Brazil's judicial system is deploying artificial intelligence on a massive scale to manage one of the world's largest backlogs of legal cases. With over 70 million pending lawsuits, courts are using more than 140 AI projects to increase efficiency. However, as judges use AI to close cases faster, lawyers are using similar tools to file new ones at an unprecedented rate, raising questions about whether the technology truly serves justice.
Key Takeaways
- Brazil's court system has implemented over 140 AI projects to handle a backlog of more than 70 million lawsuits.
- AI tools help judges categorize cases, find precedents, and draft documents, significantly increasing case closure rates.
- Lawyers are also adopting generative AI, leading to a 46% increase in new lawsuits filed since 2020.
- Experts express concern that this AI arms race may increase litigation rather than reduce it, and could oversimplify complex legal issues.
- The use of AI in law has raised global concerns about accuracy, including instances of AI "hallucinations" leading to fabricated legal precedents.
A System Under Pressure Turns to Technology
Brazil's legal system is one of the most litigious globally, with 76 million lawsuits currently active. This immense caseload costs the government approximately $30 billion annually, which is equivalent to 1.6% of the country's gross domestic product. To address this challenge, the nation has become a pioneer in the large-scale adoption of AI within its judiciary.
Since 2019, courts across the country have developed and implemented a wide array of AI-powered tools. According to a 2024 survey by the National Council of Justice, these systems utilize machine learning and large language models for various tasks. They assist in finding legal precedents, sorting and categorizing new cases, and helping court staff draft official documents.
Understanding Brazil's Caseload
To put the numbers in perspective, Brazil's Supreme Court considers around 80,000 new cases each year. In stark contrast, the U.S. Supreme Court receives about 8,000 petitions annually and hears oral arguments for fewer than 100 cases. This illustrates the sheer volume that the Brazilian system must process at every level.
The results of this technological push are already visible. Data from the National Council of Justice shows that judges nationwide closed 75% more cases in 2023 than they did in 2020. At the Supreme Court, the case backlog dropped to its lowest point since 1992, according to a recent productivity report.
AI in the Courthouse and the Law Firm
The impact of AI is felt directly by legal professionals. At the Supreme Court in Brasília, law clerk Arianne Vasconcelos works on cases concerning potential constitutional violations. Her department manages an average of 76 new cases each month. Her role involves analyzing legal arguments and preparing summaries and draft decisions for the chief justice.
In December 2024, Vasconcelos began using a new tool named MarIA, a generative AI assistant developed by the court's technology team. The tool, which uses models from Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT, helps draft comprehensive reports. "Using MarIA, you can now make a much more extensive and complete report," she explained. "It’s easier to adjust what the AI produced than start from scratch."
"AI is providing high quality work. If anything stops working, clerks immediately complain."
This efficiency is not limited to the courts. Lawyers across Brazil are rapidly adopting similar technologies. A 2025 poll by the country's Bar Association found that more than half of Brazil's attorneys use generative AI daily. This has contributed to a surge in new legal filings, with over 39 million new lawsuits initiated last year—a 46% increase since 2020.
The Efficiency Paradox
Rodrigo Badaró, a councilor at the National Council of Justice, has described the situation as a "vicious circle." He noted, "We note that the use of AI, in the end, rather than diminishing litigation, is increasing it." While AI helps clear dockets, it also empowers lawyers to file cases more quickly, refilling them just as fast.
The Rise of Specialized Legal AI Tools
The legal profession, with its foundation in language, rules, and logic, is a prime market for AI development. Venture capitalists have invested over $1 billion in global legal-tech startups in 2025 alone, and the market is projected to reach $47 billion by 2029.
One prominent tool is Harvey, an AI chatbot used by major law firms like Mattos Filho in Brazil. The firm, which represents clients such as Google and Meta, uses Harvey for research and analysis. Thiago Sombra, a lawyer at the firm, uses the chatbot to find loopholes in legal documents and compare expert reports.
"It gives me a crude analysis that I can aggregate on my own," Sombra said, explaining that he uses it as a research assistant. The firm estimates that each lawyer saves about three hours per week by using Harvey. Developed by a San Francisco startup, Harvey uses OpenAI's models trained specifically on legal data and is now deployed in 54 countries with over 50,000 users.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Despite the efficiency gains, the widespread use of AI in law is not without risk. A significant concern is the phenomenon of AI "hallucinations," where the model generates false information. Globally, there have been over 350 documented cases of lawyers submitting court documents containing fabricated precedents created by AI. Brazil has seen at least six such cases in 2025, resulting in fines for the lawyers involved.
The United Nations has cautioned against "techno-solutionism" in legal work, advising governments to carefully assess potential harms before adopting AI. Critics argue that reducing law to a series of standardized, computer-friendly processes strips it of essential human elements like fairness, equity, and context.
André Fernandes, a director at the Research Institute in Law and Technology, highlighted this issue. "The problem is that a large part of the law is not standardized," he stated. "Imagine family law cases, contractual issues, or successions — they involve other elements that need to be considered."
The Future of Legal Work
The accessibility of AI tools means that even independent practitioners are leveraging them. Daniela Solari, an independent lawyer in Porto Alegre, uses free versions of ChatGPT to help with her work in inheritance and business law. She is careful not to input sensitive client data and always verifies the AI's output.
"It brought me such a great optimization that today I no longer need an intern anymore," Solari commented. She added that if she were to hire an intern in the future, AI would allow her to assign them more meaningful tasks rather than repetitive work, aiding their professional development.
As Brazil continues to navigate its AI-driven legal landscape, the country serves as a real-world test case for the promises and perils of automating justice. The immediate gains in efficiency are clear, but the long-term impact on the quality of justice and the nature of the legal profession remains an open question.
