Law, Capitalism, Wealth, and Inequality

This one-credit course focuses on two recent, deep, and thoughtful books that explore the role that the law plays in creating both wealth and inequality. As practicing lawyers, students will have to handle the law—as an instrument—on a daily basis. This course is designed to help students to become better-informed users of the law and to show how strongly the law can shape the economy. Students will read and discuss two books in the course. Prof. Pistor’s book explores the role that the law—code—has played in supporting the creation of capital and capitalism. A different perspective is found in Prof. Baradaran’s book, which offers an enlightening discussion of the reasons behind the unsuccessful evolution of black capitalism