Prosecutors tell committee rising workloads, AI tools and a workload study justify staffing requests
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Summary
The Tennessee District Attorneys Conference told lawmakers prosecutors handled roughly 717,800 cases in the past year and presented a workload study estimating about 75 additional assistant district attorneys are needed statewide; officials said they’re using AI for legal research and digital evidence management to stretch capacity.
The Tennessee District Attorneys Conference appeared before the House committee on Feb. 12 to describe operational pressures and technology adoption across district offices.
Conference leadership reported that prosecutors across the state oversaw roughly 717,800 cases in the last year and that average individual assistant‑DA caseloads remain high. Officials said the conference is leveraging artificial‑intelligence tools for legal research (Westlaw CoCounsel) and evidence management supplied through vendors such as Axon, and that they contracted DocuWare to automate travel and reimbursement processes after a recent performance audit suggested modernization opportunities.
The conference shared an internal workload analysis — developed with a sample of district offices using time‑tracking and weighting methodologies — indicating a gap in needed personnel and recommending about 75 additional assistant DAs statewide to meet weighted workload standards. Conference leaders said they will continue discussion with the administration and the legislature about staffing adjustments and expect to present the study’s results in additional venues.
Officials characterized many of the technology investments as ways to increase productivity and avoid larger recurring staffing requests, while also noting that some staffing needs remain unavoidable because of population growth and case volumes in fast‑growing jurisdictions.