DePaul University College of Law Professor and Illinois Fellow Susan Bandes spoke with Law360 about her July 2021 journal article, “Empathy and Remote Legal Proceedings.” The essay, which was co-written by Quinnepac Law Professor Neal Feigenson and published in Southwestern Law Review, explores the effects of virtual courtroom proceedings on empathy toward litigants during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bandes explores such factors as technological glitches and “Zoom fatigue,” finding that, while such elements do not necessarily create negative feelings or attitudes toward litigants, they do subconsciously enhance those already present due to implicit bias.
Professor Bandes has been writing about the relationship between law and emotion for over 20 years. In addition to her 2000 book, The Passions of Law, she has been published in law reviews for institutions such as Yale, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. Her legal career began in the 1970’s when she started working for the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender and the Illinois ACLU before joining DePaul in 1984. The distinguished professor’s expertise also extends to civil rights law, federal jurisdiction, and criminal procedure.
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