C. Law and Economics

The fall Colloquium in Law and Economics analyzes six new working papers by a diverse group of leading scholars of law and economics. We spend two sessions on each paper. During the first session, we discuss the paper and background literature. These sessions are each guided by a group of students who present and critique the paper's questions, methods, and conclusions. During the second session, the author visits our class to present and respond to questions about the paper, and we are joined by other law faculty and members of the Columbia community. Students are expected to participate in these discussions. Students also write several response papers during the term, which review and critique the working papers. Final grades are based on students' response papers, presentations, and in-class participation. There are no formal prerequisites for this seminar. Although a background in economics and/or statistics may be helpful, it is not expected, and students who are curious and willing to work hard are encouraged to enroll.