Analogical Legal Reasoning: Theory and Evidence. (27th June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Teitelbaum, Joshua C.
• Is Part Of: American law and economics review. Volume 17:Number 1(2015:Spring)
• Page Start: 160
• Page End: 191
• Publication Date: 2014-06-27
• Subjects: D01 -- D83 -- K40; Law and economics -- Periodicals; 340
• DOI: 10.1093/aler/ahu011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1465-7252

Abstract

Abstract : The paper offers a formal model of analogical legal reasoning and takes the model to data. Under the model, the outcome of a new case is a weighted average of the outcomes of prior cases. The weights capture precedential influence and depend on fact similarity (distance in fact space) and precedential authority (position in the judicial hierarchy). The empirical analysis suggests that the model is a plausible model for the time series of U.S. maritime salvage cases. Moreover, the results evince that prior cases decided by inferior courts have less influence than those decided by superior courts.