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About the Center
From the Director
Welcome to the website of the Center for Empirical Research in the Law (CERL) at the Washington University School of Law. CERL supports application of sophisticated empirical methodology to legal studies research. By empirical we mean: "based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation rather than theory or pure logic" (New Oxford American Dictionary 2005). While doctrinal and theoretical work plays an important role on legal and social scientific research, so, too, does the collection and analysis of relevant data of all varieties. 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.
 The work undertaken at CERL is at the research frontier of both the legal academy and the social sciences. We also regularly use information technologies to enhance the efficiency and visibility of our research. Some CERL affiliates are also engaged at building statistical tools and writing software to be widely used in empirical research.
CERL has two primary goals. One is to enhance empirical legal scholarship, at the Washington University School of Law as well as throughout the University and the legal academy. We approach this mission by providing research support and infrastructure of all sorts to our affiliated faculty and students. CERL also 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. Our second goal to is provide training on empirical legal research to our students and colleagues. Today it is essential for lawyers and scholars to able to understand, present, and rebut arguments based on empirical legal research. We approach this mission by offering courses and seminars in the law school, as well as training institutes for law school and social science faculty. I hope that you enjoy this website and the projects presented here. Please send any feedback to me personally at admartin@wustl.edu. Yours truly,  Andrew D. Martin Professor and CERL Director, School of Law Professor, Political Science, Arts & Sciences Washington University in St. Louis |
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Washington University / School of Law / Campus Box 1120 / St. Louis MO 63130 cerl@law.wustl.edu |
