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Christina L. Boyd

@theclboyd.bsky.social

5.3K followers 400 following 96 posts

Prof @ WashULaw @ WUSTLPoliSci | Studies judicial behavior & diversity; trial courts; empirical legal studies | Views my own

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Reposted by Christina L. Boyd

Institute for Social Research (ISR) - University of Michigan @umisr.bsky.social · Jul 16

Now on Bluesky: University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR)! We’re a leading social science research institution, with studies on politics, health, inequality, and economic behavior. Follow for research highlights, behind-the-scenes looks, and insights from our scholars!

#Science

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 25

The research provides important insights into criminal adjudications in the U.S. and includes "expanding, testing, and disseminating novel plea-simulation software designed for both research and educational purposes."
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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 25

File this under "cool research" . . . In 2019, the NSF funded Wilford's CAREER grant "A system of pleas: Using a role-playing simulation to test plea decision models."
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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 20

Current SCDB flat data files (along with lots more info on the SCDB) are here: scdb.la.psu.edu

Online queryable data--one of my personal favorite features of the modern SCBD--are available through 2023 here: scdb.wustl.edu/analysis.php

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Home | Supreme Court Database

The Supreme Court Database is the definitive source for researchers, students, journalists, and citizens interested in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Database contains over two hundred pieces of informat...

scdb.la.psu.edu

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 20

The SCDB contains 247 pieces of info across 6 categories of variables: identifiers, background, chronological, substantive, outcome, and voting/opinion.

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Reposted by Tiffany D. Barnes

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 20

The database "is a comprehensive, public, multi-user data resource containing information about every case decided by the United States Supreme Court from its first decision in 1791 to today."

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 20

After a little STL tornado delay...let's get back to highlighting some great NSF-sponsored projects.

Today's highlight has significant STL connections and has made multiple generations of scholarship (and journalism and teaching) better: The U.S. Supreme Court Database (SCDB)

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Reposted by Tiffany D. Barnes

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 15

Today's NSF Funding Highlight: The many dissertation improvement grants (and equivalents) funded by the NSF. These grants are small in size but help launch research agendas & careers. These awards=a better dissertation in scope and design. #LowCostHighImpact

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 15

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 14

The really great news? Avraham continues to update the database today! See papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... and links within.

#LowCostHighImpact 4/4

Database of State Tort Law Reforms (7.1)

This manuscript of the DSTLR (7th) updates the DSTLR (6th) and contains the most detailed, complete and comprehensive legal dataset of the most prevalent tort r

papers.ssrn.com

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 14

The data have been frequently used and cited, with an impact that extends from scholars to policymakers to journalists. 3/

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 14

The data record things like details on the reform, whether juries are allowed to be informed of it, how state courts responded to the reform, and whether it was amended by the state legislature. 2/

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 14

Today's NSF Funding Highlight: In 2006, state tort reform was hugely salient, and that continues to endure. Avraham's "Database of State Tort Law Reforms" yielded a state-by-state database tracking state and DC laws. 1/

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

Users of the manual include judges (federal and state) but also attorneys, legal scholars, and law students (and likely many more). 4/4 #LowCostHighImpact

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

Coverage includes important but highly technical topics like DNA identification and genetic testing, expert testimony, statistical models, survey research, economic damages calculation, toxicology, and more. 3/

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

This project brings together a "committee of 10-12 members representing...legal and scientific/ engineering/ medical communities" to partner with the Federal Judicial Center to develop an updated "science for judges" manual. 2/

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Reposted by Tiffany D. Barnes

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

Today's NSF Funded Research Highlight: 2021's "Science for Judges-Development of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, 4th Ed." by Mazza. Scientific evidence is everywhere in courts today. NSF funding of scientific evidence evaluation improves court processes & outcomes. 1/

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

The project uses jury simulations to "examine jurors' and juries' sensitivity to strong versus weak scientific information presented in court" and whether safeguards can improve jurors' inferences from scientific information. 3/3

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

As the investigators note, jurors are "non-experts who do not possess the necessary tools to differentiate between weak and strong scientific information when making decisions." 2/

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

NSF Funded Research Highlight of the Day: 2017's "Jurors' Use of Scientific Information" by Neal, Gervais, & Schweitzer. The project "addresses fundamental Qs about how humans reason w/ & make inferences & decisions based on the quality of relevant scientific data" w/ jurors. 1/

