Will court clerks be replaced by AI?
Updated
Court clerks score 62 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 65%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 32% outright, and 3% stays with people.
- 32% AI can do it
- 65% AI helps
- 3% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 93% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 30 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 9 of them today, speeds up 20 and leaves 1 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Code information on license applications for entry into computers. Coding application data into systems is routine digital work AI handles well. | 80% AI can do it |
| Record and edit the minutes of meetings and distribute to appropriate officials or staff members. Transcription and summarizing tools can draft minutes and distribute them. | 75% AI can do it |
| Record and maintain all vital and fiscal records and accounts. Routine record and accounting entries are well suited to software and AI. | 70% AI can do it |
| Record case dispositions, court orders, or arrangements made for payment of court fees. Logging dispositions and payment arrangements is structured data entry. | 70% AI can do it |
| Prepare dockets or calendars of cases to be called. Case calendars can be generated from scheduling data with staff review. | 70% AI can do it |
| Issue public notification of all official activities or meetings. AI can draft and distribute meeting notices, though posting may need staff. | 65% AI can do it |
| Answer questions or provide advice to the public regarding licensing policies, procedures, or regulations. Chat assistants can answer routine licensing policy questions with staff review. | 65% AI can do it |
| Prepare meeting agendas or packets of related information. AI can compile agenda packets from source documents for staff review. | 65% AI can do it |
| Coordinate or maintain office tracking systems for correspondence or follow-up actions. Tracking systems and follow-up reminders are software-driven and easily automated. | 65% AI can do it |
| Examine legal documents submitted to courts for adherence to laws or court procedures. AI can check filings against procedural rules, but a clerk confirms findings. | 60% AI helps |
Show the other 20 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare documents recording the outcomes of court proceedings. AI can draft outcome records from proceedings, but accuracy needs clerk check. | 60% AI helps |
| Perform general office duties, such as taking or transcribing dictation, typing or proofreading correspondence, distributing or filing official forms, or scheduling appointments. Typing, transcription, proofreading and scheduling are largely AI-assisted tasks. | 60% AI helps |
| Evaluate information on applications to verify completeness and accuracy and to determine whether applicants are qualified to obtain desired licenses. AI can check completeness, but qualification decisions need human sign-off. | 55% AI helps |
| Prepare ordinances, resolutions, or proclamations so that they can be executed, recorded, archived, or distributed. AI drafts ordinance and resolution text, but legal review is required. | 55% AI helps |
| Answer inquiries from the general public regarding judicial procedures, court appearances, trial dates, adjournments, outstanding warrants, summonses, subpoenas, witness fees, or payment of fines. AI answers common court questions, but warrant and case lookups need system access. | 55% AI helps |
| Perform record checks on past or current licensees, as required by investigations. Database record checks are automatable, but investigative judgement stays human. | 55% AI helps |
| Respond to requests for information from the public, other municipalities, state officials, or state and federal legislative offices. AI can draft replies to agencies and offices, but staff must verify and send. | 55% AI helps |
| Perform budgeting duties, such as assisting in budget preparation, expenditure review, or budget administration. AI helps analyze spreadsheets and draft budgets, but officials decide. | 50% AI helps |
| Prepare and issue orders of the court, such as probation orders, release documentation, sentencing information, or summonses. Order templates can be generated, but legally binding issuance needs review. | 50% AI helps |
| Instruct parties about timing of court appearances. Date notices can be automated, but explaining timing to parties needs staff. | 50% AI helps |
| Plan or direct the maintenance, filing, safekeeping, or computerization of all municipal documents. AI can help plan digital records systems, but physical safekeeping needs staff. | 45% AI helps |
| Issue various permits and licenses, such as marriage, fishing, hunting, and dog licenses, and collect appropriate fees. Online permit forms and fee calculation help, but issuance involves in-person transactions. | 40% AI helps |
| Research information in the municipal archives upon request of public officials or private citizens. Digital archive search helps, but many municipal records remain physical. | 35% AI helps |
| Perform contract administration duties, assisting with bid openings or the awarding of contracts. Bid document review can be assisted, but public bid openings are in-person events. | 35% AI helps |
| Search files and contact witnesses, attorneys, or litigants to obtain information for the court. File searches can be assisted, but contacting witnesses and litigants stays human. | 35% AI helps |
| Perform administrative tasks, such as answering telephone calls, filing court documents, or maintaining office supplies or equipment. Phone triage and filing can be assisted, but physical supplies and presence remain. | 30% AI helps |
| Question applicants to obtain required information, such as name, address, or age, and record data on prescribed forms. Forms can be pre-filled, but live questioning of applicants stays human-led. | 30% AI helps |
| Participate in the administration of municipal elections, such as preparation or distribution of ballots, appointment or training of election officers, or tabulation or certification of results. Ballot prep and tabulation software helps, but logistics and officer training are physical. | 30% AI helps |
| Verify the authenticity of documents, such as foreign identification or immigration documents. AI aids document screening, but authenticity checks need physical and database verification. | 25% AI helps |
| Train other workers or coordinate their work, as necessary. Training and coordinating people relies on in-person leadership and interpersonal judgement. | 15% Needs a person |
How court clerks compare
All occupations (923)
Office and administrative support (51)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $48,700 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 179,750 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +3.4% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Check AI-drafted meeting minutes in Microsoft Word before distribution
- Reconcile fiscal accounts and vital records in Microsoft Excel
- Verify identity and immigration documents against database records in person
- Audit generated case dockets in Microsoft Access against judges' schedules
- Sign and redact filed court documents in Adobe Acrobat
- Train and coordinate counter staff for election officer duties
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about court clerks and AI
Will AI replace court clerks?
Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly coding license application data and recording meeting minutes. Questioning applicants, verifying documents and training staff stay with people because they need a person in the room.
Which tasks are AI taking over for court clerks?
Coding license application data into computers has an exposure score of 80, the highest on the list, because routine digital entry is what AI handles well. Recording and editing meeting minutes, scored 75, can be drafted by transcription tools. Keeping vital and fiscal records, scored 70, suits accounting software.
Which court clerk tasks stay human?
Training other workers and coordinating their work has an exposure score of 15, the lowest on the list, because it relies on in-person leadership and interpersonal judgment. Verifying documents, scored 25, still needs physical inspection, and live questioning of applicants, scored 30, stays human-led.
How can court clerks stay valuable as AI spreads?
Check every AI-drafted set of minutes in Microsoft Word before it goes out through Outlook. Audit generated case calendars in Microsoft Access against judges' schedules. Learn Adobe Acrobat for signing and redacting filed documents, and keep in-person checks on identity documents. Lead election officer training, since people in the room carry that work.
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