Study

This course identifies and explores areas of the American legal system that have effects – both negative and positive – on the ability of people and society to prevent the onset of economic insecurity.   The class first will explore the meaning of economic insecurity and discuss why it matters. We will define the onset of such economic insecurity as financial anxiety.  The class will then explore various areas of the law as relevant to financial anxiety (or the onset of such economic insecurity). Areas of our financial system that will be explored through the prism of law include housing finance, student loan finance and information security. The lessons learned regarding the intersections of law to each of these areas of finance will be drawn from the economic context existing in the United States today and in the last decade, including the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 as well as the cyber-attacks and other ways in which personal financial data is under assault from poor information security systems.  We will discuss each of these issues in the larger context of consumer debt, agency and regulatory action, and legislative responsiveness as well as differential impacts related to debt, race and gender. The readings will come from law and non-law sources. The class will discuss issues relevant to the legal system and the study of business law and finance generally, including the use of data to illuminate legal problems, the role of lawyer and business actors, and the nature of modern policymaking.

 

Fall 2020

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
555.01	Course Credits 2	Reflective Writing Research paper option, 25+ pages Research and/or analytical paper(s), 15-20 pages Oral presentation Class participation	Sarah Bloom Raskin