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.
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More ICJ Publications
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Public Welfare and Emerging Technology in Automated Vehicle Regulations
Researchers examine the current state of autonomous vehicles deployment and regulation in various jurisdictions, and explore competing interests, policy considerations, and implications for public welfare.
Mar 12, 2025
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Forced Out?: Civil Legal Access and Housing Stability
Recent legal developments have underscored the need to tackle housing instability and homelessness. While expanding legal counsel access for tenants is advocated, its impact is hard to measure. Researchers evaluate how civil legal aid enhances housing stability for low-income households.
Mar 12, 2025
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Do Contingent Fees Improve Access to Justice?
Researchers find that low-income individuals can access justice more easily by hiring contingent-fee lawyers to obtain settlements and judgments for smaller claims. In fact, people from poorer zip codes file claims, sue, and recover at higher rates than those from wealthier areas.
Feb 12, 2025
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Artificial Intelligence Impacts on Copyright Law
Researchers examine whether works created with the use of AI are protectable under copyright law, if the training of AI models on copyrighted works is allowed under U.S. law and in other jurisdictions, and whether recent developments in generative AI technology are addressed by current copyright doctrine.
Nov 20, 2024
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Risk-Based AI Regulation: A Primer on the Artificial Intelligence Act of the European Union
Understanding the EU approach to AI regulation is important for understanding the obligations and responsibilities that U.S. companies operating in the EU market will have and the challenges they might face.
Nov 20, 2024
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Liability for Harms from AI Systems: The Application of U.S. Tort Law and Liability to Harms from Artificial Intelligence Systems
The advent of new, powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems has prompted a burst of interest in how best to govern AI. Researchers offer an overview of key issues at the intersection of AI systems and U.S. tort law, highlighting areas of uncertainty raised by the continued advancement of AI technology.
Nov 20, 2024
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Key Themes of Automated Vehicle Legal Regimes in Several Countries
Researchers examine automated vehicle data and distill key themes of policies in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Themes include safety, cybersecurity, and privacy, which in turn relate to liability and national security.
Nov 8, 2024
Institute Leadership
James M. Anderson
Director, Institute for Civil Justice
James Anderson is a senior behavioral scientist at RAND and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He serves as director of the Justice Policy program and of the Institute for Civil Justice in RAND Social and Economic Well-Being.
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Recent Events
Exploring Research to Improve Systems and Outcomes
In early April 2024, the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, UCLA School of Law, and the Los Angeles County Superior Court cohosted "Exploring Research to Improve Systems and Outcomes," a conference for judges and high-level court administrators.
Participants included Los Angeles County Superior Court’s presiding judge, assistant presiding judge, executive officer/ clerk of court/jury commissioner, director of research and data management, and more than 20 other judges and one commissioner. The event featured presentations on how researchers use data in various contexts to conduct empirical research and improve justice, and included breakout sessions focused on family law and major civil litigation. The event was part of a broader partnership among the co-hosts involving data-sharing and research.
Access to Justice in California: Challenges and Policy Innovations
In January 2024, the RAND Institute for Civil Justice held a symposium, bringing together panels of experts and practitioners to discuss the challenges and policy innovations in accessing justice in California. The event was held in partnership with Stanford Law School, UCLA School of Law, and Berkeley Law School.
Participants included presiding judges of California county court systems and California courts of appeal, executive officers of county court systems, representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice, representatives from the California Department of Justice, CEOs of legal services and legal aid organizations, the executive director of the State Bar of California, representatives from the NAACP, academics, and practitioners. Participants explored unmet legal needs around the country, evaluated policy developments, learned what is working and what isn’t, and unpacked critics’ concerns about loosening regulations around the practice of law.
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