Social Science in Law: Cases and Materials

This title offers an engaging and comprehensive overview of how American courts use research and testimony from the social sciences in reaching their decisions. It is organized around Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the United States Supreme Court’s landmark decision on scientific evidence, and the series of recent cases beginning with Roper v. Simmons in which the Court explicitly relied on social science evidence to transform the process of criminal sentencing. The tenth edition offers a completely revised and up-to-date treatment of the increasingly critical role social science research plays in both federal and state judicial opinions.