Proof Over Precedent

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School In this “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Andrew Reed explores how the legal profession could benefit from adopting data-driven, evidence-based practices similar to those in medicine. The episode examines the historical transformation of medicine from tradition-based to science-based and discusses key lesson...

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School In this second episode in the Proof Over Precedent series on demystifying the institutional review board process in law, host Jim Greiner speaks again with IRB expert Shannon Sewards, this time to define human subjects research and differentiate it from medical research. The pair delve into: The nuances of human subjects research in le...

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School In this “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Joe Lieberman interviews classmate Andrew Reed on the implications of courthouse cell phone bans on access to justice, particularly as it relates to self-represented litigants. Though intended to maintain courtroom order and security, the bans often create more heada...

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) watch over human subjects research to ensure ethical compliance. Ubiquitous in medical research, IRBs may still baffle those working in legal research. This week, in the first of a series of podcast talks demystifying IRBs, Proof Over Precedent host Jim Greiner talks with IRB expert Shannon Sewards ab...

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School Does the medium of family law cases — online or in-person — factor into procedural justice and the satisfaction of litigants in these cases? In this episode, A2J Lab Associate Director Renee Danser talks with Jim Greiner, faculty director of the A2J Lab, about a study nearing completion, including: What led one court system to seek an...

STUDENT VOICES: The views expressed are those of the student podcasters and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Access to Justice Lab. Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School Hypothetical situation (that was real for at least one person): You’re issued a traffic ticket requiring appearance in a courthouse 400 miles away from your home. Do you a) absorb the travel costs...

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School Failure to appear in criminal cases can lead defendants to jail time, draining resources from police, courts, and taxpayer dollars. But according to Alissa Fishbane, managing director at ideas42, a nonprofit think tank, the solution may be cheaper and easier than expected. A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner spoke with Fishbane in thi...

STUDENT VOICES: The views expressed are those of the student podcasters and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Access to Justice Lab. Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School Harvard Law School student Julia Saltzman leads a Student Voices episode of Proof Over Precedent to discuss legal information programs amid immigration court proceedings for unrepresented noncitiz...

STUDENT VOICES: The views expressed are those of the student podcasters and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Access to Justice Lab. Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School With a growing backlog of deportation cases, overwhelmed U.S. immigration courts are struggling to deliver due process. In this first Student Voices podcast episode of Proof Over Precedent ,...

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School This episode looks into the OpenJustice project, a study combining access to justice and artificial intelligence. It’s just a year in development but already moving relatively quickly through its randomized control trial. A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner spoke with Mandy Mobley Li, Assistant Director of Research Innovations at the...

This episode offers a mid-study update on a decades-long randomized control trial, unofficially referred to as the “Child Welfare” project. Proof Over Precedent host and Access to Justice Lab Director Jim Greiner interviews Project Director Renee Danser about the study, which evaluates whether families with children who face poverty-related legal and social challenges can avoid unnecessary entries...

This episode introduces listeners to the Proof Over Precedent podcast and the work of the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School. The lab focuses on bringing empirical research into the legal field for both civil and criminal justice systems. Professor Jim Greiner shares plans for future episodes to address randomized control trials conducted by the lab and its research partners; ethical issu...