What effects do laws 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 effects of laws, which are socially best? Such questions about the influence and desirability of laws have been investigated by legal scholars and economists in a new, rigorous, and systematic manner since the 1970s. Their approach, which is called economic, is widely considered to be intellectually compelling and to have revolutionized thinking about the law. In this book Steven Shavell provides an in-depth analysis and synthesis of the economic approach to the building blocks of our legal system, namely, property law, tort law, contract law, and criminal law. He also examines the litigation process as well as welfare economics and morality. Aimed at a broad audience, this book requires neither a legal background nor technical economics or mathematics to understand it. Because of its breadth, analytical clarity, and general accessibility, it is likely to serve as a definitive work in the economic analysis of law.

Lucid, comprehensive, and definitive in its field, this text covers every aspect of economic analysis of the law. Features: Two new chapters, one on intellectual property, one on international and comparative law, both exploding fields of great importance. Earlier editions' questions have been converted to answers, making the book more accessible and informative. Revised to be clearer and less technical. More eclectic, reflecting recent criticisms of "rational choice" theory, in particular the need to supplement it with insights from psychology. Greater attention paid to judicial behavior, realistically modeled and explained in economic terms. Incorporates insights from the veritable explosion of books and articles published in the last few years on economic analysis of law.

There is no book on the market that currently deals with the multifarious dimensions of law and economics to prepare students for the legal issues in law and economics, at home and abroad. It is unique because it incorporates all the main aspects of economics that are essential for the practice of law. It includes microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, finance, professional ethics, and international economics. The book has been written for all those who are interested in mastering the economic and financial theories that provide advantages in the analysis and practice of law and economics.

In this book, after an analysis of the liability system, we analyzed the effects of law enforcement by the courts and by insurers with respect to claims for damages arising from road accidents, in particular, the effects due to the variability of tort awards granted by courts for similar cases, as well as the effects due to judicial delay, which combined with the variability of tort awards granted by courts for similar cases, wich tend to decrease efficiencyleading to a lower level of care, especially for drivers, with consequences on a larger number of accidents and therefor in more deaths and injuries. This study seeks to highlight the importance of law enforcement, to the functioning of society in general and for the reduction of road accidents in particular. The tort system is an important instrument that can affect the number of accidents. A viable tort system should be able to contribute towards general deterrence while providing equitable compensation to accident victims.

Providing students with a solid grounding in the economic analysis of the law, this reader brings together edited versions of diverse and challenging journal articles into a unified collection. Chosen to provoke thought and discussion, these carefully streamlined articles apply economic theories to many aspects of the law, from intellectual property, corporate finance, and contracts to property rights, family law, and criminal law. Provides real-life examples and implications of economic theory. Creates a unified vision of the law, showing the interconnections between the various fields. Covers a broad range of topics, from intellectual property and corporate finance to family and criminal law. Encourages intuitive understanding and applications of the economic principles, due to reduced mathematical content.

This book examines the main issues arising in economic analysis of contract law with special attention given to the incomplete contracts. It discusses both the main features of contract law as they relate to the problem of economic exchange, and how the relevant legal rules and the institutions can be analysed from an economic perspective. Evaluate the welfare impacts, analyses the effects and the desirability of different breach remedies and examines the optimal incentive structure of party-designed liquidated damages under the different dimensions of informational asymmetry. Overall the book aims to contribute to the legal debate over the adoption of the specific breach remedies when the breach victim’s expectation interest is difficult to assess, and to the debate over courts' reluctance to implement large penalties in the event of breach of contracts.

This comprehensive textbook provides a thorough guide to the economic analysis of law, with a particular focus on civil law systems. It encapsulates a structured analysis and nuanced evaluation of norms and legal policies, using the tools of economic theory.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The Economic Impact Group (EIG) was created to support the work on the DCFR with insights from law and economics. It brings together a number of leading European law and economics scholars. The Group looked at the main elements of the DCFR with two questions in mind: from an economic perspective, is it sensible to harmonize private law across Europe for this specific element, and is the solution chosen in the DCFR optimal? This book presents the outcome of the work of the EIG. It deals with key issues such as the function of contract law, contract formation, good faith, non-discrimination, specific performance versus damages, standard contractual terms and consumer protection in contract law. The EIG complements the work of the drafters of the DCFR with insightful and critical assessments, based on the well-established law and economics literature.

Accident law, if properly designed, is capable of reducing the incidence of mishaps by making people act more cautiously. Since the 1960s, a group of legal scholars and economists have focused on identifying the effects of accident law on people's behavior. Steven Shavell’s book is the definitive synthesis of research to date in this new field.