Panel Three: The Civil Jury: Constitutional Liberty or Unhealthy Romance?

On October 24, 2019, The Federalist Society held its annual Third Circuit Chapters Conference. This panel debated the merits of civil juries.
The American civil jury has all but disappeared. Cases are rarely heard by juries, which might be a good thing: juries are expensive, time-consuming, and unpredictable. On the other hand, they are a constitutional right – in the federal constitution and all but two state constitutions – and there may be much value to keeping this right, notwithstanding the costs. Professors Philip Hamburger and Renee Lerner will debate the merits of the American civil jury.
Prof. Renée Lettow Lerner - Donald Phillip Rothschild Research Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School
Prof. Shanin Specter - Irving Segal Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School
Moderator: Hon. David J. Porter - U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Introduction: Alida Kass, The Federalist Society New Jersey Lawyers Chapter
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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.