Economic Analysis of Law (Aspen Casebooks)

Economic Analysis of Law, Eighth Edition, written by the pioneer in law and economics analysis, Richard A. Posner, remains the classic text in its field. This lucid, comprehensive casebook covers every aspect of the economic analysis of the law, including the common law, public regulation of the market, business organizations and financial markets, the distribution of income and wealth, the legal process, and the Constitution and the federal system.

The Eighth Edition has been substantially revised to take into account current events, including the continuing economic crisis, the re-emerging field of organization economics, and recent work by the author and others on judicial behavior.

The this preeminent casebook continues to offer

• Coverage of the legal-economic perspective on all key areas, from common law to the constitution.
• Accessible, lucid, and user-friendly writing and organization:
  • Non-quantitative approach does not assume or require prior knowledge of economics or mathematics
  • Part and chapter organization are based on legal, not economic, concepts
• End-of-chapter sections reinforce and extend learning with problems and suggested further readings.

The Eighth Edition has been updated and revised to reflect current economic realities:

• The continuing economic crisis, which began in September 2008, has led to a reexamination of some of the tenets of economics manifested in previous editions. These changes are found primarily in the following chapters:
  • Chapter 1, The Nature of Economic Reasoning
  • Chapter 13, The Choice Between Regulation and Common Law
  • Chapter 14, Corporations, Secured and Unsecured Financing, Bankruptcy
  • Chapter 15, Financial Markets
• In Chapter 14, Corporations, Secured and Unsecured Financing, Bankruptcy, changes have been incorporated based on the re-emerging field of organization economics.
• Substantial changes to reflect recent work by the author and others on judicial behavior are evident in Chapter 19, The Market, the Adversary System, and the Legislative Process as Methods of Resource Allocation.
• Significant changes have also been made in the following chapters:
  • Chapter 3, Property
  • Chapter 4, Contract Rights and Remedies
  • Chapter 17, Taxation
  • Chapter 21, Civil and Criminal Procedure