Spring 2017: Empirical Legal Studies and Legal Analytics: Shall the Twain Meet?
Hosted by Michigan State University College of Law Professors Candeub, Black, Linna, and Grady, the Spring 2017 Symposium examined the emerging legal analytics industry and empirical legal studies. It looked broadly at the different goals and methods of each field, the data challenges and priorities both fields face, the possibilities for cooperation and collaboration, new applications of research in ELS and legal studies, and the special problems associated with developing natural language processing for legal texts.
Read Volume 2017’s Spring 2017 Symposium Articles here.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, March 23, 2017
9:00–9:15 a.m. Welcome
Lawrence Ponoroff, Dean, MSU College of Law
9:15–10:15 a.m. Keynote Address
Lee Epstein, Washington University in St. Louis
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Panel 1: ELS and Legal Analytics: Partners in the Same Pursuit or Never the Twain Shall Meet?
Oliver Goodenough, Vermont Law School; Daniel Katz, Chicago-Kent College of Law; & JJ Prescott, University of Michigan Law School
1:00–2:00 p.m. Panel 2a: What’s New and Cool in Legal Analytics and ELS
Christy Boyd, University of Georgia; Tim Johnson, University of Minnesota; Justin Wedeking, University of Kentucky; & Kerry Kessam, Ravel Law
2:15–3:15 p.m. Panel 2b: A Continuation of What’s New and Cool in Legal Analytics and ELS
Jean Pierre DeVries, University of Colorado; Sherrod Blankner, LexVisu; Adam Candeub, MSU College of Law; Dan Barnhizer, MSU College of Law; & Ken Grady, MSU College of Law
3:30–4:30 p.m. Judicial Reaction
The Honorable David W. McKeague, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Friday, March 24, 2017
8:30–9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00–10:15 a.m. Can Better Data Lead to Greater Collaboration Between ELS and Legal Analytics?
10:30–11:30 a.m. Natural Language Processing and Legal Language
11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Concluding Remarks