Institute for Law & Economics

Founded in 1980 by Professor Michael L. Wachter, the Institute was created to advance cross-disciplinary research and bring together academics, lawyers, business leaders, judges, policymakers, and regulators. Our innovative roundtables and conferences serve these goals by provoking in-depth discussions of timely issues. Public lectures and academic workshops further our mission to bridge the gap between academics and practitioners in our key areas of focus.

The ILE has distinctive advantages. We draw on the research and teaching strengths of the Law School, the Wharton School, and the Department of Economics. Our geographic location is optimal, allowing us to bring together participants from Washington and New York for full-day meetings and still get everyone home in time for dinner. We have been able to call on the expertise of the Law School alumni who occupy key positions in law, business, and government. And, critically, we have a distinguished group of advisory board members and sponsors who are willing to give of their time and expertise to make our programming a success.

In recent years, we have launched a variety of new projects and initiatives. The ILE/Wharton Finance Seminars promote scholarly engagement between law and finance scholars through a series of workshops and dinners. Each year, ILE collaborates with the Wharton School’s Financial Institutions Center and NYU’s Pollack Center for Law and Business to host the Penn/NYU Symposium on Law and Finance, a flagship for the promotion of interdisciplinary research. Our Insights from Practice and Chancery Court Programs explore cutting-edge topics in business and law in small-group seminars and events. The Delaware Corporate Law Resource Center provides unique resources about the development of corporate law, including oral histories of nearly a half century of iconic decisions of the Delaware courts. The Lipton Archive, collecting the memoranda and scholarship of Marty Lipton, provides another rich resource for research and teaching.