Protecting the Record, Guiding AI: November 2026 Industry Roundup
Los Angeles County makes audio the official record when no court reporter is available, Canada's judicial council updates its AI guidelines for courts, and a Louisiana judge makes the case for equipping judges with better AI tools.
Alicia Moffatt
· 4 min read
Late October and early November brought courts acting to protect access to the record and setting clear guardrails for AI, from Los Angeles to Ottawa to London. Here is what we are reading, ranked by relevance and source authority.
The three to read first
Beverly Press
LA County makes audio the official record when no court reporter is available
Los Angeles County Superior Court has created a process for parties in family law, probate, and civil cases to request that the audio recording serve as the official record when no court reporter is available. The change puts the California Supreme Court's recent ruling into practice and keeps the right to appeal within reach for every litigant.
Canadian Judicial Council
Canadian Judicial Council releases updated AI guidelines for courts
The council's updated guidelines encourage judges to use AI with clear guardrails and add new guidance for evaluating digital evidence that may be AI-generated or altered. Courts are also asked to be transparent about which AI tools they use and how those tools are governed.
[sch]Legal Tech
Before We Start Building AI Judges, Let's Equip the Ones We Have
Judge Scott Schlegel argues that the best response to growing caseloads is to give human judges better AI tools, not to hand smaller cases to AI. His Louisiana court is starting with everyday work like filing compliance, document processing, and organizing records.
More from this edition
Civil Justice Council
The council's final recommendations for England and Wales focus on accuracy and verification. They accept AI transcription that faithfully reproduces the source and ask witnesses to confirm that AI did not shape their evidence.
The State Bar of California
The State Bar released a practical framework to help legal aid organizations decide whether, where, and how to use generative AI. It centers on safeguards and readiness, so more Californians can benefit from new technology while client trust stays protected.
Capitol Weekly
A California assemblymember makes the case that every litigant needs access to a verbatim record, noting that more than 2 million family law, probate, and civil hearings went without one over three years. He calls for expanding the pool of certified professionals who capture the record, working alongside stenographers.
Why we publish this
TRX serves the court community, and part of that work is helping courts and the people who serve them keep pace with what is changing: how the record is captured and shared, how courts are putting AI to work, and how technology is widening access to justice. The roundup is published monthly, with extra editions when the news warrants. If you have a story we should consider, send it our way.
