Judge and Jury: American Tort Law on Trial
My new book, Judge and Jury: American Tort Law on Trial is now out. Click on the ad at right for more information. Written with Eric Helland, Judge and Jury brings together in a popular format much of my research from the past few years on the effect on tort awards of elected judges, jury composition and contingency fees as well as other topics.
Here are some early comments on the book:
"In their pioneering book, Judge and Jury, Helland and Tabarrok are
relentless in their pursuit of hard data to explain the behavior of the
American jury. On a topic on which it is easy to become hyperbolic,
their dispassionate analysis of the effects of race and poverty on jury
behavior is a model for all intelligent discussion of legal reform. The
authors are to be commended for the way in which they confirm some
deep-seated perceptions of runaway juries while debunking other claims
that do not survive their rigorous empirical scrutiny."
–Richard A. Epstein,
James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School
"All too often, the proponents of tort reform have relied upon
anecdote rather than analysis or empirical study to support their
claims. In contrast, Judge and Jury offers solid economic analysis and
empirical study of some very important issues.] Helland and Tabarrok
show that the resolution of a tort claim can importantly depend upon
where the claim is filed, due to differences in jury composition and
whether judges are elected or appointed. They also make a convincing
case that the root of all evils does not lie in contingency fees for
plaintiffs’ lawyers, as many reformers insist. The book should be of
great interest to anyone interest in the U.S. tort system."
–Mark Geistfeld, Crystal Eastman Professor of Law,
New York University School of Law
"Clear, forcefully argued and highly accessible, Judge and Jury makes the perfect introduction to the work of two of today’s most provocative and talked-about empirical legal scholars."
–Walter K. Olson, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute