Summary of the ACT Partnership Mid-Term Conference

The mid-term conference of the Autonomy through Cyberjustice Technologies partnership was held on October 4, 5 and 6, 2022 at the Cyberjustice Laboratory of the Université de Montréal. This event was an opportunity to discuss the issues and challenges related to cyberjustice and artificial intelligence in the field of justice and law.

The conference began with a presentation by the Cyberjustice Laboratory team on the potential of the JusticeBot platform.

Cyberjustice Laboratory team
From left to right: Mark Likhten (Cyberjustice Laboratory), Sylvain Longhais (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Aurore Clément Troussel (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Jie Zhu (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Sébastien Meeùs (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Jinzhe Tan (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Hannes Westermann (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Karim Benyekhlef (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal).

On the morning of October 5, the conference began with a presentation by our keynote speaker Professor Daniela Piana (Università di Bologna), followed by a first panel entitled "Legal AI’s Negative Impacts on Marginalized Communities" composed of Nicolas Vermeys (Université de Montréal), Karine Gentelet (Université du Québec en Outaouais), Érik Bornmann (CLEO) and Heather de Berdt Romilly (Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia). This panel demonstrated that legal AI tools can have a more negative impact on marginalized and vulnerable populations than on other groups.

First keynote speaker Professor Daniela Piana (Università di Bologna)

First panel "Legal AI’s Negative Impacts on Marginalized Communities"
From left to right: Nicolas Vermeys (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Heather de Berdt Romilly (Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia), Érik Bornmann (CLEO), Karine Gentelet (Université du Québec en Outaouais).

The afternoon session was devoted to the panel on the creation and management of legal data, featuring Jacquie Burkell (Faculty of Information & Media Studies, Western University, David Tait (School of Humanities & Comm Arts, Western Sydney University), Michelle Mann (Justice Canada) and Paul Embley (Nevada Supreme Court). This panel focused on the issues of digitization of legal documents and processes and how the use of this data could improve access to justice.

Second panel “Court Data Creation and Management”
From left to right: Jacquie Burkell (Faculty of Information & Media Studies, Western University), David Tait (School of Humanities & Comm Arts, Western Sydney University), Michelle Mann (Justice Canada), Paul Embley (Nevada Supreme Court).

These two panels were followed by a discussion moderated by Gloria Gonzalez Fuster (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) with students Camille Bordere (University of Bordeaux) Margaux Degen (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Marco Tumaini (Università di Bologna), and Sylvain Longhais (University of Montreal).

Third panel “AI and Access to Justice: The Next ACT”
From left to right: Sylvain Longhais (University of Montreal), Camille Bordere (Université de Bordeaux), Gloria Gonzalez Fuster (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Margaux Degen (Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Marco Tumaini (Università di Bologna).

A presentation by our second keynote speaker Professor Joelle Pineau opened this final day of the conference, followed by a fourth panel entitled "Empowering Parties through Artificial Intelligence" composed of Valentin Callipel, (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Kevin Ashley (School of Law, University of Pittsburgh), Mark Likhten (Cyberjustice Laboratory) and Emma Elliot (Lexum) and Katherine Norton (Duquesne University). The discussion focused on how artificial intelligence is being used and could be used to help empower litigants.

Second keynote speaker Joelle Pineau (McGill University)

Fourth panel “Empowering Parties through Artificial Intelligence”
From left to right: Valentin Callipel (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Emma Elliot (Lexum), Kevin Ashley (School of Law, Université de Pittsburgh), Katherine Norton (Duquesne University), Mark Likhten (Cyberjustice Laboratory).

In the afternoon, the panel titled "Towards ODRAI (Online Dispute Resolution Enhanced by Augmented Intelligence)" consisting of Nicolas Vermeys (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Amy Schmitz (Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University), Benjamin Davis (College of Law, The University of Toledo), Karl Branting (MITRE Corporation), and Deno Himonas (Wilson Sonsini), explored the evolving nature of ODR and its use in the legal industry.

Fifth panel “Towards ODRAI (Online Dispute Resolution Enhanced by Augmented Intelligence”
From left to right: Nicolas Vermeys (Cyberjustice Laboratory, University of Montreal), Amy Schmitz (Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University), Karl Branting (MITRE Corporation), Deno Himonas (Wilson Sonsini), Benjamin Davis (College of Law, The University of Toledo).

Finally, the final panel of the conference entitled "Policing Blockchain" and composed of Benoit Dupont (HC2P, University of Montreal), Daniel Amyot (Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa), Marina Teller (Deep Law 4 Tech, Université Côte-d'Azur) and Jeremy Clark L (Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering [CIISE]) addressed the implications of blockchain for legal actors.

Sixth panel "Policing Blockchain"
From left to right: Daniel Amyot (Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa), Benoit Dupont (HC2P, Université de Montréal), Jeremy Clark L (Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering [CIISE]), Marina Teller (Deep Law 4 Tech, Université Côte-d’Azur).

The event was a great success and the Cyberjustice Laboratory team would like to extend a warm thank you to the panelists and keynote speakers, as well as to all attendees. The partnership continues and the Team Leaders will soon communicate with the Subproject chiefs to continue the research to meet the objectives established by the ACT project.

This content has been updated on 1 November 2022 at 14 h 10 min.