ACCESS TO JUSTICE: AI AND LEGAL TECH
Leveraging AI and Legal Tech to Bridge the Maryland Justice Gap BY COLLEEN M. ARACRI, ESQ.
THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE LEGAL NEEDS of Marylanders and the resources available to meet them presents a significant challenge. In Maryland, 10% of households live below the Federal Poverty Line.1 An additional 28% of Maryland households fall into the ALICE2 threshold, which means their earnings exceed the poverty line, but they do not make enough to survive and meet basic needs like food, shelter, and childcare, let alone hire legal counsel at market rates. Data indicates that 74% of low-income households experienced at least one civil legal issue within the past year.3 While legal services organizations offer vital support to those in need, they are frequently restricted by limited funding and overwhelming caseloads. This scarcity creates a justice chasm where the vast majority of Marylanders, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, who face life-altering legal hurdles, such as evictions, debt collection, or family law disputes, must navigate a complex court system entirely on their own. Without the help of an attorney, these people often struggle to identify their rights or properly file the necessary documentation, leading to inequitable outcomes that perpetuate the cycle of poverty. In Maryland, the Access to Justice Commission’s Data and Legal Technology Committee is exploring ways to use AI and legal technology to create efficiencies in organizational workflows, applications in service delivery, as well as direct-to-consumer use cases. Separately, but relatedly, the Innovations in Tiered Legal Services Task Force, a joint initiative of the judiciary, the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA), and the Maryland Access to Justice Commission (A2JC), is studying legal technology
In Maryland, the Access to Justice Commission’s Data and Legal Technology Committee is exploring ways to use AI and legal technology to create efficiencies in organizational workflows, applications in service delivery, as well as direct-to-consumer use cases.
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The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) 2022 Justice Gap Report, justicegap.lsc.gov/resource/executive-summary/ Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) 2022 Justice Gap Report, “justicegap.lsc.gov/resource/executive-summary/
MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL | VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3
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