Institute for Law and Rationality

Law needs a model of human behavior. The law and economics model has proven quite useful for many reasons, including its parsimony. However, many scholars have concluded that the parsimony comes at an unacceptable cost: too much realism is sacrificed. The challenge is to construct a model that is, in Albert Einstein's notable phrase, "as simple as possible but no simpler." Behavioral law and economics and behavioral economics are attempting to rise to the challenge.

The Institute for Law and Rationality seeks to contribute to this effort, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations among legal scholars and scholars in such fields as psychology, political science, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, economics (and neuroeconomics) to inquire into how the law does and should understand human behavior. The Institute's aim is to help develop a model of human behavior that lawmakers can use to ground public policy. The Institute will conduct seminars and conferences and host distinguished visitors.

The Institute for Law and Rationality is also affiliated with the Institute for Law and Economics.

2012-13 EVENTS

Click here for the Institute for Law and Economics Spring 2013 Seminar: Emerging Paradigms of Rationality schedule.

Date TBA

"A Conversation on Women and Trust" Professor Susan Sered, Senior Research Associate, Suffolk University and Professor June Carbone, Edward A. Smith/Missouri Professor of Law, University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law

Distinguished Visitor(s) to the Institute for 2012-13 academic year:
The Institute hosts several Distinguished Visitors each year. Distinguished Visitors are scholars from other institutions whose work falls within the ambit of the Institute. Visitors are in residence at the Law School for a short period of time, typically several days.

Date TBA

Kevin McCabe, Professor of Economics & Law, George Mason University School of Law