“I am pleased to congratulate Professor Chris Jaeger on being named co-winner of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Scholarly Paper Competition,” said Dean Jeremy Counseller. “The AALS is a leading organization in legal education with a long history of recognizing exceptional scholarship. This recognition by the AALS highlights the quality and impact of Professor Jaeger’s work and underscores his substantial contributions to the legal academy. It also reflects the intellectual rigor and strength of Baylor Law School’s faculty, of which I am immensely proud.”Jaeger’s research addresses a core issue in tort law: how lay jurors interpret the idea of “reasonableness.” In his research, Jaeger conducted five experiments with participants evaluating fictitious tort cases to assess how well two dominant legal theories—the Hand Formula and Kantian theory—align with lay perceptions. The study revealed that while both theories capture aspects of juror reasoning, neither fully encapsulates their decision-making processes. Notably, Jaeger’s work is the first to empirically demonstrate that Kantian theory—which prioritizes autonomy over cost-benefit analysis—captures significant aspects of jurors’ reasonableness judgments, providing subtlety to how reasonableness should be interpreted both in theory and practice.
“As a junior scholar, this recognition is both humbling and motivating,” Jaeger said. “It’s encouraging to know that my research contributes to broader conversations about tort law and the practical application of legal theory.”
This award also highlights the dynamic role of research at Baylor Law School, where faculty scholarship bridges theory and practice. By examining how jurors perceive legal arguments, Jaeger’s work equips Baylor Law School students with a deeper understanding of effective advocacy in real-world cases.
Professor Jaeger’s research continues to expand, with upcoming projects exploring additional theories of reasonableness and their implications for tort law. His dedication to advancing the field exemplifies Baylor Law’s commitment to producing scholarship that informs legal practice and enriches the academic community.