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STUDENTS > Curricular Programs > Law & Economics > Courses >
Offered each fall and spring
Course Description
This seminar will provide students with an opportunity to discuss ongoing research in the economic analysis of law. At each session, an invited speaker (from Berkeley or elsewhere) will present work in progress, and then take questions from students and faculty in the audience. Speakers include prominent scholars in the field of law and economics from around the nation and the world. A schedule of speakers will be posted on the Program in Law & Economics website. The seminar is normally offered in the fall and the spring. Enrollment in either or both semesters is permitted. There are no prerequisites, but some familiarity with economic reasoning is required. Law 251.31 (Introduction to Law and Economics) is especially good background.
Course Requirements
There is no exam. However, students are required to submit memos on the papers presented. A student must write memos on at least 5 of the papers presented, and over the course of the semester the student must submit memos totalling 25 double-spaced pages. Each memo should consist of 1-3 comments. A comment might, for example, identify weaknesses in the arguments presented; discuss issues and problems that the paper raises or misses; or explain the student's views on subjects or positions presented in the paper. The comment should have a heading indicating its main point. The heading should be in question form (e.g., "does the author miss X?"). Sample student memos have been posted to the web.
Some of the papers might be difficult to understand. If a student feels stumped by a particular paper, s/he has three choices. (1) The student can look at the introduction and conclusion to get a sense of what the paper is saying, and then write comments relating to the general claims it makes. (2) The student can focus on a part, a section, or even one or two paragraphs of the paper, and use that material as a basis for several pages of comments. (One can say interesting things about a paper without being able to understand every equation, or even every part of the paper.) (3) The student can choose not to write comments on that paper.
Students should send an electronic copy of their memo (in Word) via e-mail by 9:00am on the day of the seminar. Only memos submitted by the deadline will count toward fulfilling the course requirement. Papers presented at the Workshop will be posted to our website at repositories.cdlib.org/berkeley_law_econ/ approximately one week in advance. You can also pick up a printed version of the paper in Simon 793. Questions about the delivery of memos or the availability of speaker papers can be addressed to Ida Ng (642-5406) in Simon 793.
Students are expected to attend the sessions regularly and to participate in the discussion (even if they are writing memos on only 5 of the papers).
Grading
Grades will depend on written work and class participation. Students turning in comments indicating that they've read the paper will receive at least a P. Students who wish to earn more than a P must put in more thought and effort. We generally do not provide individualized feedback during the course of the semester.
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