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Civil Law

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Civil law—the body of laws of a state or nation dealing with the rights of private citizens—seeks to resolve noncriminal disputes such as disagreements over property ownership or damage, insurance, contracts, divorce, and child custody. RAND helps make the civil justice system more efficient and more equitable by supplying government and private decisionmakers and the public with the results of objective, empirically based, analytic research.

Report
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Early Assistance After Disasters
After human-made disasters, early assistance from potentially responsible parties can sometimes fill gaps that are not always addressed by NGOs and first responders. But is providing such assistance a good strategy in terms of reducing future litigation or improving public opinion?
Nov 14, 2019
Content
RAND Institute for Civil Justice
The RAND Institute for Civil Justice (ICJ), a part of the Justice Policy program, conducts research on all aspects of civil justice, from trends in litigation and jury verdicts to punitive damages, compensation systems, and alternative dispute resolution. Directly or indirectly, civil justice issues have an impact on us all.
Oct 3, 2011

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Report
Language, Labels, and the DHS Lexicon: Analysis to Support a More-Inclusive Lexicon for Securing the Homeland
The authors analyze U.S. Department of Homeland Security documentation, processes, and procedures and then identify ways to improve them and to create an organizational culture that supports the lasting implementation of more-inclusive terminology.
Jun 19, 2023
Blog
RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research
From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.
May 8, 2023
Tool
Mass Atrocity Prevention Open Educational Resource (OER)
Understanding past mass violence events is key to preventing mass atrocities. This resource provides an overview of Holocaust education and atrocity prevention to help users consider their roles in social justice promotion and atrocity prevention.
May 2, 2023
Report
Rethinking Case Management and the Process of Civil Justice Reform: Summary and Papers Presented at a UCLA-RAND Center for Law and Public Policy Conference
This publication summarizes the discussions and presents four pieces of scholarship presented during the UCLA-RAND Center for Law and Public Policy-sponsored "Rethinking Civil Case Management" conference.
Mar 15, 2023
Journal Article
Do Noneconomic Damage Caps Reduce Medical Malpractice Insurance Premiums? Evidence from North Carolina
The impact of medical malpractice reforms, especially caps on noneconomic damages, is of special interest to policymakers and physicians. This study uses data from North Carolina to examine how caps implemented in noncrisis periods affect malpractice premiums.
Sep 23, 2022
Report
Community Supervision in a Digital World: Challenges and Opportunities
Increased access to technology and corresponding increases in computer-facilitated crime have resulted in a greater number of tech-savvy individuals under supervision. Experts identified strategies to help officers manage their online activity.
Jul 26, 2021
Report
The Globalization of Mass Civil Litigation: Lessons from the Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Case
This report describes the Volkswagen "clean diesel" emission fraud litigation to illustrate the features of global mass litigation and the problems that arise in the resolution of these types of claims across transnational jurisdictions.
Jun 22, 2021
Report
COVID-19 and the Courts: Lessons from the Pandemic
The U.S. civil justice system was forced to change in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Panelists in this virtual conference addressed the effects of COVID-19 on the civil justice system and how lessons learned can be applied going forward.
Jun 4, 2021
Periodical
RAND Review: May-June 2021
The cover story highlights the value of invention, analyzing the economic and social impacts of winners of the Lemelson-MIT Prize. A second feature focuses on human rights abuses against ethnic Uyghurs in China and what we know from satellite images.
May 6, 2021
Multimedia
COVID-19 Vaccine Liability and Compensation in the United States
This RAND Corporation virtual event explored how those who believe that they have been injured by COVID-19 vaccines in the United States can seek compensation and how the two federal compensation systems for people harmed by vaccines differ.
Apr 29, 2021
Commentary
Upcoming Summit an Opportunity for Japan to Reconsider Whether to Join Rest of G-7 in Sanctioning China Over Genocide
Japan has been lukewarm in its response to global condemnation of China's crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang. What options might President Biden have to encourage Japan to reconsider its position as he hosts his first in-person summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga?
Apr 15, 2021
Multimedia
Opioid Litigation: What's New, and What Does It Mean for Future Litigation?
More than 2,000 plaintiffs have joined the largest civil trial in U.S. history: National Prescription Opiate Litigation (MDL 2804). In this virtual symposium, experts discuss the opioid litigation and its effects on the future of mass litigation.
Feb 9, 2021
Multimedia
COVID-19 Vaccine Cross-Border Liability and Compensation
A RAND virtual event focused on (1) facilitating global distribution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and (2) preventing liability and compensation concerns from affecting the vaccine supply chain and public uptake of the vaccine.
Feb 2, 2021
Journal Article
The Effect of Mandatory Insurer Reporting on Settlement Delay
This article examines this problem empirically, using a rich, national data set of closed automobile bodily injury claims.
Jan 22, 2021
Commentary
The Compensation System for Potential Side Effects Is an Important Part of a COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign
Concern about potential COVID-19 vaccine side effects and their consequences may be contributing to Americans' reluctance to get vaccinated. Policymakers and the public should carefully consider what types and levels of compensation for any adverse effects of vaccination are truly fair and appropriate.
Dec 18, 2020
Report
Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Auto Insurance
The existing automobile insurance system in the United States should be flexible enough to accommodate the introduction of autonomous vehicles. Some changes to the insurance model may be indicated as vehicles incorporate higher levels of automation, but it is too early to make radical changes.
Dec 17, 2020
Journal Article
Unintended Consequences of Products Liability: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Market
This article explains a surprising effect of tort liability in the market for prescription drugs: punitive damages shift liability from doctors to drug companies, but not when physician malpractice liability is limited."
Dec 11, 2020
Journal Article
Product Liability and Moral Hazard: Evidence from General Aviation
We estimate the impact of tort liability on a subset of consumers who have significant control over the probability of an accident: consumers of general aviation aircraft.
Dec 11, 2020
Report
COVID-19 Vaccinations: Liability and Compensation Considerations for Policymakers
Vaccine development is only one part of the challenge in creating an immunization campaign to stop the pandemic. Once a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is ready, liability and compensation issues could affect its distribution and administration.
Sep 21, 2020
Journal Article
The Public Health Value of Opioid Litigation
This article proceeds in three parts: discussions of the general goals and role of public health tort litigation, the demonstrated and potential value of opioid litigation to achieve public health goals, and a conclusion.
Jul 31, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Civil Law

Topic Synonyms:
Civil Justice

Research conducted by

RAND Institute for Civil Justice

Researcher Spotlight

Jamie Morikawa

Associate Director, RAND Institute for Civil Justice

Jamie Morikawa is the associate director of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice (ICJ) and the Kenneth R. Feinberg Center for Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation, through which she is responsible for helping manage strategic direction and research portfolios. She also builds and…
Nancy Staudt

Frank and Marcia Carlucci Dean, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Vice President of Innovation, RAND Corporation

Nancy Staudt is the Frank and Marcia Carlucci Dean of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and vice president of Innovation at the RAND Corporation.

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