The law of attraction: How similarity between judges and lawyers helps win cases in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal

Abstract

This article examines a new dimension of similarity, namely education and workplace similarity between lawyers and judges, and its impact on judicial outcomes. It builds on the similarity literature in law and economics, and uses the case study of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal to explore whether judges tend to decide in favor of parties represented by lawyers who are “similar” to them in terms of shared educational backgrounds or workplaces. Our findings show that lawyers who are more similar to judges perform significantly better in terms of winning cases. This association remains when controlling for lawyer, judge, and panel effects. The results point to the importance of social interactions inside and outside the courtroom on judicial decision-making, and prompt reflection regarding court design.