Richard Zhu
Richard Zhu / Law, Data, Systems

Know what happened, where, and why.

I build careful tools for legal records, applied AI, personal data, maps, and the places that shape the work.

Public indexChicago / Evanston
1,591legal decisions
8,651public route points
47field frames
5formation chapters
LAWSeventh Circuit thesisdataset, models, PDFLUXPhotography galleryaurora, eclipse, city lightMAPTravel atlasJapan essay, planned postsABOUTFormation timelineBeijing, LA, Chicago
Legal data systems01 / WorkLegal data systems1,591 decisions / PDFs / methodsNotes and methods02 / WritingNotes and methodslaw / data / AI reviewPhotography gallery03 / LuxPhotography gallery47 photographsMap and route notes04 / TravelMap and route notes8,651 public route points
Public index

Five doors, one person.

Work holds artifacts. Lux is photography. Travel is the map and essays. Writing holds notes. About gives the formation.

1,591decisions
47photographs
8,651public route points
4notes
5formation chapters
Judicial disparities in Seventh Circuit appeals. preview
WorkEmpirical legal study
Seventh Circuit / Northwestern

Judicial disparities in Seventh Circuit appeals.

A 53-page thesis built from 1,591 sentencing appeals, with figures, model notes, and the full PDF available.

Seventh Circuit / Northwestern1,591decisions

A 53-page thesis built from 1,591 sentencing appeals, with figures, model notes, and the full PDF available.

datasetfiguresPDF
Open Work

Lux is only photographs: aurora, eclipse timing, city light, aircraft lines, museums, mountains, and weather.

auroraeclipsecity light
Open Lux

Travel keeps the route map and essays separate from photography, with 8,651 public route points and planned posts.

mapJapan essayfuture posts
Open Travel

Public versions of study notes and method outlines, separated from private class notes and unfinished notebooks.

constitutional lawmethodsaudit
Open Writing

Beijing, Los Angeles, ICBC, PSPL, federal defense, and Chicago in a compact timeline through institutions, habits, and work.

physicslawservice
Open About
Lead work

Judicial Disparities in Seventh Circuit Criminal Appeals

A 53-page empirical thesis on appellate sentencing review, built from a judge-identifying dataset of 1,591 decisions from 2020-2025.

1,591decisions
2020-25record window
3analysis tracks
Read the thesis
Judicial Disparities in Seventh Circuit Criminal Appeals figure
UCLA plasma labPSPL Biased Filter StudyAttorney-supervised AIPublic Defense AI PilotEvidence-linked decision systemI Ching Studio
Lux

A photography gallery, separate from travel.

Lux is the pure visual archive: aurora, eclipse, weather, city light, and route-adjacent frames without travel-blog scaffolding.

Open Lux
Aurora Palette over Door County, Winnetka, Illinois2025-11-11 / Winnetka, IllinoisAurora Palette over Door CountyKadena Line Checks, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan2024-12-19 / Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, JapanKadena Line ChecksBermudian Reef, Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda2024-11-29 / Horseshoe Bay, BermudaBermudian ReefMidnight Strawberry Harvest, Stroksnes, Nordland, Norway2024-07-12 / Stroksnes, Nordland, NorwayMidnight Strawberry Harvest
Formation

Formation across places and institutions.

NowBuilding systems that stay accountable.Evanston and Chicago2025Defense work raised the standard.Federal Defender Program, Chicago2024Finance made claims testable.ICBC, Beijing2023Los Angeles made physics tactile.UCLA PSPL; Los Angeles MissionHigh schoolThe early rooms were competitive and technical.BNU Experimental, Beijing