Billiet, 2011b

Carole M. Billiet, Formats for Law & economics in legal scholarship. Views and wishes from Europe, Illinois Law Review 2011/October, 1485-1516

This paper discusses the role of law and economics in Europe’s law schools, paying attention mainly to local law and economics efforts, as opposed to internationally visible research output and education. The goal is to provide a more complete picture of the importance of law and economics in European law schools, thus allowing for a more robust analysis of the challenges to a broader adoption of law and economics among European law faculties. The article begins with an overview of law and economics in Europe at present. It proceeds to analyze incentives that currently exist – or could be created – which further the adoption of law and economics among law faculties yet orient the research output to a national audience. The article then examines communication issues associated with local law and economics efforts that have an impact on the scope of study and use of law and economics in law schools and legal communities and offers suggestions regarding how to successfully overcome challenges raised by those issues. Ultimately, the article concludes that, in Europe, the practice of law and economics by law faculties varies greatly between countries, that Europe’s internationally visible law and economics outputs do not give the full measure of its total law and economics production, and that, while there are several barriers to broaden adoption of law and economics among law faculties in Europe, these barriers are not insurmountable.

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