L06.3027 QUANTITATIVE METHODS
Professor Daniel Rubinfeld, Fall 2009
New York University, School of Law
Monday, 4:00-5:50 p.m., FH120
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/faculty/rubinfeldd/Profile/coursesindex.html
Introduction - This course surveys statistical and econometric methods that have been utilized by courts in their adjudication of private and public law issues. No background in statistics is presumed.
Readings - It is not absolutely necessary to purchase any one particular statistics book. However, I recommend the following text; FP -- John E. Freund and Benjamin M. Perles, Modern Elementary Statistics (12th edition, 2007, Prentice-Hall). Previous editions authored by Freund can suffice.
For those desiring a more elementary overview of statistical concepts, I suggest David S. Moore and William I. Notz, Statistics: Concepts and Controversies (6th Edition, 2005, W.H. Freeman).
The following readings should be on reserve in the library:
FKSS – Faigman, Kaye, Saks, & Sanders, Modern Scientific Evidence: The Law and Science of Expert Testimony, Vol. 1 (2nd ed., 2002, West Publishing)
FL – Finkelstein & Levin, Statistics for Lawyers (2nd ed., 2001, Springer-Verlag)
The following articles can be found on the web:
KF – David H. Kaye & David A. Freedman, “Reference Guide on Statistics,” in Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, 2nd ed., Federal Judicial Center (2000), pp. 83-178. (http://www.fjc.gov/public/pdf.nsf/lookup/sciman02.pdf/$file/sciman02.pdf)
RG – Daniel L. Rubinfeld, “Reference Guide on Multiple Regression,” in Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, 2nd ed., Federal Judicial Center (2000), pp. 179-227. (http://www.fjc.gov/public/pdf.nsf/lookup/sciman00.pdf/$file/sciman00.pdf)
SCHEDULE
August 31 - SCIENTIFIC METHOD
FKSS: Chapter 2 - The Logic of Drawing Inferences from Empirical Evidence
Data Description
KF: Does a Graph Portray Data Fairly? pp. 110-113
KF: Is an Appropriate Measure Used for the Center of a Distribution? pp. 113-114
FP: 2.3 - Frequency Distributions
FP: 3.1 - Populations and Samples
FP: 3.2 - The Mean
FP: 3.4 - The Median
September 9 - INTRODUCTION TO SAMPLING DISTRIBUTIONS
FP: 8.1 - Random Variables
FP: 8.2 - Probability Distributions
FP: 8.3 - The Binomial Distribution
FP: 9.1 - Continuous Distributions
FP: 9.2 - The Normal Distribution
FP: 9.5 - The Normal Approximation to the Binomial Distribution
FP: 10.6 - Sampling Distributions
FP: 10.7 - The Standard Error of the Mean
FP: 10.8 - The Central Limit Theorem
FL: 3.2-3.3
September 14 - MEASURES OF DISPERSION
Variability
KF: Is an Appropriate Measure of Variability Used? pp. 114-115
FP: 4.1 - The Range
FP: 4.2 - The Variance and the Standard Deviation
Data Display and Presentation
KF: Presenting Expert Statistical Testimony, pp. 89
KF: How Have the Data Been Presented? pp. 104-113
RG: Presentation of Statistical Evidence, pp. 201-203
Daniel L. Rubinfeld and Peter O. Steiner, “Quantitative Methods in Antitrust Litigation,” 46 Law & Contemporary Problems (1983)
- Introduction, pp. 69-70,
- The Dangers of Simplicity, pp. 79-87
September 21 - TESTS INVOLVING MEANS
Tests Involving Means
KF: Estimation, pp. 115-125
FP: 11.1 - The Estimation of Means
FP: 12.1 - Tests of Hypotheses
FP: 12.2 - Significance Tests
FP: 12.3 - Tests Concerning Means
Tests Involving Proportions
FP: 11.4 - The Estimation of Proportions
FP: 14.1 - Tests Concerning Proportions
FP: 14.3 - Differences between Proportions
FL: 4.4-4.5, 5.1-5.4
September 28 - HYPOTHESIS TESTING: NORMATIVE ISSUES FOR THE COURTS
KF: Statistical Proof, pp. 125-130
FL: 7.1-7.5
Daniel L. Rubinfeld, “Econometrics in the Courtroom,” 85 Columbia Law Rev. (1985).
