JT/DL: Leaving the Bardo
Plus new jobs!
The JT/DL is a twice-monthly newsletter about justice technology news, events, and opportunities. My opinions do not reflect those of my employers or professional partners.
Leaving the Bardo
Back in November, I welcomed you to the bardo. This was my not-so-extended metaphor about the interstitial state between one project (the Judicial Innovation Fellowship) and whatever came next. As I wrote then, “The time in the bardo can be short, it can be long, but it’s always finite. The experience can be easy or it can be hard, depending on the lessons you need to learn from the last life.”
In the months since, I spent time learning from the JIF experience by writing about crazy court facts, how bad courts can eat good policy, and the potential for foundational technologies, like middleware and AI benchmarks, to move court innovation forward. Each was a chance to explore and learn during that indeterminate time.
With those lessons in mind, I’m getting ready to leave the bardo and professionally reincarnate. Last week, it was announced that I will be the National Center for State Courts’ director for technology, data, and knowledge management starting in May.
I couldn't be more excited for this opportunity at this time. The intersection of technology and democratic institutions has never been more fraught, requiring innovative thinking and creative solutions. I'll be working alongside an amazing team of dedicated public servants, technologists, and court experts to help our state courts meet this moment, serve the public fairly, and uphold the rule of law.
As for the newsletter, I will keep it going. I anticipate taking a summer hiatus starting in a month, which will allow me some needed focus on the new job and to develop new ideas for the newsletter. In the meantime, please keep sharing your news, scholarship, opportunities, and events. Thank you, as always, for taking part in this project.
Best,
Jason
News
The federal courts outlined their case management modernization plan. (U.S. Courts)
Detectives test a potential crime fighting partner: AI. (The Washington Post)
Wildlife Conservation Police are searching thousands of Flock cameras for ICE. (404 Media)
Why some cities are shutting down Flock cameras amid privacy concerns. (The Guardian)
Structural barriers to the child welfare system for incarcerated parents. (A2J Lab)
When philanthropy mandates AI solutions, taxpayers pay the price. (FedScoop) (h/t Keith Porcaro)
Yes, philanthropy should fund AI in government. (Recoding America Fund)
What the evolution of for-profit investment tells us about the future of giving. (SciPhi)
Events
The National Center for Access to Justice is hosting an AI & Access to Justice conference April 21. (NCAJ) (h/t David Udell)
LawDroid’s AI Conference is April 28. (LD) (h/t David Gray)
We Robot 2026 is April 23-25 in Berlin. (WR)
RightsCon is May 5-8 in Zambia. (RC)
Wikimania will be in Paris July 23-25. (WM)
The A2J Network Conference will be in Cincinnati October 21-22. (A2JN)
Jobs & Opportunities
Arnold Ventures is looking for a criminal justice innovation fellow. (AV)
The Brennan Center for Justice has multiple openings. (BCJ)
The Center for Democracy and Technology has multiple openings. (CDT)
[New] The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative needs a counsel for AI and tech. (CZI)
Code for America has multiple openings. (CfA) (h/t Russ Finkelstein)
[New] The Free Law Project is looking for court partners on its Litigant Portal project. (FLP)
[New] Google.org needs an evaluation team lead. (G.o)
The Institute for Law and AI has multiple openings. (ILAI)
[New] The Kapor Foundation needs research fellows. (KF)
Maryland Legal Services Corporation needs a director of strategic technology. (MLSC) (h/t Dave Pantzer)
[New] OpenMinded needs a senior policy manager. (OM)
[New] The O'Shaughnessy Fellowships is accepting applications. (OF) (h/t Ben Metz)
Recidiviz needs a product manager. (R)
Recoding America Fund needs a head of strategic communication. (RAF)
[New] Renaissance Philanthropy is hiring for multiple roles. (RP)
The University of South Carolina needs a directors for its AI Ethics & Law Initiative. (USC) (h/t Keith Porcaro)
The University of Texas School of Law needs an AI and legal practice fellow. (UT)