Econometrics is a self-consciously empirical approach to economics that blends theory, measurement, and statistical techniques. Taking the same approach are academic jurists who belong to the empirical legal studies movement (See my posts of Oct. 23, 2005 regarding this discipline yet the dearth of academics who study law departments.).
Unfortunately, few academics have applied these disciplines to law departments (See my post of May 5, 2006 with some isolated examples.). My book Law Department Benchmarks: Myths, Metrics, and Management (Glasser LegalWorks 2nd Ed.2001), collects as many metrics as I could find, but it hardly qualifies as an empirical study of law departments. Journalists are not adept at theories, metrics, or statistics (See my post of Dec. 14, 2005 about journalists and their desire to spot “trends.”). Even consultants to law departments fall far short of this kind of research (See my post of April 5, 2005 about the demise of the Association of Law Department Consultants.).