Symposium Recap:

Technology and the Future of Civil Justice 

On November 17, 2025, the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission celebrated the close of its 20th anniversary year with a symposium titled Moving Access to Justice Forward in the 21st Century: Technology and Transformation. The program highlighted how technological innovation has expanded access to the Massachusetts civil justice system and explored what the next generation of tools might achieve in narrowing the justice gap. 

Held at the John Adams Courthouse, and also live-streamed, the event opened with remarks from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, Kimberly S. Budd.  Citing past initiatives such as the Justice for All Strategic Action Plan, Court Service Centers, and the Access to Justice Fellows program. Chief Justice Budd said that the symposium carried on  the Commission’s long-standing tradition of convening courts, legal aid organizations, and other stakeholders to identify barriers to access and craft practical solutions. She also noted that there is a lot of positive momentum behind efforts to use technology to improve access to justice, and predicted that technology will increasingly shape the experience of court users. 

Judge Valerie Yarashus, Co-Chair of the Commission, then introduced keynote speaker Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. Attorney General Campbell underscored the essential but challenging role of modern technology in the legal system, stressing the need for oversight, transparency, and a steadfast commitment to constitutional rights even as digital tools proliferate. 

The first panel, moderated by Gordon Shaw of Community Legal Aid, traced the evolution of technology in the Commission’s work. Panelists Lee Kavanaugh (Director of Research and Planning for the Massachusetts Trial Court), Steve Duncan (Chief Information Officer for the Massachusetts Trial Court), and Brian Reichart (Director of the Massachusetts Websites Project at the Massachusetts Law Reform  Institute) reflected on persistent challenges—court navigation, efficiency, and public need—alongside significant digital progress. Highlights included expanded courthouse Wi-Fi, redesigned court websites centered on self-represented litigants (SRLs), growth in online legal information, and the development of five statewide legal information and referral websites, including Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder, Massprobono.org, and MassFreeLegalAnswers. 

The second panel, moderated by Dyane O’Leary of Suffolk University Law School, looked ahead to the future of technology in the courts. Sheriece Perry (Director of the Massachusetts Trial Court’s Court Services and Law Libraries), Emily Deines (Statewide Manager of Justice Initiatives for the Massachusetts Trial Cout), Quinten Steenhuis (Practitioner in Residence and Adjunct Faculty Member of Suffolk University Law School), and Caitlin Reddy (Deputy Chief Information Officer for eCourts at the Massachusetts Trial Court) discussed modernizing services, plain-language form design, guided interviews, e-filing, safe and tested uses of AI. In response to questions posed by the moderator, panelists also remarked on the user perspective, emphasizing the need for meaningful user testing, plain-language tools, clear communication about privacy protections, and continued access to human assistance. The panelists stressed that technology should simplify processes, build trust, and supplement—not replace—the personal support many court users rely on. 

Between panels, the Commission honored 17 new Access to Justice Fellows—retired lawyers and judges who volunteer their expertise on year-long projects with civil legal aid organizations. Since its founding in 2012, the program has engaged 230 Fellows contributing more than 300,000 hours to 101 partner organizations. The program was the brainchild of former Commission Co-Chair Sue Finegan and her colleague at Mintz, Martha Koster, who is herself a participant in the Fellows program. A reception followed the symposium. A recording of the symposium can be found here. 

The symposium reaffirmed the Commission’s reputation for turning research into action and for embracing technology in service of a fairer, more equitable civil justice system. 

Here’s to the next 20 years of progress!

View the amazing presentations from Quinten Steenhuis, Sheriece Perry and Emily Deines below. 

• Quinten Steenhuis
• Sheriece Perry
• Emily Deines