If There’s an Itch, Scratch It: Generative AI’s Ability to Transform Access to the Harris County Family District Courts Rules

Since I received my bar card in 2009, two persistent annoyances in family law practice have kept me itching for solutions. The first is the painfully slow process of scheduling mediations in contested cases. The second is the lack of uniformity in local family court rules, which often change without warning and vary wildly between courts. For the first issue, I scratched the itch by creating InstantMediators.com. For the second, I’m turning to generative AI.

AI for Unifying the Harris County Family District Courts

Since December 2023, I’ve been working on deploying F.R.I.D.A AI (Futuristic Robotic Intelligence Designed by Attorneys AI) to bring order to the dizzying array of rules across Harris County’s 10 family district courts. This ongoing project aims to create a centralized “knowledge base” that consolidates each court’s policies and procedures. The goal? To provide the public—especially family law practitioners—with quick, accurate answers without the need to juggle multiple webpages or sift through countless PDFs.

You can test F.R.I.D.A AI yourself at LMISandbox.com, a platform that’s part of the LMI.Network, designed for experimenting with legal tech: https://lmisandbox.com/fridaharriscountyfamilycourts/. A word of caution: the tool is still a work in progress. AI agents require extensive tweaking and training, and the costs of more powerful language models can limit speed, reach, and accuracy. But even in its current state, F.R.I.D.A AI represents a promising step forward.

Why AI is Necessary

This Harris County courts project was born out of personal frustration. Like many family attorneys, I grew tired of searching individual judges’ rules court-by-court, especially while managing a heavy caseload across multiple Texas counties. But it had to be done. The most frustrating moments came when I had to double-check whether a court’s policy had recently changed—often after hearing rumors or seeing Facebook group updates about changes from other attorneys. It felt surreal that such critical information wasn’t more accessible directly from the courts in one centralized location.

As a licensed attorney in both Texas and Florida, I’ve had the opportunity to compare the two states’ approaches to court rules. Texas, in my experience, is the “wild wild west” when it comes to standardizing and organizing local court procedures. Practicing across multiple Texas counties means keeping up with dozens of individual court policies—everything from how exhibits should be marked to whether Zoom prove-ups are permitted. For Pro Se litigants, navigating these rules without an attorney is even more troublesome.

Non-uniform and inaccessible local rules don’t just create inefficiencies—they hinder access to justice, frustrate judicial efficiency, and drive lawyers and paralegals insane. While I respect the discretion judges have to set their own courtroom rules, the Texas Civil Rules permit this after all, the lack of coordination among Harris County’s 10 family district courts creates unnecessary complexity for both legal professionals and the public.

How AI Can Help

An AI tool that consolidates all 10 courts’ rules into a single, searchable knowledge base could revolutionize how justice is administered at the local level. Imagine being able to ask an AI agent, as a local or out-of-town attorney, how a specific judge prefers motions to be filed or when certain hearings are typically scheduled. Currently, you’d need to visit each court’s webpage, hope the information is up-to-date, and cross your fingers that nothing has changed since your last visit to their site.

With AI, we can create a central hub that serves as the definitive source of truth for local court rules. Think of the time that would be saved for court clerks who wouldn’t need to answer the same repetitive questions. Think of the hours lawyers and paralegals could reclaim by relying on a single tool to summarize dozens of court rules. Think of the reduced conflicts between attorneys who might otherwise weaponize each other’s ignorance of a court’s specific procedures.

That’s the vision behind F.R.I.D.A AI. While it’s not yet perfect—accuracy is still a work in progress—it represents a paradigm shift in how we can improve access to justice and streamline legal practice.

Signs of Progress

It’s not all doom and gloom. Some Harris County family judges have shown exceptional leadership in promoting judicial efficiency and embracing legal technology. For example, after years of dealing with courthouse closures due to hurricanes, floods, and ice storms, a former local administrative judge implemented a unified inclement weather policy. This eliminated the guesswork for attorneys and the public about whether court was in session. Before that, you’d be on the local family lawyer Facebook groups asking around for the latest court closure news. 

Additionally, several courts—the 246th, 247th, 308th, 310th, 312th, and 507th Harris County Family District Courts—have collaborated to establish “Joint Policies and Procedures.” This effort has reduced the need for attorneys to research each court’s rules individually. While this is a step in the right direction, I believe generative AI can take us even further by making ALL the Harris County Family District Court rules more accessible and easier to navigate.

Let’s Use It

The pandemic’s “Zoom boom” and the rise of generative AI have given lawyers and mediators unprecedented tools to transform their work. Those in positions of authority—judges, court administrators, and policymakers—should take note. Innovation often begins in the boardroom or the private law office, but its true value lies in its potential to serve the public. By embracing AI, we can make the justice system more efficient, accessible, and equitable for everyone. Play with F.R.I.D.A AI for Harris County Family District Courts to better understand the vision and how it scratches an itch we collectively have for better technology to promote more justice.

Let’s not wait for the future to come to us. Let’s build it.