Chronic pain is an issue that forensic economists are often called upon to value. However, some methods of valuing chronic pain are difficult for judges and juries to understand. One approach that is relatively easy for judges and juries to grasp is the subjective well-being valuation method,...

Apparently judges’ decisions are not motivated by maximizing their own profit. The literature uses two strategies to explain this observation: judges care about the long-term monetary consequences for themselves, or individuals who are more strongly motivated by the common good self-select...