Court & Hearings

Illinois courts have adopted a policy on AI tools:

• Responsible, ethical use is allowed,
• Lawyers and judges are still required to check their own work, and
• Disclosing use of AI tools is optional.

AI tools cannot give legal advice, offer legal strategies, or make legal decisions. Legal problems often have more than one possible answer. AI tools can help explore ideas, but the person using the tool is responsible for their own legal decisions. 

AI tools can help organize documents, draft text, or identify patterns. Some people use AI tools to summarize long documents or get past writer’s block. You must still check the output carefully for errors or missing context. The AI tool may misunderstand terms or put the wrong amount of importance on particular pieces of information.

Some AI tools offer to generate and complete legal forms. It is still your responsibility to research and confirm that the form includes all the language and information required by the law. Government agencies, courts, and judges may require you to use specific forms. They may also need details that AI tools cannot draft for you.

The Illinois Supreme Court offers standardized statewide forms for everyday civil legal matters. ILAO has Easy Form programs to help you fill out many standardized forms. If you need a legal form to file with a government agency, check with the agency to see if they have a blank form available.

Yes. AI tools can help reword a message to make it easier to understand or less confrontational. This may be helpful in tense situations. However, some meaning can be lost during rewriting, so it’s important to read and edit the tool’s response before using it. 

Legal writing is about being clear and organized. AI tools can help improve structure and readability. Some tools also suggest legal terms. Understanding what you are saying and being ready to discuss your legal issue in your own words is more important than using complex language. 

Yes, if used carefully. Some AI tools can help you spot weak points or unclear ideas. To get more helpful feedback, try asking the tool for ways to improve based on logic or evidence. AI tools may also help you figure out how a conflict keeps repeating. Be clear in your question that you want to learn about any weaknesses in your position, and always double-check the response.

Yes. Sometimes AI tools give fake answers. These are called “hallucinations.” The tool may include made-up facts, cases, laws, or quotes mixed with real ones. You may face serious consequences if you file a court document with false information, even by mistake.

Always check every fact and legal citation yourself. Do not rely on what another party says about the law without verifying it. Before signing any legal document, read it carefully, even if it was prepared by someone else or a tool. Learn more about doing your own legal research.

Yes, they can be. AI tools learn from human writing, which may include bias. If many users or texts reflect one viewpoint, the tool may repeat that perspective. Try asking the tool to explain how different backgrounds might affect an answer. The tool may still not recognize its own bias. 

Most AI tools store what users type and may review it to improve their systems. Some companies allow staff to read user inputs. If you include names, case details, or personal stories, they may not stay private. Always read the privacy policy and use caution.

Some AI tools interact with other software. For example, a tool may run a search using the exact words you typed. If those words include a name, the person might be alerted by other tools that track name searches. This is one way private details can leak.

Most consumer AI tools send information from your phone or computer to and from the company’s computers. They may also store data on your device. AI tool companies may be required to share chat data if ordered by a court, such as through a subpoena or warrant.

If law enforcement or unauthorized people have access to your phone or computer, or can see your internet traffic, your interactions with the AI tool may not be private. For example, if you're on a public Wi-Fi network or use an unsecured connection, others could potentially see what you're sending and receiving.

If you include a real person’s name, an AI tool may shut down the conversation to avoid giving false or harmful responses. This can happen even if you describe something that happened to you. Try using placeholders like “Landlord” instead of real names. 

You may want to get a lawyer to help you with your legal process. AI tools cannot provide legal advice or take responsibility for court filings. If you want to speak with a lawyer, you can use Get Legal Help to find one near you.