AI-enhanced transcription and access to justice: TRX at the 2026 ATJ Chairs Meeting

TheRecordXchange^® co-founder and chief product officer Steve Townsend is speaking at the 2026 ATJ Chairs Meeting, the 25th Annual National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs, October 7–9 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis. His focus is what happens to access to justice when people can't get the record.

The answer is already being tested in courts. One Indiana court cut transcript turnaround by 40%. See how Marion County did it.

What is Steve Townsend's session about?

Improving Access to Justice Through AI-Enhanced Transcription of the Court Record · Topical breakout session · 2026 ATJ Chairs Meeting

Steve is joined by Bob Glaves and Roya Samarghandi of The Chicago Bar Foundation and Amitav Thamba, chief technology officer of Marion Superior Court.

Steve brings more than 30 years in court record technology to a practical question: how AI-enhanced transcription can make the record faster and more affordable to get, without giving up accuracy.

Why does the court record belong in the access to justice conversation?

Access to justice work usually centers on legal help, forms, and filing. The record is the piece that gets left out. A self-represented litigant cannot appeal what they cannot read, and a legal aid attorney cannot build a case from a hearing they cannot see. When a transcript takes weeks and costs more than the litigant can pay, the record exists but is out of reach.

AI changes the cost and the timeline. TRX holds to one principle in how it applies that change: AI accelerates the work, but the official record remains a human responsibility. That is how courts get transcripts faster and at lower cost while keeping the record accurate and under the court's control.

Working on access to the record in your state? Read Steve Townsend's speaker spotlight, or request a presentation to see how courts are doing it today.