J.J. Prescott is the Henry King Ransom Professor of Law at the University of Michigan. His research interests revolve around criminal law, sentencing law and reform, employment law, and the dynamics of civil litigation, particularly settlement. Much of his work is empirical in focus.
Featured Scholarship
"Beyond Plea Bargaining: A Theory of Criminal Settlement"
- Criminal Law
"Noncompete Agreements in the U.S. Labor Force"
- Labor and Employment Law
"Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study"
- Criminal Law
"The Behavioral Effects of (Unenforceable) Contracts"
- Labor and Employment Law
Discussant on Steven Shavell, “On the Law of the Household: The Principles Used by Parents in Disciplining their Children,” NBER Law and Economics Meetings, Cambridge, MA
Symposium: The Law of the People? Rethinking Criminal Justice through Virtual Spaces, Univ. of Illinois College of Law, online, “Criminal Law, ‘ODR,’ and the Potential of Online Procedures”
Berkeley Law School, Law and Economics Workshop, Berkeley, CA, “Subjective Beliefs about Contract Enforceability”
Univ. of Texas School of Law, Law and Economics Workshop, online, “Subjective Beliefs about Contract Enforceability”
Discussant on Megan T. Stevenson, “Cause, Effect, and the Structure of the Social World”, Duke Empirical Criminal Law Roundtable, online
American Law and Economics Association Annual Meetings, Univ. of Chicago, online, “Subjective Beliefs about Contract Enforceability”
Northwestern University IDEAL Workshop: Evaluation and Accountability: Technologies for Law, online, “Evaluating the Effects of Court-Technology Innovations”
Record Clearing Research Webinar (National Record Clearing Project, Community Legal Services – Philadelphia, online, Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study”
Discussant on Gilat Bachar, “The Psychology of Secret Settlements”, Dispute Resolution Works-in-Progress Consortium, online
Panel: “Legal Tech, A2J, and the Unrepresented” online, Stanford Law Legal Tech and the Future of Civil Justice Series, “Using ODR Platforms to Level the Playing Field: Improving Pro Se Litigation Through Technology
Panelist: Civil and Criminal Fines and Fees, online, Michigan Journal of Law Reform Symposium, “The Poverty Penalty: America’s Overuse of Fines and Fees
Discussant, “How to Reduce the Prison Population by X%,” Duke Empirical Criminal Law Roundtable
Panelist, “Record Clearing in 2020: Challenges and Opportunities,” at the National Legal Aid & Defender Association Conference
Discussant, “Specialization in Criminal Courts: An Evaluation of the Impact of Domestic Violence Courts in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee,” at the APPAM Annual Meetings
Panelist, Clean Slate Initiative Panel, National Expungement Week
Delivered, “Matterhorn: Technology, Access to Justice, and Democratizing American Courts,” the 2020 University of Michigan Distinguished Innovator Award Address
