Summer School in Toulouse: Quantitative & AI Tools in ELS

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Empirical legal research systematically applies empirical methods to collect, generate, and analyze data, aiming to produce substantive insights into legal phenomena. This type of research encompasses a methodical approach to gathering both qualitative and quantitative data, ranging from court decision content and interview transcripts to statistical counts of case occurrences or imposed fines. The core objective is to employ empirical data to not only derive knowledge about the law and its practical application but also to rigorously test theories and hypotheses concerning legal rules, their operations and their effects. By integrating empirical methods, this research framework strives to illuminate the dynamics of law within society, offering a grounded understanding that supports theoretical exploration and hypothesis testing.

Inspired by methods used in the social and natural sciences, empirical legal research makes it possible to observe the behaviour of legal actors, gain a better understanding of how the law is produced and assess the impact of legal rules on reality. It can be used in all areas of law (private, public, history, etc.). It offers another way of describing and explaining the law and makes it possible to test hypotheses formulated by legal scholars. Its aim is also to contribute to an understanding of how the law operates in society.

Aimed at legal scholars and Phd students in law, its objective is to give them the ability to develop an empirical research project in the field of law. The summer school provides accessible training in empirical legal research methods, taught by two internationally renowned researchers: the lessons will be taught in pairs by Prof. Arthur Dyevre (KU Leuven University, Belgium) and Prof. Gijs van Dijck (Maastricht University, Netherlands).

LEVEL: Medium

METHOD: Quantitative

ABOUT THE LECTURERS:

PROFESSOR ARTHUR DYEVRE is a researcher, writer and educator. His current research interests include judicial decision making, deceptive persuasion, behavioural comparative law (COMPASS Project) and inter-group biases in litigation. He teaches at the KU Leuven, the European University Institute (AI & Law Summer School) and Université Toulouse Capitole (ELR Summer School). He was Principal Investigator of the ERC-funded EUTHORITY Project, which delved into the dynamics of conflict and cooperation within the EU’s multilevel legal system. His research lab in Leuven has promoted the use of empirical, experimental and machine learning methods in the legal field, organising inter alia the first two Conference in Empirical Legal Studies in Europe (CELS-E) in 2016 and 2018.

PROFESSOR GIJS VAN DIJCK integrates legal, empirical, and computational analysis in order to improve the description, application, understanding, and evaluation of the law. He has taught courses on tort law, contract law, property law, empirical legal research, and computational legal research. Gijs has published in top journals including the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies and the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. He has been a speaker at various events, including ones at Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Duke and Cornell. He was a visiting scholar at Stanford University in 2011

PREREQUISITES: This training programme is specifically designed for lawyers and law students with no experience in empirical research. No specific statistical or mathematical knowledge is required. Concepts and methods, including Python programming, are introduced in simple and intuitive terms with the help of multiple hands-on exercises. It is important to keep in mind that each session builds on the previous one. Therefore, “à la carte” participation is strongly discouraged. Participants must possess a computer with a stable WiFi connection. In-class exercises will be done through Google Colab. To use it, participants must have a Gmail address.

REGISTRATION FEE: 230 euros. Registration fees include welcoming cocktail, lunches, coffee breaks and a guided tour of the city of Toulouse. Registration is free for members of the Toulouse Capitole University.

APPLICATIONS: Applications must be sent to internationalisation@ut-capitole.fr before April 9, 2025 in the form of a CV and a letter setting out your motivation for attending the summer school. An answer will be provided before the mid-April to help you organise your stay in Toulouse.

More information: Summer School 2025 – Toulouse – AI & Quanti for Law

ELS Academy’s No-Show Policy:
Please note that the workshops are given by experts in the field who do this on a voluntary basis. Places are often limited and we have people on the waiting list. For this reason, the ELS Academy has a strict no-show policy. In case you are prevented from attending the workshop, kindly send an email to contact@elsacademy.nl at least 48 hours before the workshop to make space for people on the waiting list.

If you do not attend the workshop without prior cancellation, your supervisor will be informed about your no-show and you will not be able to register for another ELS Academy event for the next two months. This is also very unfortunate for us, however, it can be prevented if we receive a simple cancellation via e-mail.

Thank you for understanding and see you there!