Law and Economics: A Guide to Research Sources Robin Gault Associate Director, Research Center Fall 2007

“For the rational study of the law the black letter man may be the man of the present, but the man of the future is the man of statistics and the master of economics.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., The Path of the Law, 10 Harvard Law Review 457, 469 (1897).

Introduction Why “law and economics”? Providing a scientific basis for law. Influence of other social sciences.

Overview of Law and Economics Introductory sources in print copy: Robert Cooter and Thomas Ulen, Law and Economics, 4th ed. (2004) [K 487 E3 C ] David, D. Friedman, Law’s Order: What Economics Has to Do with Law and Why It Matters (2000) [Reserve HB 171 F , also e-book] Jeffrey L. Harrison, Law and Economics in a Nutshell, 3d ed. (2003) [Reserve K 487 E3 H ] Richard A. Posner, Economic Analysis of Law, 7 th ed. (2007) [Reserve KF 385 P ] Steven Shavell, Economic Analysis of Law (2004) [Reserve K 487 E3 S ]

Introductory information on the Web: “Law and Economics” in The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy “Law and Economics” in The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (The Library of Economics and Liberty) David D. Friedman, Law’s Order: What Economics Has to Do with Law and Why It Matters

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics and the Law (1998) [K 487 E3 N ] Encyclopedia of Law and Economics [K 487 E3 E ]

Locating Journal Articles All of the important journals covering law and economics are indexed in EconLit.EconLit Major economics journals also have back issues available through JSTOR. Some of the journals on law and economics also have back issues available on Hein Online.JSTORHein Online

Major Journals in Law and Economics Journal of Law and Economics (v.40-current; Westlaw and Lexis v. 37-current; JSTOR v. 1-43) Journal of Legal Studies (v. 26-current; Westlaw and Lexis v. 23-current; JSTOR v.1-36; Hein Online v. 1-31) Journal of Law, Economics & Organization (v. 13-present; Westlaw v. 10-present; JSTOR and Hein Online v. 1-13) Supreme Court Economic Review (Westlaw 1995-current; Lexis 1997-current; JSTOR v. 1-9, ; Hein Online v. 1-10, )

Internet-Only Journals Social Science Research Network (SSRN) Legal Scholarship Network: Law and Economics series (including FSU College of Law)Law and Economics Berkeley Electronic Press: Review of Law and EconomicsReview of Law and Economics

Economics Research National Bureau of Economic Research NBER is the leading nonprofit research organization in the U.S. Its mission is to undertake and disseminate unbiased economic research to guide policy-making in government and business.

Law and Economics Links Findlaw Law and Economics links: University of Chicago Law School Law and Economics links:

Sources of Economics Statistics U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis The Bureau of Economic Analysis collects, analyzes, and disseminates statistical information about the nation’s economy.

U.S. Department of Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC collects and disseminates health and medical data.

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics The BLS collects a wide array of data on employment and consumer spending.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Filings (EDGAR) All publicly-traded companies doing business in the U.S. are required to file periodic reports with the SEC. These are available to the public through EDGAR.

Other federal government sources: FedStats home page has links to all agencies, indexed in a variety of ways:

A Few Blogs The Becker-Posner Blog: Law and Econ Prof Blog: University of Chicago Law School Faculty Blog: Not limited to law and economics but includes many well- known scholars in the field.

Statistics Review DVD Course: Meaning from Data: Statistics Made Clear, taught by Michael Starbird, Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. (Law Library Reserves AVTP 403)