Law and legal education are sitting at a crossroads. Bound by the requirement to teach the Priestley 11 subjects, law teaching tends to be doctrinally focused, emphasising legal rules, case law and legislation. But, at the same time, there is a growing emphasis on empirical legal research. Politicians, regulators and policy-makers are increasingly interested in studies examining the practical impact of law and regulation. Further, judges are being required to grapple with statistics and social science evidence in their decision-making. There is a growing need – and desire – for empirical legal research, and for lawyers who are empirically literate. Empirical literacy among legal practitioners and judges is becoming critical for securing access to justice. Legal education and the law curriculum must play its part in building the next generation of empirically literate advocates and scholars.

We can integrate empirical legal research into law teaching in a number of ways, including by:

• Developing subjects dedicated to empirical legal research or empirical methods

• Drawing on empirical scholarship to enrich teaching, including in core law subjects

• Including law students as researchers or research assistants in empirical legal projects

• Building capacity of academics to integrate empirical research in their teaching

Do you want to use empirical scholarship in your teaching but don't know where to start? Check out our resources for teachers.