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

I'll feature recent & older grants. Some by people I know, some by folks I have never met. I will start in the law & science area but over time may veer beyond that. I'll use data on grants archived by the NSF, w/ titles, names, and abstracts sourced from there. 4/4

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

The projects yield publicly-available datasets that go on to serve as the backbone for books & articles & introduce students & policymakers to powerful new ways to think in depth about judges, lawyers, litigants, defendants, policies, & more. 3/

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

These funded projects are/were often low cost & high impact, tackling significant legal research Qs that help to better society, shape future practices & processes in courts, inform us on public opinion & policy effectiveness, & impact litigants. 2/

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Reposted by Tiffany D. Barnes, Jeff Carter

Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 12

In the small way that I can--via posts on here in the coming weeks--I want to highlight/celebrate some important NSF-funded projects (& resulting societal knowledge) over the years. 1/

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Reposted by Christina L. Boyd

Pat Sobkowski @patsobkowski.com · May 10

Richard Posner holding his cat. Priceless.

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Reposted by John W. Williams, Andrew R. Morral, Christina L. Boyd , and 1 more John W. Williams, Andrew R. Morral, Christina L. Boyd, Philip Bell

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · May 10

1. After getting some further insight into changes at NSF (thanks to those who reached out), I deleted a previous post where I tried to make sense of Cheatham's memo as reported in the Science story below.

NSF slashes number of ‘rotators’ and well-paid managers as part of restructuring

Smaller future budgets will require fewer people, NSF official tells staff

www.science.org

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Reposted by Christina L. Boyd

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · May 9

From the Supreme Court: Retired Justice David Souter died yesterday at the age of 85.

Supreme Qourt of the United States Washington, D. 4. 2054g
OFFICE OF
PUBLIC INFORMATION
For Immediate Release
May 9, 2025
For Further Information Contact:
Patricia McCabe (202) 479-3211
Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, David H. Souter, died peacefully yesterday at home in New Hampshire. He was 85 years old. Justice Souter was appointed to the Court by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, and retired in 2009, after serving more than 19 years on the Court.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. said of Justice Souter: "Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service. After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for more than a decade. He will be greatly missed."
Justice Souter was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on September 17, 1939. He graduated from Harvard College, from which he received his A.B. After two years as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, he received an A.B. in Jurisprudence from Oxford University and an M.A. in 1963. After receiving an LL.B. from Harvard Law School, he was an associate at Orr and Reno in Concord, New Hampshire, from 1966 to 1968, when he became an Assistant Attorney General of New Hampshire. In 1971, he became Deputy Attorney General and in 1976, Attorney General of New Hampshire. In 1978, he was named an Associate Justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire, and was appointed to the Supreme Court of New Hampshire as an Associate Justice in 1983. He became a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on May 25, 1990.
In addition to hearing cases on the First Circuit, Justice Souter participated in civics education curriculum reform efforts in New Hampshire during his retirement.

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Reposted by Richard E. Lenski, Sarah J. Schoppe‐Sullivan, Lauren Hersch Nicholas , and 2 more Richard E. Lenski, Sarah J. Schoppe‐Sullivan, Lauren Hersch Nicholas, Christina L. Boyd, P. David Polly

Dr. Suzanne Le Menestrel @drsl.bsky.social · May 2

The Spencer Foundation is offering rapid response bridge funding for those who lost NSF research grants.

www.spencer.org/grant_types/...

Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program

In the face of recent abrupt shifts in federal funding for education research, including large-scale terminations of National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant awards, we have developed a rap...

www.spencer.org

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Christina L. Boyd @theclboyd.bsky.social · May 2

Have I had my own disappointments at the Administrative Office and Judicial Conference not turning over data? Sure.

But the solution is definitely not declaring them them part of the Executive Branch.

Robert Maguire @robertmaguire.bsky.social · May 2

Think tank founded by Stephen Miller is suing to Chief Justice Roberts and the office that administers the judiciary, asking a judge to give the White House control over much of the federal court system.

Trump Allies Sue John Roberts To Give White House Control Of Court System

Close allies of President Trump are asking a judge to give the...

talkingpointsmemo.com

Reposted by Christina L. Boyd

Robert Maguire @robertmaguire.bsky.social · May 2

Trump Allies Sue John Roberts To Give White House Control Of Court System

Close allies of President Trump are asking a judge to give the...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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