What effects does Law have? Do
individuals drive more cautiously, clear ice
from sidewalks more diligently, and commit
fewer crimes because of the threat of legal
sanctions? Do corporations pollute less,
market safer products, and obey contracts to
avoid suit? And given the effect of legal rules,
which are socially best? Such questions about
the influence and desirability of laws have been
investigated by legal scholars and economists
in a rigorous and systematic manner since the
1970s. Their approach, labeled “economic,” is
widely considered to be intellectually important
and to have revolutionized thinking about the
Law. This course will provide an in-depth
analysis of the major building blocks of our
legal system: Tort Law, Property Law, Contract
Law, Criminal Law, and the legal process. The
course will also address welfare economic
versus moral conceptions of the social good.
The course is aimed at a general audience
of students. A non-economic background is
required to take this course.
Language of Instruction: English (legal terms,
however, are also given in Arabic and French).