Exploring AI’s potential to improve access to justice

Jemma Barber shied away from using artificial intelligence during her five years at the University of Auckland despite the growing ubiquity of tools like ChatGPT in the classroom.

She did, however, investigate the potential for AI to support people who can’t afford legal representation in the area of employment law.

Now the law and commerce graduate is building on her student interests, working in employment law at top New Zealand firm MinterEllisonRuddWatts. She's among the first few cohorts of law graduates to join firms that are actively developing or leveraging bespoke AI tools to enhance value.

“AI is the future, and we need to find ways it can work for us,” says the Napier-born graduate, who moved to Auckland to study after high school.

In a final year research essay, Jemma argued for the development of a New Zealand-focused AI tool designed specifically for employment relationship problems.

“If a person can’t access legal representation and needs to represent themselves in court, they can struggle to draft pleadings, frame legal arguments, and comply with procedural rules.”

This, she says, is where AI can help.

“AI can translate technical language into plain English, explain procedural rules, and identify relevant legal principles and precedents. If AI can help people better prepare for their case, this can lessen their reliance on judges for assistance, preserving judicial neutrality and improving efficiency.”

Although AI holds promise for improving access to justice, Jemma points out that it often lacks nuance, may hallucinate, and raises privacy, procedural, and ethical concerns.

“These flaws can undermine submission credibility, create false confidence, and expose people to adverse rulings and wasted costs.”

There are international examples where AI assistants, designed and overseen by qualified attorneys and specialist organisations, have been carefully refined to ensure accuracy and user safety. And with careful design and oversight, Jemma says an AI tool tailored to New Zealand law could enhance access to justice and strengthen fairness and efficiency in employment law, empowering workers to pursue legitimate claims and reducing pressure on courts.

In her first year at university, Jemma enjoyed close friendships in the halls but found the transition from high school to university challenging.

She developed her study style to suit, and her family helped a lot. Her sister, one year older, was also at the University of Auckland studying computer science, following in the footsteps of their software developer dad. He and her mum, a teacher who took the family to Thailand to live on a couple of occasions, were always supportive and just a phone call away.

Jemma’s parents celebrated graduation with their daughter on 4 May 2026, one day before flying out to Thailand, where Jemma’s mum regularly teaches at an international school.

“Living in Thailand as a young person was such a special experience. I went to school there and made friends from all over the world.”

Back home in Napier, Jemma played “every sport under the sun”. She particularly loved hockey and played in Hawke’s Bay representative teams for eight years. She also enjoyed a mix of subjects in high school and found it hard to decide what to pursue at university.

“I’m the first in my family to do law, I chose it because I enjoyed English, problem solving and critical thinking, but I really had no idea what area of law I might like to get into.”

In her fifth year at university, employment law stood out; she particularly liked the people-oriented element of the paper.

What’s she most proud of during her time at the University of Auckland?

Jemma says her 15,000-word dissertation exploring the disconnect between employment and immigration law and the uncertainty this can create for employers was a huge feat.

“I grew so much during my five years studying, and my dissertation was, in a way, the culmination of everything coming together.”