from Part II - Automating Legal Tasks with AI and Other Technologies
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 July 2026
As more people navigate justice systems independently, legal decision support tools for unrepresented litigants are becoming increasingly necessary. However, tools for unrepresented litigants present unique challenges compared with those designed for attorneys, and a significant barrier to access is the gap between legal and ordinary language.
This chapter examines the evolution of dialogue systems from early programs like ELIZA to modern conversational AI platforms and explores how legal chatbots can assist unrepresented litigants with court procedures and accessing legal information. The analysis addresses critical design considerations, including the unavoidable influence of digital nudging on user decision-making and the importance of user-centered design principles. Generative AI technologies show promise for improving case elicitation and bridging the language gap despite current limitations, such as hallucination risks.
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