Supreme Court forms ad hoc committee to address use of artificial ...

TOPEKA—Chief Justice Marla Luckert signed an administrative order today creating an ad hoc committee to study the use of artificial intelligence in the Kansas legal system. 

The 21-member Ad Hoc Artificial Intelligence Committee is created by Supreme Court Administrative Order 2025-CM-017. Its members represent different roles in the Kansas court system and include representatives from the legal and legal-technology professions.  

"Artificial intelligence holds great promise for helping us work more effectively within the court system, but we must make sure we use it responsibly," Luckert said. 

Luckert noted AI could contribute to increased efficiency by helping courts complete routine tasks faster, or it could make services more readily available to people who need them.

“This committee will propose the policies and procedures that will govern how we ultimately use AI to ensure it is appropriate and beneficial," Luckert said.  

Committee charge

Committee members will be grouped into two subcommittees. One will focus on internal policies and the other on external policies to ensure that AI use involving Kansas courts is governed consistently. 

Subcommittee members will work together to identify and understand the benefits and risks associated with using AI. They will:  

• study AI use as it relates to the judicial branch;

• recommend to the Supreme Court policies and procedures for AI use by judicial branch employees, including policies for vetting AI vendors and software;

• recommend to the Supreme Court policies and procedures for AI use by attorneys,  parties to court cases, and public users of judicial branch services; and

• serve as the governing body to review, evaluate, and approve potential use cases related to court functions. 

Committee roster 

Chief Judge Jared Johnson, 28th Judicial District (Ottawa and Saline counties), and Meryl Carver-Allmond, general counsel to the chief justice, will co-chair the committee. 

Also on the committee are:

Appellate courts

District court judges and staff

• Chief Judge Grant Bannister, 21st Judicial District

• Chief Judge Taylor Wine, 4th Judicial District

• District Judge Kevin Smith, 18th Judicial District 

• Magistrate Judge John McEntee, 10th Judicial District

• Elicia Davidson, court reporter, 18th Judicial District

• Linda Koester-Vogelsang, court administrator, 7th Judicial District

• Griselda Sigala, clerk, Hamilton County District Court, 25th Judicial District

• Bryan Weiser, chief court services officer, 9th Judicial District

Administrative staff

• Amber Ballard, deputy clerk specialist, Office of Judicial Administration

• Evan Burt, chief information security officer, Office of Judicial Administration

• Sarah Hoskinson, chief of access to justice initiatives, Office of Judicial Administration

• Steve Phillips, general counsel, Office of Judicial Administration

• Amanda Voth, attorney, Office of the Disciplinary Administrator

•  Alex Wong, chief information technology officer, Office of Judicial Administration

Legal professionals

• Ayyoub Ajmi, director of legal innovation and technology, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

• Daniel Buller, partner, Foulston Siefkin LLP

• Clayton Perkins, chief capital appellate defender, Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services

• David Rubenstein, professor, Washburn University School of Law