SURVEYING THE LITIGATION LANDSCAPE: THE CIVIL LITIGATION RESEARCH PROJECT

An examination of a pioneering survey of civil litigation in the US -- the U of Wisconsin Civil Litigation Research Project. Initiated in the late 1970s, the project explored the number of suits brought annually, the nature of disputes that led to insurance claims & court cases, the attitudes of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public opinion quarterly 1987, Vol.51 (4), p.571-579
Main Author: Hensler, Deborah R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Law
Litigation
Methodology (Data Analysis)
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:An examination of a pioneering survey of civil litigation in the US -- the U of Wisconsin Civil Litigation Research Project. Initiated in the late 1970s, the project explored the number of suits brought annually, the nature of disputes that led to insurance claims & court cases, the attitudes of citizens toward legal institutions as a result of their experiences in court, & the role of lawyers in the civil justice system. Data were obtained at various stages from federal & state court records (total N = 2,600 disputes) & interviews with lawyers, individual disputants, & representatives of organizations involved in disputes (total N = 3,853) at 5 sites: Albuquerque, NM, Columbia, SC, Los Angeles, Calif, Milwaukee, Wisc, & Philadelphia, Pa. The survey's methodology is discussed in detail & some fundamental errors are illuminated. Implications for future research on litigation & survey research in general are discussed. 5 References. K. Hyatt
ISSN:0033-362X
1537-5331
DOI:10.1086/269060