Scientific strength is crucial to the field of legal epidemiology in several ways. Better research makes the field more attractive to new entrants, facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration, increases the chances the major health research funders will support investigation of law, and enhances the credibility of research results for informing policy. As the field moves forward, key areas for methodological improvement include disciplinary integration and interdisciplinary collaboration on the theoretical mechanisms and legal components of policy that matter for public health, development of research standards and tools, and better approaches to studying law in a social determinants framework.