Economic Foundations of Law

The third edition of Economic Foundations of Law introduces readers to the economic analysis of the major areas of the law: property law, torts, contracts, criminal law, civil procedure, corporation law and financial markets, taxation, and labor law. No prior knowledge of law is required, but a prior course in the principles of microeconomics would be quite helpful.

The text opens with a review of the basic principles of price theory and an overview of the legal system, to ensure readers are equipped with the tools necessary for economic analysis of the law. The third edition provides expanded or new coverage of key topics including intellectual property law, how the creation of new forms of property rights affects the conservation of species such as elephants and fish, controversies involving liability for medical malpractice and class actions, the transformation of personal injury litigation by the intervention of insurance companies as plaintiffs, how to predict the outcome of litigation with game theory, an economic analysis of the ownership and use of guns, bankruptcy law, and the economics of bank regulation.

Comprehensive and well-written, this text is a compelling introduction to law and economics that is accessible to both economics and law students.

Stephen J. Spurr is a Professor of Economics at Wayne State University, USA. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago. His primary research interests are in the areas of labor economics and economic analysis of law. He has published many articles in highly ranked economics and law journals.