Behavioral Law and Economics – 6856

This seminar will cover the basic concepts in the field of Behavioral Law and Economics. It will trace the history of the field, starting from its beginnings, as a criticism of the then-accepted Law and Economics paradigm, to its present importance in analyses of law. After exploring the history and basic concepts, this seminar will focus on applications in the realm of law and policy -- contexts in which a behavioral law and economics lens helps us understand societal problems and formulate possible solutions. Each student will be required to prepare an introduction, discussion questions, a list of readings, and a summary, for one of the "application" classes, and a summary for two of the others.   The introduction lays out the main positions in the debate; the questions are ones that could elicit discussion in the class; the summary is the student's answer to the question post-class, based on what went on in class.