The Law & Economics Center has launched a series of programs to examine what has been named the “Law & Political Economy Project” (LPE) by its founders at Yale Law School. The LEC programs will evaluate the challenges the LPE Project makes to the findings and utility of law and economics scholarship and the challenges it makes to the basic tenets of free markets and capitalism.

One new format in this series is the LEC’s Seminar on the Law & Political Economy Project, for which we have planned two iterations that will welcome 15 academic scholars at each.  Participants will engage in roundtable discussions grounded on a diverse set of readings from, and in discourse with, the LPE Project and its network of scholars.

One underlying question: Does abundance obtain only by adherence to a paradigm that sets the conditions for human flourishing through following basic tenets of free markets, capitalism, the rule of law, individual freedom, equality of economic opportunity, and neutral resolution of disputes, enforcement of rights, and recognition of private ordering from an independent judiciary?

Or, are these institutions and principles instead roadblocks to progress and flourishing, as the growing LPE Project maintains?  An excerpt from Yale’s LPE Project website demonstrates that it seeks to promote scholarship that is highly critical of markets, capitalism, and classical liberal values.

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Newly-developed programming from the Law & Economics Center – like this first-of-its-kind seminar – seeks to create environments for insightful analysis exploring these concerns.

Each Seminar on the Law & Political Economy Project will involve intensive discussion on the scholarly work from the LPE Project, from the literature that is challenged by the LPE Project, and from emerging literature that challenges the LPE Project.  All accepted participants will be sent a packet of required readings that will form the basis of the discussion.  A commitment to read all materials in advance is a prerequisite for acceptance into the seminar.

At each seminar, a small group of about 15 scholars carefully accepted through this application process will gather for 3 days of intensive discussions on topics centered on the rigorous reading packet.  Two experienced discussion leaders will guide the conversations.

No prior knowledge of or familiarity with the LPE Project is required to apply.  Indeed, the seminars are designed to help introduce scholars to this debate.  The only requirements are an interest to learn more about these subjects and a desire to use that knowledge in the discourse within the larger academic community—through writing, speaking, or adjusting teaching based on what is learned.

Other goals include that attending scholars will become interested in writing their own papers on these subjects (with the potential to apply for LEC grants to support that scholarship), to participate in future forums on these topics (sponsored by the LEC or others), and to generally engage and educate their peers and others about these issues from the information they gather at the seminar.

There will be two seminars; you are welcome to apply for both but applicants may only be accepted into one.

The first Seminar on the Law & Political Economy Project will take place Sunday, June 9 through Wednesday, June 12 in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

The second Seminar on the Law & Political Economy Project will take place Sunday, October 20 through Wednesday, October 23 in San Diego, California.

As stated above, you are welcome to apply for both seminars; however, you will only be accepted into one. We would recommend applying for the dates and location that most interest you and then notating in the application that should you be denied, you wish to be considered for the second seminar.

If you have any questions, please contact Angelica Sisson at asisson2@gmu.edu or 703.993.2566.