معرفی
Crystal Yang is a Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where she has been a faculty member since 2014 and was promoted to full professor in 2019. Her research focuses on empirical law and economics, with particular emphasis on criminal justice reform, consumer bankruptcy, and immigration policy. She holds concurrent affiliations as a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and serves as Director of the American Law and Economics Association.
Yang's academic credentials include:
- A.B. in Economics (summa cum laude) and A.M. in Statistics from Harvard University (2008)
- Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University (2013), supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
- J.D. from Harvard Law School (2013), magna cum laude, where she received the John M. Olin Prize
Her research employs rigorous empirical methods to analyze systemic inequities in criminal justice, particularly racial bias in bail decisions and the economic consequences of pretrial detention. Recent work examines the spillover effects of immigration enforcement on safety net usage and algorithmic decision-making in judicial contexts. Yang's findings have directly influenced policy debates, class-action lawsuits, and Supreme Court deliberations.
Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals consistent focus on criminal justice reform with expanding scope into health care access in correctional facilities and labor market impacts of criminal records. Her work increasingly integrates algorithmic analysis with traditional empirical methods, demonstrating how data-driven approaches can expose systemic biases while proposing evidence-based solutions.
Yang has received significant recognition including:
- John M. Olin Prize at Harvard Law School
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
As a dedicated educator, she mentors Harvard Law students in empirical research methods and has taught courses on empirical criminal law. Her scholarship has been featured in major media outlets including The New Yorker, New York Times, and The Economist, demonstrating real-world policy impact. Current projects include evaluating jail rehabilitation programs and health care accreditation systems.
Yang maintains active professional engagement through her NBER affiliation and leadership roles in the American Law and Economics Association, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between legal scholars and economists.
