Topics in Law and Economics

3 units

This seminar provides an advanced treatment of topics in law and economics. The course will cover the classic insights (the Coase theorem, liability and property rules, basic tort, contract, and property doctrines from an economic perspective). It will also tackle newer insights from the literature, including the application of game theory to settlement and the development of common law precedent. Each week class will involve a detailed discussion of two or three articles from the literature. The assignment will be a reaction to the readings, in the form of a two or three page essay. The essay might apply the insights to new matters or critique the application in the literature. No prior knowledge of economics or advanced math is required for this course.