معرفی
Crystal S. Yang is the Bennett Boskey Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, where she co-directs the Crime Working Group. She holds joint expertise as an economist and attorney with a focus on empirical law and economics research.
Professor Yang's educational background includes an A.B. in Economics (summa cum laude) and A.M. in Statistics from Harvard University (2008), followed by a J.D. (magna cum laude) and Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University (2013). She was a John M. Olin and Terence M. Considine Fellow at Harvard Law School and received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Her research focuses on criminal justice, algorithmic fairness, racial bias in the justice system, and healthcare in correctional facilities. She has published extensively in top economics journals and law reviews, with her work being featured in major media outlets including the New Yorker, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, and cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. Her recent scholarship has examined pretrial detention effects, algorithmic decision-making in bail systems, and the healthcare crisis in U.S. jails.
Professor Yang's work demonstrates consistent themes across her publications: examining racial disparities in criminal justice outcomes, analyzing the economic consequences of pretrial detention, and developing frameworks for assessing algorithmic fairness in judicial decision-making. Her interdisciplinary approach combines economic methodology with legal analysis to address pressing issues in criminal justice reform.
- American Law Institute's Early Career Scholars Medal
- Harvard Law School's Sacks-Freund Award for Teaching Excellence
- John M. Olin Prize
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Professor Yang previously served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts (2014-2015). Her teaching includes Criminal Law and Quantitative Reasoning courses at Harvard Law School, where she brings her empirical research expertise to legal education.
