In so far as the rule of law means ensuring that actions have predictable consequences, I view it as imperative that we automate as much of the legal system as

In so far as the rule of law means ensuring that actions have predictable consequences, I view it as imperative that we automate as much of the legal system as is technically possible (not saying we're there yet). In the US, federal law is growing increasingly complex, not to mention the added uncertainty introduced by judicial activism (judges reinterpreting old laws, ostensibly to make them fit modern society). As a result, the legal system is completely backlogged and unpredictable, requiring people to expend a lot of money retaining top lawyers who know how to game the system. If machine learning can help make the system more predictable, it could, on balance, improve the rule of law and the spread of justice, even if in a small fraction of cases a decision is made that differs from what a judge would have decided.