The American Bar Foundation (ABF) serves as a premier research institute rather than a traditional university, focusing on empirical and interdisciplinary studies of law, legal institutions, and legal processes. While not offering conventional degree programs, the ABF provides advanced research training, fellowships, and seminars that function akin to specialized courses for scholars, lawyers, and policymakers. These 'courses' emphasize sociolegal research methodologies, drawing from sociology, political science, economics, and history to analyze the law's role in society.
- Access to Justice Research Seminar: This intensive program explores barriers to legal services for underserved populations, covering topics like pro bono work, legal aid organizations, and the impact of court fees on low-income individuals. Participants engage in case studies from urban and rural settings, learning quantitative analysis techniques such as regression modeling to evaluate policy effectiveness. Discussions include the role of technology in expanding access, like online dispute resolution platforms, and ethical considerations in legal representation.
- Legal Profession and Diversity Workshop: Focused on the demographics and dynamics of the legal field, this course examines gender, race, and class disparities in law firms, judiciary, and academia. Through ethnographic methods and survey data, fellows investigate pipeline issues from law school to partnership, addressing topics like implicit bias training and affirmative action in hiring. Practical components include mock negotiations and diversity audits, preparing participants to advocate for inclusive practices.
- Punishment and Social Control Studies: This advanced seminar delves into criminal justice systems, including incarceration trends, sentencing disparities, and alternatives to imprisonment. Drawing on ABF's renowned research, it covers historical perspectives on mass incarceration, the effects of mandatory minimums, and restorative justice models. Participants analyze datasets from national surveys, learning qualitative interviewing skills to study prisoner reentry and community impacts.
- Global Legal Cultures Course: An international comparative approach, this program compares U.S. legal systems with those in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, focusing on human rights, constitutional law, and transnational regulation. Topics include the influence of international treaties on domestic policy and the role of NGOs in legal reform. Methodological training includes cross-cultural research design and archival analysis.
- Empirical Methods in Law Training: A foundational 'course' on research tools, teaching statistical software like Stata and R for legal data analysis, alongside content analysis of judicial opinions. It addresses causality in legal outcomes, experimental designs for policy evaluation, and ethical data collection in sensitive legal contexts.
These programs, typically spanning 6-12 months for fellows, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and produce influential publications. ABF's Chicago location facilitates partnerships with Northwestern University and the ABA, enriching experiential learning through guest lectures and fieldwork. Overall, the curriculum equips participants to bridge theory and practice, contributing to evidence-based legal reforms. With a commitment to rigor and relevance, ABF's offerings total over 300 hours of engagement annually, shaping the next generation of legal scholars.
