“Data can uncover hidden social and legal problems. I used traffic stop records to show that the police used race and ethnicity to choose which motorists to pull over and search. Those of us working in this area at Arizona Law are excited about shaping this area of law going forward.” 
— Professor Kathie Barnes

You’re someone who isn’t intimidated by math. Maybe you majored in economics, or taught yourself to program, or studied genetics. Now, you wonder how to combine those interests with a legal education.

University of Arizona Law is a leader in the emerging field of law and data — or “QuantLaw” — which applies quantitative and statistical findings to legal problems, and which studies how law regulates Big Data. The contexts in which QuantLaw can be used are widely varied.

For example, at the beginning of the 2007 foreclosure crisis, Professor Christopher Robertson put together a team to survey people going through mortgage foreclosure. Half of the foreclosures actually had medical causes in which people who lost work due to illness couldn't afford to pay their bills. The White House has frequently cited this study as a primary example of how the healthcare insurance system affected the larger economy.

Professor Jane Bambauer used data sets on law students’ schools, grades, and career paths to analyze what factors accurately predict how much money they make in their careers and whether or not they will become a partner if they join a law firm. Her finding? The conventional wisdom is wrong: for all but a handful of elite schools, performance in law school (grades) was a much stronger indicator of career achievement than the school itself. Prestige is overrated.

At Arizona Law, you’ll have the chance to learn from and work with a cadre of nationally recognized scholars who are tackling the most difficult and interesting data problems out there.