In May, Valerie P. Hans, the Charles F. Rechlin Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, was awarded the 2025 Harry J. Kalven, Jr. Prize by the Law and Society Association. The Kalven Prize recognizes empirical scholarship that has most effectively advanced research in law and society.

Valerie Hans

Hans, one of the world’s leading authorities on the jury system, was recognized for her groundbreaking body of research on lay participation in legal decision-making around the globe. In its award announcement, the Law & Society Association stated that Hans “exemplifies the Association’s aspiration to study legal developments as they emerge and transform, and are transformed by, the institutional and cultural contexts in which they emerge.”

The Law & Society Association highlighted Hans’s foundational work with Neil Vidmar on the American jury and her more recent real-time, multi-method research documenting the rise of jury trials in Argentina, crediting her with capturing a key moment of legal transformation as it unfolded. Hans and her collaborators have documented how the introduction of jury trials has prompted major shifts in legal procedure, including a transition from a paper-based civil law tradition to public, oral proceedings. As their research has shown, despite the new demands on judges, lawyers, and jurors, the jury system has been well received. “Professor Hans deserves the credit for ensuring that we did not miss the opportunity to capture an important piece of legal evolution in real time,” the Association stated.

“Among his many contributions to law and legal scholarship, Harry Kalven, Jr. coauthored the 1966 book The American Jury, which jumpstarted empirical jury research,” said Hans. “I read the book early in my career. It influenced me deeply and I continue to cite it in my current writings. So to receive this award that is named after him is an incredible honor.”

The Association praised Hans for her prolific and ongoing scholarly contributions to law and society, noting not only her influential publications but also her mentorship and collaborative leadership. As co-organizer of one of the Association’s most successful Collaborative Research Networks, on Lay Participation in Legal Decision-Making, she has worked with scholars worldwide and helped pioneer new methods for studying legal institutions.

Trained as a social scientist, Hans has lectured internationally on juries and jury reform. She is the author or editor of 10 books and over 150 research articles. Her research continues to shape debates about citizen participation in the justice system and the role of empirical methods in legal scholarship.