RAND Institute for Civil Justice

Since 1979, the RAND Institute for Civil Justice has been dedicated to making the civil justice system more efficient and more equitable. Our research is supported by pooled grants from corporations, trade and professional associations, and individuals; by government grants and contacts; and by private foundations. The Institute disseminates its work widely to the legal, business, and research communities, and to the general public.

More ICJ Publications

Research and Commentary

  • A judge's gavel resting on a table in front of a stack of law books. Photo by BCFC / Getty Images

    Rethinking Case Management and the Process of Civil Justice Reform

    The American civil justice system has room for improvement in both its fairness and its efficiency, but lacks a culture of experimentation and incremental reform. This conference brought together around 30 judges, scholars, and other observers of the civil justice system to discuss how and whether the American civil justice system might develop a stronger culture of experimentation and reform.

    Mar 15, 2023

  • Stranded passengers wait at Orlando International Airport as flights were grounded after the FAA system outage, in Orlando, Florida, January 11, 2023, photo by Lou Mongello via Reuters

    Grounded: The FAA Alert System Failure Could Be a Wake-Up Call

    It turned out to be a system failure that grounded thousands of flights on January 11, but U.S. critical infrastructure faces a range of threats—from Russian hackers, to weather events, to angry individuals with guns. The government and organizations responsible for critical infrastructure can take steps to actively manage these risks.

    Jan 13, 2023

  • Joe Garcia waits to get tested in his car for COVID-19 in Austin, Texas, June 28, 2020, photo by Sergio Flores/Reuters

    COVID-19's Impacts on California's Workers' Compensation System

    California Senate Bill (SB) 1159 facilitated access to workers' compensation (WC) benefits for select groups of workers with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure. What were the effects of COVID-19 claims on the California workers' compensation system and on the payment of workers' compensation benefits?

    May 26, 2022

  • A worker at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar in Smyrna, Georgia, April 27, 2020, photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

    Worker and Employer Experiences with COVID-19 and the California Workers' Compensation System

    Given workplace risks from COVID-19, California policymakers passed Senate Bill (SB) 1159 to facilitate access to workers' compensation benefits for frontline workers. This report reviews the literature on worker and employer experiences surrounding COVID-19 and workers' compensation benefits.

    Feb 4, 2022

  • Corner Market cashier Effren Luckett (right) wears a mask while serving customers that don't always do the same in Jackson, Mississippi, October 26, 2021, photo by Barbara Gauntt/USA Today via Reuters

    Workers' Compensation and COVID-19

    As the pandemic continues, states vary on whether or how to allow workers to seek compensation for a COVID-19 diagnosis. It's too early to know the full costs, effects, and efficacy of these efforts, but now is a good time for policymakers to consider all the arguments for and against coverage.

    Jan 11, 2022

  • Reacquired Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars sit in a desert graveyard near Victorville, California, March 28, 2018, photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

    The Globalization of Mass Civil Litigation: Lessons from the Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Case

    The Volkswagen "clean diesel" emission fraud litigation is a prime example of global litigation, a new form of transnational mass litigation. The case illustrates the features of global litigation and the problems that arise in the resolution of these types of claims across transnational jurisdictions.

    Jun 22, 2021

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