Ph.D. in Law and Economics Curriculum -Vanderbilt Law School

Program students pursue policy-relevant research within four primary research fields developed for the J.D./Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics: behavioral law and economics, labor markets and human resources, law and economics, and risk and environmental regulation.

Program Requirements

Ph.D. students in Law and Economics are required to complete 72 hours of coursework and research. The core consists of 27 hours of coursework in law and economics, economic theory, and empirical analysis. Students select two fields of concentration from a pre-approved list of fields and take associated field courses.

Graduate requirements include:

A minimum of 48 hours of formal coursework in core, field, and elective courses, including:
24 hours of first-year graduate core
3 hours of Research in Law and Economics
12 hours of field coursework
9 hours of graduate non-field coursework
6 hours of Ph.D. Workshop in Law and Economics
6 hours of research

Ph.D. First-Year Graduate Core

ECON 8000. Selected Topics in Mathematics for Economists

ECON 8100. Microeconomic Theory I

ECON 8300. Statistical Analysis

ECON 8110. Microeconomic Theory II

ECON 8310. Econometrics I

LWEC 8401. Law and Economics Theory I

LWEC 8403. Behavioral Law and Economics I

LWEC 8405. Econometrics for Legal Research

Law & Economics Courses

LWEC 8401. Law and Economics Theory I

Principles of economic analysis as applied to legal issues. Topics include, among others, torts, property, litigation, and government regulation. Pre- or co-requisite: ECON 8100. [3]
LWEC 8402. Law and Economics Theory II

Economic analysis of the law with applications from civil and criminal procedure, law enforcement, property, torts, decision-making by courts, settlement negotiation, contracts, and antitrust. Prerequisite: LWEC 8401; Pre- or co-requisite ECON 8110. [3]
LWEC 8403. Behavioral Law and Economics I

Economic principles underlying behavioral law and economics research. Analyses of the rationality of individual choice will be undertaken, including research that involves the interaction of economics, psychology, and decision sciences. Applications of behavioral law and economics methods will be applied to the analysis of jury behavior. Pre- or co-requisite: ECON 8100. [3]
LWEC 8404. Behavioral Law and Economics II

Research contributions at the frontier of behavioral law and economics research. Each student will structure a controlled experiment to test the rationality of jury behavior, the effect of alternative jury instructions, or a similar kind of scientifically controlled study of behavior relating to the performance of the legal system. Students will administer and analyze the survey results and will prepare an original research paper on their chosen topic. Pre-requisite: LWEC 8403. [3]
LWEC 8405. Econometrics for Legal Research

Analysis and critique of empirical legal research using advanced econometric techniques. Topics will be drawn from the program's core fields. Students will perform independent empirical research using primary data sources. Pre- or co-requisite: ECON 8300, ECON 8310, LWEC 8401. [3]
LWEC 8406. Research in Law and Economics

Students will develop and complete an original research paper. The paper may pose an original research question or may be a replication of an existing empirical result. [3]
LWEC 8420. Labor Markets and Human Resources I

Economic, econometric, and legal analysis of the labor market. Topics include analysis of the economic impact of employment laws with a particular focus on antidiscrimination laws, use of labor market studies to estimate the value of statistical life, and behavioral labor economics and economic models of fairness in the employment relationship. Pre-requisite: ECON 8100, ECON 8300, ECON 8310. [3]
LWEC 8421. Labor Markets and Human Resources II

Application of economic and legal analysis to labor market and demographic transformations, including changes in the gender composition of labor market participants, aging of the workforce, immigration, education, poverty, inequality, and provision of health services. Pre-requisite: ECON 8100, ECON 8300, ECON 8310. [3]
LWEC 8430. Risk and Environmental Regulation I

Analysis of the sources of market failure that create a rationale for risk and environmental regulation. Methodologies pertaining to appropriate valuation and enforcement of these regulatory policies. Applications include procedures for estimating the value of statistical life, perception of risk, the role of hazard warnings, risk analysis by government agencies, and the enforcement of regulatory programs. Pre-requisite: ECON 8100, ECON 8300, ECON 8310. [3]
LWEC 8431. Risk and Environmental Regulation II

Analysis of the sources of market failure that create a rationale for risk and environmental regulation. Methodologies pertaining to appropriate valuation and enforcement of these regulatory policies. This course will focus on theoretical economic models of risk and environmental regulation. Among the topics included will be the economics of risk and uncertainty, discounting, and benefit-cost analysis. Pre-requisite: ECON 8100, ECON 8300, ECON 8310. [3]
LWEC 8490. Ph.D. Law and Economics Workshop

Research workshop on the presentation and interpretation of research and literature on law and economics. Topics vary with student and faculty interest. [3]
LWEC 8349. Readings in Law and Economics

Directed study. Must obtain DGS and Graduate School approval.
LWEC 9999. Ph.D. Dissertation Research

Course credit towards dissertation.

J.D./Ph.D. Degree requirements

The program's Director of Graduate Studies works with students who have been admitted into the dual-degree program to help them coordinate the course of study so that all requirements of both degrees are met.