The Erasmus Centre of Empirical Legal Studies (ECELS) is the home of empirical legal research at Erasmus School of Law and provides support and opportunities for empirical legal studies. ECELS is embedded within the nation-wide sectoral plan for legal science and is working in close collaboration with the Netherlands Academy of Empirical Legal Studies.
Our vision
Legal research is increasingly dealing with questions that require empirical answers, such as how law works circumstances and what the effect of a policy, a legal rule or a social phenomenon is on individual, social or economic outcomes. Empirical legal studies comprise different methods, including qualitative methods (e.g., observations, interviews, and document analysis), as well as quantitative methods (e.g., experiments, analysis of existing data using different research designs, computational legal analysis, surveys). The goal of ECELS is to complement and build bridges between empirical legal studies and traditional legal research.
ECELS’ mission is to build a thriving empirical legal studies community at Erasmus School of Law by promoting and supporting empirical legal studies in education and in research, both at Erasmus School of Law and in the Netherlands. ECELS connects like-minded researchers to advance their knowledge and to foster cooperation and provides training and educational support for those embarking on empirical legal studies for the first, second or umpteenth time. ECELS furthermore aspires to stimulate and support interdisciplinary empirical legal studies collaborations.
ECELS Events
ECELS organizes events for both experienced empirical legal studies scholars as well as for legal scholars at various levels of understanding of empirical legal studies. Both experienced empirical scholars as well traditional legal scholars have a great deal to gain from participating in ECELS’ activities. By interacting with legal experts with broad and deep expertise in legal institutions and mechanisms, empirical scholars can bolster the practical relevance of their research. Likewise, traditional legal researchers can learn how to correctly interpret empirical insights for their domain, identify their strengths and weaknesses and even start designing empirical legal studies themselves
For our events please follow us on LinkedIn.
Monthly Pre-Analysis Seminars
In these monthly events, ELS researchers get the chance to present their research design and get feedback before collecting the data. After the researcher presents their research idea and design, participants with different backgrounds (Law and Economics, Criminology, European Law) are brainstorming to improve the design and the way forward.
Monthly Pre-Analysis Seminars
In these monthly events, ELS researchers get the chance to present their research design and get feedback before collecting the data. After the researcher presents their research idea and design, participants with different backgrounds (Law and Economics, Criminology, European Law) are brainstorming to improve the design and the way forward.
ELS Academy Research School Annual Event, 10-11 October 2024
This year the Annual Event is organized by Erasmus Center of Empirical Legal Studies. The objective of the ELS Academy Research School Event is to bring together early-career and senior researchers in the field of Empirical Legal Studies. The event provides participants with the opportunity to learn about new ELS research topics and methods, develop their academic and professional networks, and improve their research based on feedback from their peers and senior scholars. With these objectives in mind, we are honoured to host Prof. Lee Epstein – a pioneering scholar of Empirical Legal Studies – as the keynote speaker to this event.The conference will include a lecture, as well as a short methods workshop by Prof. Lee Epstein, a workshop on ethics and data, an expert panel on measurement issues, and panel sessions where early career-scholars can present their research to an international and interdisciplinary audience.honouredhere. to host Prof. Lee Epstein – a pioneering scholar of Empirical Legal Studies – as the keynote speaker to this event. The conference will include a lecture, as well as a short methods workshop by Prof. Lee Epstein, a workshop on ethics and data, an expert panel on measurement issues, and panel sessions where early career-scholars can present their research to an international and interdisciplinary audience. Further information about the event can be found here.
Fifth Sector Plan PhD Day, 4 June 2024
The final edition in the 2023–2024 series, bringing together PhD researchers from the Dutch Sector Plan for Law. PhDs funded under the Sector plan presented part of their research and received feedback from other PhDs and faculty members. PhDs also had the time to ask the group and the discussants some questions on how to improve (from any perspective) their research.
Monthly Pre-Analysis Seminars
In these monthly events, ELS researchers get the chance to present their research design and get feedback before collecting the data. After the researcher presents their research idea and design, participants with different backgrounds (Law and Economics, Criminology, European Law) are brainstorming to improve the design and the way forward.
ELS Workshop: At the Crossroads of Experimental Law & Economics, 22 March 2023
Farewell workshop for Prof. Christoph Engel, featuring empirical research at the intersection of law and economics.
Second Sector Plan PhD Day, 23 January 2023
Organised by ELS Academy & Erasmus School of Law. PhD researchers presented ongoing work and received feedback from peers and faculty.
Third Sector Plan PhD day, 31 May 2023
PhD researchers from the “Rebalancing Public & Private Interests” and “Empirical Legal Studies” research lines from the Dutch Sector Plan for Law of both Erasmus School of Law met for the second-time at Erasmus School of Law to share their research.
Fourth Sector Plan PhD day 23 December 2023
PhDs funded under the Sector plan presented part of their research and received feedback from other PhDs and faculty members. PhDs also had the time to ask the group and the discussants some questions on how to improve (from any perspective) their research.
First Sector Plan PhD Day, 8 June 2022
PhD researchers from the “Rebalancing Public & Private Interests” and “Empirical Legal Studies” research lines from the Dutch Sector Plan for Law of both Erasmus School of Law and the faculty of Law of the University Groningen met for the first-time at Erasmus School of Law to share their research and explore possibilities of further collaboration. The PhD candidates’ thought-provoking presentations were followed by questions and a sparkling discussion with other PhDs, postdoctoral researchers, professors, and chairs from the sector plan. The good outcome of this workshop pilot lays out the basis for future PhD days with the involvement of a larger audience from both universities.
On the Crossroads of Law and Economics: Experimental Approaches (hybrid), June 30th, 2022
At The Crossroad of Law and Economics Workshops (Erasmus School of Law-Erasmus School of Economics)
ECELS organizes bi-annual workshops in cooperation with the Erasmus School of Economics. The theme of the workshop varies, but in the centre is always a legally relevant question which is mainly researched though empirical methods, but sometimes also providing a stronger theoretical analysis. Every workshop brings together researchers from a variety of fields (law, economics, psychology etc.) and leads to stimulating discussions. Past workshops covered topic such as health care regulations, and criminal justice systems. Applied methods were experimental, econometrics, computational, etc. The workshops are open for a wide audience.
Upcoming (online) event December 3, 2021: Crime and Computational Methods (for registration click here).