Stanford Law School’s Legal Design Lab, a multidisciplinary research and development initiative that uses human-centered design to improve access to justice, has received a grant from the Gates Foundation to spearhead a new artificial intelligence initiative. The project – developed in partnership with two legal aid organizations – is designed to improve the support that the nonprofits are able to provide to their clients.

Developing AI Co-Pilots for Eviction Defense and Reentry Debt Mitigation addresses the persistent justice gap in the United States by leveraging AI to assist legal aid organizations in two areas: eviction defense and re-entry debt (the financial obligations that people may have after being involved with the criminal justice system). The Stanford Legal Design Lab is partnering with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) on eviction matters and Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO) on re-entry debt.

The project will focus on designing, piloting, evaluating, and refining AI “co-pilots” to support legal aid attorneys and staff.

“Legal aid organizations are on the front lines of assisting people with these issues, yet their resources are stretched extremely thin,” said Stanford Legal Design Lab Executive Director Margaret Hagan, who is also a lecturer at Stanford Law School and the Stanford School of Design. “The generous support provided by the Gates Foundation will help us address these gaps by empowering legal aid providers with cutting-edge AI tools that enhance their capacity to serve more clients effectively and at a larger scale. We have found opportunities for AI systems to speed up or automate lawyers’ tasks along their entire workflow, from case intake to preparing important litigation documents and strategies,” Hagan added.

Addressing critical justice challenges

Millions of Americans face devastating legal challenges without adequate representation, exacerbating cycles of poverty and inequality, according to numerous studies, including from Stanford Law’s Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession, which is also working on a number of access to justice initiatives.

“Eviction defense and reentry debt mitigation are particularly urgent legal needs that can help people with their financial security, housing stability, and economic mobility,” Hagan said. “There is a need for more services to match the needs of people. More scalable and efficient services, including those leveraging technology, can help thousands of people with their housing and their finances.”

According to Brianna Aguet, an attorney with LAFLA, more than 3 million eviction lawsuits are filed annually across the United States, yet tenants are overwhelmingly unrepresented in court. “Without legal advocacy, many tenants are unaware of their rights or procedural defenses, making it difficult to contest eviction notices, negotiate with landlords, or avoid losing their homes,” Aguet said.

Re-entry debt – the legal financial obligations imposed on individuals who are reentering society after incarceration – can include fines, fees, restitution payments, and surcharges accrued during or after imprisonment – all of which can thwart employment, housing, and stability. “The compounding effects of re-entry debt create a cycle of disenfranchisement and poverty that disproportionately affects low-income communities,” said Ed Wunch, an attorney with LASO. According to a 2019 Brennan Center for Justice study, approximately 10 million Americans owe more than $50 billion in this type of criminal justice system debt.

A tech-driven solution for legal aid

The new AI tools developed through this new project will streamline tasks such as case intake, legal document drafting, and trial preparation, significantly reducing the time required for complex legal procedures Hagan said. By developing these critical tools, the Legal Design Lab team aims to enhance the efficiency and quality of legal services, increase the number of clients served by individual attorneys, and enable non-expert legal professionals to assist effectively in specialized practice areas.

Over the next two years, the project team will deliver four AI co-pilot prototypes – two each for eviction defense and reentry debt mitigation. The goal is for these tools to be integrated into existing legal aid workflows, offering tailored support based on data and expertise gathered from LAFLA and LASO. By automating repetitive tasks and providing intelligent recommendations, the AI co-pilots will allow attorneys to focus on higher-value legal advocacy.

Inspiring a broader impact

The Design Lab team aims to scale the impact of these AI tools by sharing protocols, datasets, and outcomes with national networks of eviction and reentry lawyers. By showcasing the effectiveness of AI in legal aid, the team hopes to inspire broader adoption across the public interest legal sector. Additionally, plans for replication and sustainability are baked into the initiative, including collaboration with legal technology vendors and the creation of public-facing resources.

The project aligns with the Lab’s ongoing mission to foster responsible AI development, Hagan said. “There’s a lot of curiosity among legal aid professionals about how AI can help, but few demonstration projects exist to show its potential,” Hagan explained. “We hope this project will drive forward responsible AI adoption in legal services.”

About the Stanford Legal Design Lab

Based at Stanford Law School, the Stanford Legal Design Lab is a multidisciplinary research and development group that uses human-centered design to create innovative solutions for improving access to justice. The Lab’s collaborative approach brings together lawyers, technologists, and designers to develop tools that are practical, impactful, and user-friendly. For more information about the project and the Lab, visit Stanford Law School’s Legal Design Lab website.