Abstract
How do legal scholars decide which research questions to pursue and prioritize? We surveyed law professors (n=517) from leading universities across the English-speaking world to document the legal academy’s views on the prioritization of research questions according to “importance.” Our survey specified “importance” both narrowly and broadly. Narrowly, we asked descriptive and normative questions about the process of prioritizing research questions that, if worked on, would positively affect the long-term future of humanity. Broadly, we asked descriptive and normative questions about the process of prioritizing research questions primarily according to ethical importance, leaving further details unspecified. This article documents our survey results and discusses implications for the future of Legal Priorities Research, a research program focused on conducting legal research that tackles the world's most pressing problems.
