Empirical Legal Studies

Data and Presidential Politics

For those of you who are political junkies and data junkies, check out this website: www.fivethirtyeight.com

Conducting Empirical Legal Scholarship: The Advanced Course, October 24-26, 2008

This is the last call for a workshop Lee Epstein and Andrew Martin will be teaching later this month. On Friday, October 24, 2008 through Sunday, October 26, 2008 Lee Epstein and Andrew Martin will be teaching a workshop called "Conducting Empirical Legal Scholarship: The Advanced Course." This workshop will be held in Chicago, and is co-sponsored by Northwestern University and Washington University. The workshop is now open for registration at:

 

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/faculty/conferences/empiricalworkshop.html

 

The workshop is designed for those who have some experience with empirical legal research, and an understanding of elementary statistics (at the level taught in the introductory workshop). Topics to be covered will include: multiple regression, regression models for limited dependent variables, presenting results from non-linear models, data visualization and graphics, and matching methods for causal inference.

 

Please visit the website for all logistical details. Feel free to contact Andrew Martin (admartin@wustl.edu) with substantive questions.

The Asymmetric Application of Arbitration Clauses

Today's NYT includes a story (p.B4) on how large companies are far less likely to "use arbitration clauses in contracts with each other than they are in contracts with consumers." The Times story pivots on a study by Ted Eisenberg (Cornell), Geoff Miller (NYU), and Emily Sherwyn (Cornell). According to the authors, the asymmetric use of arbitration clauses flows from an effort to use "arbitration as a way of avoiding class action litigation.  Because it is not worth it to a single upset consumer to sue a big company, the only thing those companies fear is your having a plaintiffs’ lawyer aggregate you and people like you into a class action.”