The Vanishing Jury: Why America Needs Its Citizens Back in the Courtroom
- Sponsor
- University of Illinois College of Law, The Jury Program
- Contact
- Suja Thomas
- sathomas@illinois.edu
- Originating Calendar
- College of Law - Lectures Calendar
The Vanishing Jury: Why America Needs Its Citizens Back in the Courtroom
Presented by Valerie P. Hans (Cornell Law School)The American jury—celebrated by the Founders as a cornerstone of democratic self governance—has undergone a steady and seemingly relentless decline. Once central to the administration of justice and to the civic identity of the new republic, the jury trial has been eclipsed in both civil and criminal cases by plea bargains, settlements, and judicial mechanisms that keep disputes out of the hands of citizens. This inaugural lecture of the College of Law’s Jury Program by Cornell Law School professor and jury scholar Valerie Hans traces the factors that have contributed to the decline of trial by jury and outlines the importance of reversing the trend. Trial by jury is a vital institution of democratic participation and a safeguard against governmental overreach. When juries vanish, so too does a key avenue for public accountability and community voices in the courtroom. This lecture makes the case for reinvigorating the jury’s role in American justice and offers reforms aimed at returning the jury to its former prominence as an institution of legal decision making and civic engagement.
This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided to attendees (while supplies last).
About the Speaker
Valerie P. Hans is the Charles F. Rechlin Professor of Law at Cornell Law School. Professor Hans holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Toronto and is a leading authority on jury systems in the USA and in other countries. She has carried out extensive research, served as an expert witness, and lectured around the globe on juries and jury reforms. Professor Hans has authored or edited 10 books and over 150 research articles, including American Juries: The Verdict (2007); The Jury System: Contemporary Scholarship (2006); Business on Trial: The Civil Jury and Corporate Responsibility (2000); and Judging the Jury (1986). She has also consulted with judges, lawyers, and courts about jury research. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute and is on the Board of Advisors of the Civil Justice Research Initiative. She has served as president of the Law and Society Association and co-president of the Society for Empirical Legal Studies. At Cornell Law, Professor Hans teaches a seminar on the contemporary American jury system as well as courses on torts and social science and law. She will teach a short course, Reviving the American Jury, at the College of Law this semester.