and only one submission per student is allowed. Each entry must be original and composed by the student submitting it; must not have won a prize before; and must not violate any copyright laws. Participants must email their essay as a PDF to civic-engagement@nycourts.gov with the subject line “Constitution Day Essay Contest.” The submission deadline is October 27, 2024

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For more information on the contest, click here.

New York Court System Launches Guardianship Resource Webpage

Press Release:

This useful information for anyone interested in learning more about the guardianship process, including informational videos (with subtitles in several languages), a glossary online resource contains

of commonly used guardianship terms, and links to critical information and resources for appointed guardians.

The Guardianship Resource Webpage was built as part of a nearly $1,000,000 grant award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, to modernize and reimagine guardianship proceedings in New York State. The Unified Court System’s partners in this endeavor are Project Guardianship and JASA. Other components of the grant include creating a guardianship-specific module in the court system’s case management system, the creation of standard motion and order templates commonly used in guardianship cases, and significant outreach to guardianship stakeholders.

What Is Guardianship?

Guardianship gives a person or organization the legal right to make certain decisions for another person. Guardianship requires going to court and only a judge can appoint a guardian.

A person may need a guardian if they are unable to make decisions, manage their affairs, and are at risk of harm because of serious illness, disability, dementia, or other conditions that impacts their ability to think and act clearly.

New York Courts Launch Online Case Activity Dashboard

NEWS RELEASE:

The New York State Unified Court System has launched a new online feature: an interactive dashboard tool that allows the public ready access to caseload trends data for statepaid trial courts. The new Trial Court Caseload Trends Dashboard includes counts of filings, dispositions, pending cases, and trials commenced for all state-paid trial courts, including:

• Local Criminal Court
• Supreme Court-Criminal Term
• County Court-Criminal Term
• Local Civil Court
• Supreme Court-Civil Term
• County Court-Civil Term
• Family Court
• Surrogate's Court

This new online resource enables the user to search/filter by type of case and disposition, as well as by specific court location(s). Data from Year 2019 is included for most metrics, so that the user can examine caseload trends over time. The dashboard, which will be updated monthly, displays year-to-year as well as year-to-date comparisons of each metric by both court type and case type

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To accesss the dashboard, click here.

New York Courts Launch Law Day Art Contest

NEWS ADVISORY:

Law Day is commemorated annually on May 1st to highlight the rule of law and the freedoms that Americans hold dear. In celebration of Law Day 2024, the Unified Court System’s Office for Justice Initiatives–Division of Access to Justice has partnered with the Historical Society of the New York Courts to invite high school students statewide to participate in an art contest inspired by the American Bar Association’s 2024 Law Day theme, “Voices of Democracy.” This year’s Law Day theme underscores the importance of participating in elections by deepening our understanding of the elections process, discussing the issues with family, friends and others in a civil manner, and helping move the country forward after the election process.

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Submissions should be original pieces of art that depict what the Law Day 2024 theme means to the artist. All submissions must be received by April 11, 2024. The winners will be announced on May 1, 2024. First, second, and third prize winners will receive monetary prizes––courtesy of the Historical Society of the New York Courts––and have their artwork featured on the court system’s website

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For more information, including links to the contest rules and the entry registration form, click here.