Law Commons^™

Judges, Prosecutors, Jurors, And Organized Labor: Four Perspectives Of Corporate Citizenship, Noel Beasley, Janine P. Geske, Valerie P. Hans, E. Michael Mccann, Frank Daily

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Some people argue that the civil jury is in decline. They argue that it's not really so important to be focusing on jurors and jurors' views about corporate responsibility as it might have been in prior times. I want to raise some arguments in favor of the continuing importance of the civil jury. First of all, the cases that juries try may be very important cases in terms of the company and in terms of the role of the company vis-a-vis government regulation. Jurors are symbolic representatives of the public in the courtroom. Finding out what juries do when they …

The Illusions And Realities Of Jurors' Treatment Of Corporate Defendants, Valerie P. Hans

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Business leaders have voiced the opinion that they are often victimized by civil juries, who rule against them more on the basis of deep-seated hostility to business than on the grounds of actual negligence. Claims that the jury engages in undeservedly negative treatment of the business corporation have been central to heated debate over the role of the jury and its place in an alleged litigation crisis, which in turn has fueled tort reform efforts across the nation. This Article contrasts the illusions and realities of jurors' treatment of corporate defendants in civil litigation.

In this Article, I argue that …

The Contested Role Of The Civil Jury In Business Litigation, Valerie P. Hans

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

According to a recent study, several of the most frequent criticisms of the jury in business cases--that it is pro-plaintiff, that its decisions are based more on sympathy and prejudice than facts, and that it focuses on the defendant's deep pockets--appear to be unfounded.