Enhancing Methods of  Citation Analysis

The Legal Citation Lab at UNB Law is dedicated to studying judicial decision-making, legal influence, and the development of case law through citation analysis.

 

The Lab's principal aim is to explore how courts across jurisdictions and over time use citation practices to build legal meaning and authority. While grounded in Canadian common law traditions, our research recognizes the global relevance of key cases—such as Donoghue v Stevenson—and investigates how these precedents travel and evolve across legal systems.

 

Our research team focuses on tracking and interpreting the legal impact of landmark cases by examining where, how, and by whom they are cited. We undertake empirical, doctrinal, and comparative research highlighting patterns in appellate reasoning, citation frequency, and judicial dialogue between courts at different levels and jurisdictions.

 

The Lab also contributes to broader discussions about access to legal knowledge. Our work includes recovering and publicizing historical Supreme Court of Canada decisions and developing citation resources that support legal education and scholarship.

 

In an era of accelerating legal information technologies, we are also attuned to the challenges and opportunities posed by digital tools, AI, and data visualization in studying legal influence. These tools offer new ways of mapping how law develops within Canada and the Commonwealth.

 

The Legal Citation Lab was launched at the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law in 2024 under the direction of Professor John Kleefeld. It continues to grow as a collaborative space for students, scholars, and legal practitioners interested in the evolving nature of legal authority, precedent, and scholarly impact.