Courts

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Outcomes of Medical Malpractice Litigation Against US Physicians

    The risk of medical malpractice varies substantially according to physician specialty.

    Jun 1, 2012

  • Yasser Esam Hamdi in Camp X-ray, Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Cuba, April 4, 2002

    Commentary

    A Final Word on the NDAA

    While I have no doubt of Levin's determination to protect the constitutional rights of American citizens, incremental adjustments and seemingly small compromises, each sensible under the circumstances, can have a cumulative effect that erodes the very liberty we are trying to protect, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    May 7, 2012

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    How Much Should Judges Be Paid? An Empirical Study on the Effect of Judicial Pay on the State Bench

    Judicial salaries have a small but significant effect on the likelihood of exit and thus the length of judicial tenure, and a small effect on the background of judges that join the appellate bench.

    May 1, 2012

  • News Release

    News Release

    New Book Explores Transparency in the American Civil Justice System

    The quest for greater transparency in the American civil justice system is the topic of a new book of essays illustrating how a balanced approach to increasing transparency can improve the civil justice system, raise public confidence and protect litigants' privacy.

    Apr 24, 2012

  • A lawyer shaking hands with someone

    Commercial Book

    Would Increased Transparency Improve the U.S. Civil Justice System?

    Some argue that the confidentiality of the civil justice system keeps it working efficiently and fairly; others argue that the public is being denied information about hazards that may cause harm. A balanced approach to increasing transparency can improve the system, raise public confidence, and protect litigants' privacy.

    Apr 24, 2012

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    Would Increased Transparency Improve the Civil Justice System?

    This research brief provides an overview of a collection of essays, a collaborative project by the UCLA-RAND Center for Law and Public Policy, examining the trade-offs between transparency and confidentiality in the civil justice system.

    Apr 24, 2012

  • Events @ RAND Audio Podcast

    Multimedia

    A Conversation with the Chief Justice of California, Tani Cantil-Sakauye

    In April 2012, RAND presented, as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series, A Conversation with the Chief Justice of California, Tani Cantil-Sakauye. The Chief Justice shared her insights on a range of issues such as innovative technologies that have been shown to improve efficiencies in the judicial system.

    Apr 17, 2012

  • News Release

    News Release

    Predictive Coding Could Reduce E-Discovery Costs, but More Guidance Needed on Data Preservation

    Companies could lower the high cost of large-scale electronic discovery in lawsuits by using a computer application known as predictive coding to reduce the number of documents requiring human review.

    Apr 11, 2012

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    The Cost of Producing Electronic Documents in Civil Lawsuits: Can They Be Sharply Reduced Without Sacrificing Quality?

    According to a RAND study, document review makes up 73 percent of discovery costs. Predictive coding is the most promising option for cutting costs without compromising the quality of the process.

    Apr 11, 2012

  • Man using computer

    Report

    Predictive Coding Could Reduce E-Discovery Costs, but More Guidance Is Needed on Data Preservation

    Companies could lower the high cost of large-scale electronic discovery in lawsuits by using a computer application known as predictive coding to reduce the number of documents requiring human review.

    Apr 11, 2012

  • gavel and scales of justice

    Report

    How Did the Financial Crisis Affect the U.S. Civil Justice System?

    A preliminary assessment of the impact of the financial crisis on the civil justice system finds that litigation demands on some parts of the system have increased, that funding for state courts may be trending downward, and that there have been disruptions in the legal services economy, in the provision of legal aid, and in the operation and staffing of courts.

    Mar 5, 2012

  • President Barack Obama receives the Presidential Daily Briefing from Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration, in the Oval Office, Jan. 31, 2012

    Commentary

    The NDAA Makes It Harder to Fight Terrorism

    Much of the debate over this bill has focused on the political issue of executive authority versus rule of law. In doing so it has overlooked the indirect and insidious effects the new law may have on the United States' largely successful counterterrorist campaign, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    Feb 1, 2012

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    Evaluation of the Social Impact Bond: Lessons from planning and early implementation at HMP Peterborough

    RAND Europe has evaluated the world's first Social Impact Bond (SIB), an innovative payment-by-results mechanism to fund public services which aims to reduce reoffending by prisoners. This report presents the initial findings of the evaluation.

    Dec 14, 2011

  • Hands holding seedling in a group

    Report

    Investing in Social Outcomes to Fund Public Services

    At a time when government finances are stretched there is growing interest in finding new ways to fund public services. In 2010 the first ever Social Impact Bond was launched in the UK to provide investors who had funded government interventions for imprisoned offenders with a portion of the resultant savings.

    Nov 4, 2011

  • A statue of Themis holding the scales of justice

    Content

    RAND Institute for Civil Justice

    The RAND Institute for Civil Justice (ICJ), a part of the Justice Policy program, conducts research on all aspects of civil justice, from trends in litigation and jury verdicts to punitive damages, compensation systems, and alternative dispute resolution. Directly or indirectly, civil justice issues have an impact on us all.

    Oct 3, 2011

  • News Release

    News Release

    Links Between Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts, Tort Cases Examined

    Asbestos bankruptcy trusts—created to compensate people injured by the mineral—may be influencing tort cases. The current way that the trusts and the tort cases are linked together may result in payments that are not consistent with the basic principles of the tort liability system.

    Aug 18, 2011

  • Report

    Report

    Case Weights for Federal Defender Organizations

    This report presents a system of case weights for estimating the funding and staffing requirements of federal defender organizations, discusses factors that might influence defender time expenditures, and describes how such weights should be used.

    Aug 18, 2011

  • A gavel in front of an American flag, photo by ftwitty/Getty Images

    Report

    Links Between Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts, Tort Cases Examined

    Asbestos bankruptcy trusts—created to compensate people injured by the mineral—may be influencing tort cases. The current way that the trusts and the tort cases are linked together may result in payments that are not consistent with the basic principles of the tort liability system.

    Aug 18, 2011

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    Bankruptcy Trusts, Asbestos Compensation, and the Courts

    People with asbestos injuries are increasingly receiving compensation from trusts set up by bankrupt asbestos defendants. This brief documents how courts handling these cases consider trust payments when determining compensation.

    Aug 18, 2011

  • Report

    Report

    Third-Party Litigation Funding and Claim Transfer: Trends and Implications for the Civil Justice System

    In July 2009, the UCLA-RAND Center for Law and Public Policy convened a conference to assess the regulatory implications, effect on dispute resolution, and trends in the development of third-party litigation funding.

    Mar 16, 2010