Staff Profiles
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Nicholas M. PaceSanta Monica Office Behavioral/Social Scientist Media AvailabilityThis researcher is available for interviews. Show Details » EducationJ.D., University of Oregon; B.A. in political science, University of California, Santa Barbara |
Research Focus
Administration of justice; juries and verdicts; medical malpractice; class action and mass torts; workers' compensation litigation; alternative dispute resolution
RAND Research Areas
Recent Projects
- Class action litigation against the insurance industry
Biography
Nicholas M. Pace, a long-time RAND Institute for Civil Justice staff member, has contributed his expertise in civil justice-related research methodology to many ICJ projects, most recently leading a study that explored issues associated with class actions against insurers. Other recent work included examining the impact of statutory reforms on costs and outcomes in medical malpractice cases as well as leading a comprehensive study of the workers' compensation courts in California. He has also been involved in studying the dynamics of class action litigation generally and recommending new managerial approaches for judges in such cases; helping to accomplish an in-depth evaluation of the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 and its effects on judicial case management, cost, and delay in Federal district courts; analyzing jury verdict outcomes with a special focus on punitive damage awards; and developing national standards related to the electronic filing of pleadings and other legal documents in civil courts. Currently he is leading the ICJ's research agenda into civil jury verdicts, conducting a study of post-trial adjustments to jury awards, looking at the impact of the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, and investigating how state court judges handle scientific and other complex evidence issues.
Research Focus
Empirical Studies of Law and the Courts; Class Actions; Jury Verdicts; Court Management
RAND Research Areas
Recent Projects
- Insurance Class Actions in the United States, The RAND Corporation, MG-587-ICJ, March 2007
- Capping Non-Economic Awards In Medical Malpractice Trials: California Jury Verdicts Under MICRA, The RAND Corporation, MG-234-ICJ, July 2004
Research Focus
Administration of justice, juries and verdicts, medical malpractice, class action and mass torts, workers' compensation litigation, alternative dispute resolution
Recent Projects
- Class action litigation against the insurance industry
Selected Publications
Insurance Class Actions in the United States, Nicholas M. Pace et al., RAND Corporation, 2007
Capping Non-Economic Awards in Medical Malpractice Trials: California Jury Verdicts Under MICRA, Nicholas M. Pace et al., RAND Corporation, 2004
"Forty Years of Civil Jury Verdicts," Seth A. Seabury et al., Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, Mar 2004
Improving Dispute Resolution for California's Injured Workers, Nicholas M. Pace et al., RAND Corporation, 2003
Class Action Dilemmas: Pursuing Public Goals for Private Gain, Deborah R. Hensler et al., RAND Corporation, 2000
Recent Media Appearances
Interviews: American Medical News; The Frontrunner; Investor's Business Daily; Kaiser Family Foundation HealthCast; New York Times; Reuters; Wall Street Journal
To arrange an interview:
Contact the RAND Office of Media Relations, (703) 413-1100, x5117 or (310) 451-6913, or send an email to media@rand.org.




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