Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Law
Manipulating Random Assignment: Evidence From Consumer Bankruptcies In The Nation's Largest Cities, Edward R. Morrison, Belisa Pang, Jonathon Zytnick
Manipulating Random Assignment: Evidence From Consumer Bankruptcies In The Nation's Largest Cities, Edward R. Morrison, Belisa Pang, Jonathon Zytnick
Faculty Scholarship
Random case assignment is thought to be an important feature of decision-making in federal courts because it helps guard against favoritism (actual or perceived) toward particular parties or types of cases. In bankruptcy courts, cases are randomly assigned to both judges and trustees. In Chapter 7 cases, for example, the trustee is a quasi-judicial actor, typically a private-sector lawyer, who has been selected to audit the debtor's finances, find and liquidate assets, and police compliance with the law. We study three major bankruptcy jurisdictions (covering Chicago, Los Angeles, and parts of New York) and find that the random-assignment process for …