Research Paper for
Senior Seminar in Law and Economics
| You have two options for your course research paper: | |
| 1. | Research a court case that you select under any of the categories covered by Posner in Economic Analysis of Law. You should discuss the case itself, place it in the context of related precedents, and consider its implications. In particular you should apply the concepts of law and economics to help you assess the case. |
| 2. | Research a legal issue related to a law topic from the Posner text and how the approach to that issue has evolved over time or how it differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, you might contrast the legal approach to water rights in Eastern versus Western states or differential patent protection for pharmaceuticals in developed versus lesser developed countries. Your reference list for this option might include legal cases, legal codes and/or the professional literature in law and economics. |
| Whichever option you choose, the following guidelines apply: | |
| 1. | Your paper must be typewritten and double-spaced with standard margins and fonts (preferably Times New Roman, 12 point). |
| 2. | Your paper should be about 12 pages long, and it cannot exceed 15 pages. |
| 3. | Consider your audience to be an intelligent reader, such as a lawyer, who can understand carefully presented economic analysis but who is not necessarily trained in economics. You should make use of economic reasoning but avoid economic jargon. |
| 4. | Be sure to include discussion of course concepts, readings and cases that are appropriate to your topic. |
| 5. | You may include and discuss diagrams in a "technical" appendix, but you should not include them or refer to them in the body of your paper. |
| 6. | I will evaluate your paper in terms of the quality of your research, your analysis, and your writing. |
| 7. | Attach to the end of your paper a second copy of your reference list, with your paper title typed at the top. |
| Tip: How to find a case | |
| 1. | Browse to the Oxy library website. |
| 2. | Click the "Databases" dropdown menu option and select LexisNexis. |
| 3. | Click the "Legal" tab |
| 4. | Look for the list of links at the right under the category called "Legal Searches" and click "Federal & State Cases" |
| Online resources | |
| Sample paper: Injury, Death, and the Tort System | |