The RAND Institute for Civil Justice uses empirical and objective research methods to search out the root causes of system problems and identify the best fixes. We find common ground among adversaries, and interpret findings for policymakers. Our work aims to make the system more efficient and equitable for all, protecting society from the economic and social costs of a system that could become arbitrary and capricious.
This report is a study of pardon-petition evaluations performed by the Office of the Pardon Attorney, a unit in the Department of Justice.
The U.S. civil justice system was forced to restructure almost overnight due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Panelists in this virtual conference discussed how the pandemic has affected civil juries and pretrial case management, addressed implications that the pandemic might have for federal and state civil rules, and discussed solutions that could be applied to the civil justice system after circumstances eventually return to "normal."
Online dispute resolution (ODR) provides a forum for the resolution of court matters that was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. A panel of experts discussed issue relating to the design and implementation of ODR programs and platforms, strategies to improve access to justice, opportunities to engage potential ODR users, and need for the rigorous research and evaluation of ODR programs.
These conference proceedings from an event organized by the RAND Institute for Civil Justice summarize key points made during a discussion among stakeholders in the legal community about mental health and well-being, including how legal professionals and educators can improve those factors in their environments for students and for professionals in the field.
We study the effect of state recreational marijuana laws on workers' compensation benefit receipt among adults 40–62 years old.
High-profile attacks illustrate the potential for systemic cyber risk. We estimate the aggregate economic impact of firm-specific attacks finding potential large losses from downstream propagations.
The opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of more than 450,000 Americans since 1999. Amid claims that the pharmaceutical industry used misleading tactics to downplay the known harms of prescription opioids, more than 2,000 plaintiffs have joined the largest civil trial in U.S. history: National Prescription Opiate Litigation (MDL 2804). In this symposium, experts discuss the opioid litigation and its effects on the future of mass litigation.
This article examines this problem empirically, using a rich, national data set of closed automobile bodily injury claims.
This paper concerns single-firm event studies, which are especially important in the context of securities litigation. Event studies can be used to address directly the materiality and loss causation elements.
We estimate the impact of tort liability on a subset of consumers who have significant control over the probability of an accident: consumers of general aviation aircraft.
