The School of Law recently launched the Center for Empirical Research in the Law (CERL). Under the direction of Andrew D. Martin, Ph.D., professor of law and of political science in Arts & Sciences, the center aims to enhance empirical legal scholarship at the law school, as well as throughout the University and the legal academy.
“While doctrinal and theoretical work plays an important role in legal and social scientific research, so, too, does the collection and analysis of relevant data of all varieties,” Martin said.
“Indeed, the use of data allows us to understand how things work, and ultimately to make prescriptions for how to make things work better, in the legal system,” Martin added.
The center provides research support and infrastructure to affiliated faculty and students, works to foster interdisciplinary collaboration through the University and is involved in providing accessible databases that serve as the building blocks for the work of others.
The center also will provide support and training on empirical legal research to students and colleagues by offering courses and seminars in the law school, as well as training institutes for law school and social science faculty.
“Today, it is essential for lawyers and scholars to be able to understand, present and rebut arguments based on empirical legal research,” Martin said.
CERL is involved in a number of groundbreaking research projects. Among them are the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, a data resource for scholars, teachers, students and the public to help them better understand the legal system, and the Supreme Court Forecasting Project, a friendly interdisciplinary competition that compares the accuracy of the different ways in which legal experts and political scientists assess and predict Supreme Court decision- making.
In addition to weekly discussion groups on empirical legal research, CERL is offering its first major training event, “Conducting Empirical Legal Scholarship: The Advanced Course” Feb. 9-11 in Anheuser-Busch Hall.
For more information, visit cerl.wustl.edu or e-mail Martin at admartin@wustl.edu.