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The "rule of law" is widely perceived to be under serious attack today, but what is the rule of law? Why does it matter, how should it be protected, and what connection does it have with democracy? This seminar will read perspectives on these questions from a range of legal scholars and judges, stretching from the mid-twentieth century to today. Our main goal will not be to decide who we think is right, or which arguments we find most congenial. Instead, we will try to understand the thinking on various sides of these controversies, and to see what value, if any, we can find even in the arguments we disagree with. Elements used in grading: Full attendance, reading of assigned materials, and active participation.

In your first year at SLS and beyond you will learn how to write (and in turn think) like a lawyer; indeed, legal writing sits at the center of not only law school but also most of the jobs you will do. In this seminar we will focus not on the mechanics of legal writing, but instead on the forms it takes and what makes it so compelling, even beautiful, when done well. In the first three sessions we will consider the three most common forms of legal writing: persuasive, objective, and academic. In the final session we will explore how AI is changing how and what lawyers write. Readings will include examples of great (and sometimes not-so-great) legal writing, as well as relevant non-legal writing to help tease out what makes legal writing so special. Elements used in grading: Full attendance, reading of assigned materials, and active participation.

Linear and nonlinear regression, covariance structures, panel data, qualitative variable models, nonparametric and semiparametric methods, time series, Bayesian model averaging and variable selection. Bayesian methodology including Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, hierarchical models, model checking, mixture models, empirical Bayes approaches, approximations, and computational issues and foundations. Prerequisite: graduate-level econometrics or equivalent.

Reorganization of a fictitious, financially distressed company under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, including: out-of-court workout; chapter 11 filing; chapter 11 operating issues; and the negotiation, formulation, and confirmation of a plan of reorganization. Developments in actual pending chapter 11 cases, through media reports.

For those with little background in finance; not open to J.D. or M.B.A. students. Financial concepts and analytical tools needed to make financial decisions and value securities. Capital structures, the design of corporate securities, corporate transactions, executive compensation, and bankruptcy proceedings. Focus is on problem solving.

Focus is on issues of separation of powers and federalism. Topics such as the treaty power, war powers, and customary international law. Current controversies, including those arising from the war on terrorism, Supreme Court cases related to the death penalty and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Alien Tort Claims Act, and international trade agreements such as the WTO and NAFTA. Recommended: LAW 283.

(Same as PUBLPOL 202B.) Core course for Public Policy master's students. How legal rules and institutions can correct market failures.The economic function of contracts; role of legal remedies to resolve disputes when contracts fail. The choice between encouraging private parties to initiate legal actions to correct externalities and governmental actors such as regulatory authorities. Economics of litigation; how private incentives to bring lawsuits differ from the social value of litigation. Economic motives to commit crimes; optimal governmental response to crime. Prerequisites: intermediate-level microeconomics; some calculus.

The role of the federal courts in the American system of federalism and separation of powers, and their role in the development of substantive federal law and constitutional rights. Historical context, especially the social, political, and legal movements, in response to which the federal courts have developed. Traditional aspects of federal court jurisprudence. Interdisciplinary readings.

Law and policy of the WTO system and related national laws. Topics include the relationship between international and domestic law, the international dispute resolution system, legal restrictions on traditional barriers to trade, nondiscrimination obligations in international trade, trade and the environment, technical barriers to trade, safeguards and adjustment mechanisms, antidumping and countervailing duty law, and trade services.