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The Institute for Civil Justice is dedicated to making the civil justice system more just and more equitable.
The ICJ conducts research on all aspects of civil justice, from trends in litigation and jury verdicts to compensation systems and alternative dispute resolution. In recent years, we have expanded our agenda to include terrorism risk management, corporate ethics, and entrepreneurship and regulation.
More »Featured Research
What is the Effect of Policy on Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses? — Dec. 11, 2007
The regulatory environment affects small business differently from the way it affects large ones, sometimes leading to unintended negative consequences. An improved understanding of this effect will help lawmakers develop policy designed to advance entrepreneurship.
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Bookstore »Recent Findings and News
Insurance Class Actions in the United States — 2007
Little is known about the workings of the class action process. This book provides the most comprehensive portrait to date of insurance class actions, using data collected from 57 large U.S. insurance companies for almost 750 class action cases.
News Release 
Full Document
Research Brief
Taxpayers, Policyholders Benefit from Terrorism Risk Insurance Program — Oct. 10, 2007
Taxpayers save money and businesses are better protected with the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) in place than if the act is allowed to expire. TRIA allows the insurance industry to play a larger role in compensating losses caused by smaller terrorist attacks by transferring some of the risk for the largest attack to the government.
The Victims of Terrorism: An Assessment of Their Influence and Growing Role in Policy, Legislation, and the Private Sector 
— Nov. 19, 2007
Since September 11, 2001, organized groups of families and friends have emerged to become a powerful voice in U.S. counterterrorist policy and legislation. These groups have been successful in establishing the 9/11 Commission and implementing its most important recommendations.
Senior Drivers Less Likely than Youngest Drivers to Cause Accidents
2007
A study by the RAND Institute for Civil Justice reveals that drivers aged 65 and older are less risky than younger drivers. These findings have implications for states who are considering tightening licensing requirements for older drivers.
News Release Full Document
Research Brief Related Report
Identifying Fraud, Abuse, and Error in Personal Bankruptcy Filings 
September 12, 2007
At the request of the U.S. Trustee Program, the RAND Corporation investigated how to better identify and measure fraud, abuse, and error in personal bankruptcies. RAND looked for lessons learned from other government programs and the private sector and conclude that a data-enabled case filing system, incorporating lessons from the IRS and GSA as well as the private sector, may be the direction for the future of the bankruptcy court system.
Full Document
Related Reports:
Full Document Prebankruptcy Credit Counseling
Full Document The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005
Wind Insurance Costly and Scarce on Gulf of Mexico Coast 
July 18, 2007
Wind insurance costs for businesses have increased dramatically while policy coverage has dwindled, and in some cases risk has shifted from insurers to taxpayers. The scarcity and high cost of wind insurance has delayed some business investments in the Gulf States region.
Going-Private Decisions and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002: A Cross-Country Analysis - Summary 
July 2, 2007
This working paper summarizes an investigation on whether the regulatory regime created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has driven firms in general, but particularly small firms, out of the public capital market.
Working Paper Summary Full Document
Lender-Placed Flood Insurance Market for Residential Properties 
June 27, 2007
This report provides systematic information on the size of the private flood insurance market, how policies that private insurers offer compare with those of the National Flood Insurance Program, and the reasons buyers choose private market policies over federal program policies.
Technical Report Related Research Brief
Should the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 Be Extended? 
June 5, 2007
Interim findings from a RAND Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy project suggest that the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act performs well on outcomes examined for conventional attacks but not for chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear ones.
Testimony before the House Science and Technology Committee 
April 26, 2007
Senior policy researcher Bruce Held presented testimony before the House Science and Technology Committee, Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation on April 26, 2007.
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