The Conflict Analytics Lab at Queen’s University and its international research network launch the first open-access legal generative AI tool trained to perform legal tasks.

September 20, 2023 – The Conflict Analytics Lab (CAL) announced today the launch of OpenJustice, an interactive, natural-language processing interface designed to provide reliable, in-depth answers to legal questions. This open-access generative AI system is poised to be the largest of its kind explicitly designed for law and dispute resolution. The first iteration leverages legislation and case law, as well as thousands of annotated data points compiled since 2018 to answer queries.

OpenJustice has already secured partnerships with more than a dozen top universities that will serve as partners and collaborators in the project. This dynamic consortium of legal and academic stakeholders will help train, improve, and strengthen the core OpenJustice technology as it continues on its path to be the leading open-access generative AI platform for every legal professional. To support software development, distributed versions of OpenJustice will soon be available to innovative industry partners. They will be able to test the system in a collaborative environment with sector-specific data, and create customized modules for different legal functions in banking, procurement, insurance, and human resources. 

OpenJustice is also focused on expanding access to justice through technology. It will assist legal clinics and law firms by delivering greater efficiency when extracting and synthesizing vast legal knowledge to provide better value to clients. It will enable law schools and firms to deliver more effective training to its students by integrating the research tools as part of their curriculums. In addition, CAL will work with pro bono and legal aid clinics to improve legal literacy for self-represented litigants. This presents significant potential for the over 50 per cent of Canadian court cases that involve at least one self-represented litigant, as well as community legal clinics, and more.

“Today marks a significant milestone in the OpenJustice project,” said Samuel Dahan, Director of the Conflict Analytics Lab. “Our network of stakeholders are on the frontlines of legal AI and public advocacy, and will help us unlock the full potential of this system, as well as support our core mission of expanding access to justice through technology, innovation, and literacy.”

Since 2018, the Conflict Analytics Lab has launched a dozen legal AI applications designed to improve access to justice through technology. These systems have helped tens of thousands of Canadians navigate personal injury negotiations, workplace disputes, medical compensation claims, and more. 

Based at Queen's Faculty of Law and the Smith School of Business, the Conflict Analytics Lab is a consortium for AI research on law, compliance, and conflict resolution. Learn more about the Conflict Analytics Lab.

Media contact: Tim Butters, Director of Marketing and Communications, Queen’s Faculty of Law, t.butters@queensu.ca.