Courses 2009 - 2010
Law A561 Law and Economics
Offered: [Spring]
Credits: 3-4 Variable
Q: Should tobacco companies be liable for smokers' healthcare costs?
Q: Can anti-discrimination laws increase business productivity?
Q: Should we replace patent laws with government rewards?
Law and Economics (L&E) confronts these challenges by identifying how to design legal rules that provide the greatest good to the greatest number. L&E principles can also take into account considerations such as discrimination and unequal wealth distribution in evaluating what's best for society. We will examine applications of L&E to: intellectual property, tobacco litigation, employment discrimination, automobile accident law, land use regulation, nuisance law, contract law and criminal law. All students welcome (economics background NOT necessary).
(Summer 2009: 3 credits; Spring 2010: 4 credits)