- Toward an Instrumentalist Conception of the Statistical Burden of Proof, pp. 1050-1054
- Hypothesis Testing, pp. 1054-1065.
October 5 - INTRODUCTION TO MULTIPLE REGRESSION
KF: Is an Appropriate Measure of Association Used? pp. 108-115
RG: Guide to Multiple Regression: Introduction, pp. 181-200
FL: 12.1-12.17, 12.29
Daniel L. Rubinfeld, “Econometrics in the Courtroom,” 85 Columbia Law Rev. (1985).
- Introduction to Multiple Regression, pp. 1065-1078.
Daniel L. Rubinfeld and Peter O. Steiner, “Quantitative Methods in Antitrust Litigation,” 46 Law & Contemporary Problems (1983)
- Introduction to Multiple Regression, pp. 88-101
- Dealing with Violation - The Use of Multiple Regression, pp. 104-111
- Estimating "But For" Prices - Ampicillin, pp. 130-135
October 12 - APPLICATIONS OF MULTIPLE REGRESSION
Theodore Eisenberg and Geoffrey P. Miller, “Attorney Fees in Class Action Settlements: An Empirical Study,” Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Vol. 1, March 2004, pp. 27-78, Introduction, III, and IV.
David Hyman, Bernard Black, Kathryn Zeiler, Charles Silver, and William Sage, "Do Defendants Pay What Juries Award? Post-Verdict Haircuts in Texas Medical Malpractice Cases, 1988-2003," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Vol. 4, Issue 1, March, 2007, pp.3-68.
October 19 - VOTING RIGHTS, ECOLOGICAL REGRESSION
Evaluation Review (ER), Vol.15, Dec. 1991, Daniel Rubinfeld, “Statistical and Demographic Issues Underlying Voting Rights Cases,” pp. 659-672
ER: David A. Freedman et al., “Ecological Regression and Voting Rights,” pp. 673-711
ER: Allan J. Lichtman, “Passing the Test: Ecological Regression Analysis in the Los Angeles County Case and Beyond,” pp. 770-799
October 26 - THE DEATH PENALTY
John J. Donohue and Justin Wolfers, “Uses and Abuses of Empirical Evidence in the Death Penalty Debate,” Stanford Law Review, Vol. 58, 2006, pp. 791-846.
November 2 - SURVEYS
Shari Seidman Diamond, “Reference Guide on Survey Research,” Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, 2nd ed., Federal Judicial Center (2000), pp. 229-276.
November 9 - SAMPLING
Michael J. Saks and Peter David Blanck, “Justice Improved: The Unrecognized Benefits of Aggregation and Sampling in the Trial of Mass Torts,” 44 Stanford Law Review, 1992, pp. 815-851.
Laurens Walker and John Monahan, “Sampling Damages,” 83 Iowa Law Review, 1998, pp. 545-568.
November 16 - AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN ADMISSIONS
Richard Sander, “A Systematic Analysis of Affirmative Action in American Law Schools,” 57 Stanford Law School, 2004, pp. 367-372, 390-454.
Daniel Ho, “Why Affirmative Action Does not Cause Black Students to Fail the Bar,” 114 Yale Law Journal, 2005, pp. 1197-2004.
Richard Sander, “Mismeasuring the Mismatch: A Response to Ho,” 114 Yale Law Journal, 2005, pp. 2005-2010.
Daniel Ho, “Affirmative Action's Affirmative Actions: A Reply to Sander,” 114 Yale Law Journal, 2005, pp. 2011-2016.
November 23 - ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCE
FKSS: Chapter 1 - The Legal Standards for the Admissibility of Scientific Evidence
November 30 - CLASS CERTIFICATIOIN IN ANTITRUST
James F. Nieberding and Robin Cantor, “Price
Dispersion and Class Certification in Antitrust Cases: An Economic Analysis,” Journal of Legal Economics, 14(2), 2007,
pp. 61-84.
John H. Johnson and Gregory K. Leonard, “Economics
and the Rigorous Analysis of Class Certification in Antitrust Cases,”
Journal of Competition Law and Economics, 3(3), June 2007, pp. 341-356.