Courses
Course Videos/Podcasts
Introduction to Law and Economics
Public Law and Economics
Public L&E/New Institutional Economics (Prof. Voigt)
Class 1: Course Introduction, the Economic Approach to Human Behavior and some modifications by NIE
- Introduction to the course: Link
- The Economic Approach: Link
- Modifications of NIE to the Economic Approach: Link
Class 2: Institutions: Functions, Types, Interdependencies and related research questions
- Defining Institutions: Link
- Types of Institutions and their relations & Systemization: Link
- Quiz: Link
Class 3: Tools of NIE, related research programs and open Questions
Advanced Topics in Law and Economics
Advanced Topics of L&E (Prof. Voigt)
Class 1: Course Introduction
- Introduction to the course: “The Main Traits of Legal Families”: Link
- The Main Traits of Legal Families: Link
Class 2: Reasons why Legal Families might have Economic Consequences + Empirical Results and Critique
- Effects on Uncertainty, Adaptability, Investment, Trade, Regulation & Activities. Implications and Open Questions: Link
- Empirical Results and Critique: Link
Class 3: Islamic Law
- “What about Islamic Law?” – Summary and Outlook: Link
Research Methods
How to write a master thesis (Dr. Stephan Michel)
- Video: Link
Course Descriptions
1. Basics of Mathematics, Economics and Law
This course provides a general introduction to the law and to the study of law. Moreover, students will get familiar with basic economic concepts and approaches which are necessary to understand the economic analysis of law. Necessary mathematical knowledge is taught as well.
Type of instruction: Lecture
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 1
2. Empirical Legal Studies / Quantitative Tools for Law and Economics
Modern law and economics is unthinkable without empirical tests. This course makes students familiar with the most important aspects of such tests from the design stage, to the collection of data to the actual estimate of simple econometric models. It is a “hands on” course including many practical exercises. Students of this course will learn to: Think creatively about research design, Describe the dataRun OLS regressions, Interpret the data as it relates to causality.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 1
3. Introduction to Microeconomics
Economic analysis of law investigates legal rules and enforcement from an efficiency perspective. The main purpose of this course is to equip students with the fundamental set of conceptual tools of microeconomics, which can be applied to different economic and regulatory problems. After dwelling into the analytics of consumers’ and producers’ choice, the course discusses the main market structures, risk and uncertainty, and market failures.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 1
4. Concepts and Methods of Law and Economics
This course offers an introduction to the basic concepts and methods of law and economics. It illustrates the broad utility of these tools by way of applications to the analysis of various core areas of law. This course does not aim to develop practical skills or new insights, but rather to show the broad utility of economic analysis of law. By combining examples from various areas of law, students will learn that the economic approach to law provides a unified vision of the law, tying together diverse areas of the law into a common theoretical structure.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 1
5. Public Law and Economics
This course offers an introduction to the economic analysis of regulation, which is broadly interpreted as government intervention in market processes. The course illustrates the purposes of regulatory intervention from a welfare economics perspective, and it discusses the tension between public and private interest in regulatory choices. A special focus of this course is on issues of European/International regulation and on cost-benefit analysis.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 1
6. Contract Law and Economics
This course illustrates its goals and functions from an economic perspective. Moreover, it aims to provide a functional understanding of the spectrum of feasible contracts and of their use in legal practice.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 2
7. Competition Law and Economics
Competition policy (also called “antitrust policy”) is a term used broadly to describe intervention by public authorities to ensure competition in markets for goods and services. This course aims at making students familiar with the application of economic arguments in competition law. Comparisons with U.S. antitrust law are included where appropriate for a better understanding of cases and the implications of legislation and court rulings on economic efficiency.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 2
8. International Law and Economics
The economic analysis of international law is a relatively young area of Law & Economics. Many exciting questions have been posed but few have been answered convincingly. The course begins by formulating a number of essential questions with regard to central issues of international law from an economic point of view. The course deals with the sources of international law as well as the role of international organizations in its implementation. It also discusses the relevance of domestic institutions for the implementation of international law. A large chunk of the course is devoted to analyze specific areas of international law (such as investment, trade, but also human rights and refugee law) from an economic point of view.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 2
9. Research Methods 1
In this course students are familiarized with the basic guidelines and rules that must be complied with and followed when writing a final thesis. Students will learn to review and categorise subject specific sources of literature.
Type of instruction: Seminar
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Kairo
Recommended semester: Semester 2
10. Advanced Topics in Law and Economics
Economics type of instruction: Lecture
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Hamburg
Recommended semester: Semester 3
This course contains a lecture series, which aims to combine academic studies in Law and Economics with real practices. The objective is to examine current research by academics on an up to date topic in the field of law and economics. A special focus is likely to be given to judicial systems, behavioural Law and Economics or research related to the middle east.
11. Corporate Law and Economics / Property Law and Economics
The Course Corporate Law & Economics discusses corporate law and financial regulation from the perspective of the correction of financial markets failure. The course focuses on the various legal, contractual and extra-legal mechanisms available to protect (minority) shareholders and other stakeholders from the self-serving behaviour of managers and of controlling shareholders. Moreover, the course addresses the problem of financial distress and its consequences for the financing of private and public enterprises, as well as for financial stability.
The course Property Law and Economics integrates the legal and the economic approach to ownership and illustrates costs and benefits of different ways to protect entitlements.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course (block)
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Hamburg
Recommended semester: Semester 3
12. Economics of Judicial Systems
In this course students learn about differences in the organization of judicial systems and can analyse their consequences using economic methods.
Type of instruction: Lecture and practical course
Total credits: 5 ECTS
Location: Hamburg
Recommended semester: Semester 3
13. Research Methods 2
In this course students find a suitable topic for their thesis and formulate a draft proposal (exposé).
Type of instruction: Seminar
Total credits: 10 ECTS
Location: Hamburg
Recommended semester: Semester 3
Thesis
Type of instruction: Self-study and supervision of the master's thesis
Total credits: 25 ECTS
Recommended semester: Semester 4