Competencies of the area of statistics in legal research

Abstract

The activity carried out by legal institutions in societies as an expression of social and human realities, demands the understanding of these for the construction of a fair and equitable legal order, which contributes to generate progress, development and individual and social welfare. Achieving this understanding and promoting the generation of knowledge requires that the training offered by universities to future legal professionals emphasizes training for research as an instrument for generating knowledge, providing them with solid competencies and contributing to their education as ethical citizens; cultivating critical and independent thinking and the capacity for lifelong learning. Based on these premises, the paper proposes a reflection on research in the legal field and the unavoidable training of law students in competencies related to the application of statistical techniques and tools to social facts, to measure them, deduce laws that govern them and make predictions. As a condition to carry out legal research, creating rigorous knowledge and validity to analyze and explain material and human facts that determine the social structure.