Boudewijn, Bouckaert, Editor. Encyclopedia of Law and Economics. Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc., 2000. 5 Volumes.
Cloth. New. $1,425.
* This reference work surveys the entire literature on law and
economics. The entries consist of two elements: a review of the
literature by an authority in the field and a bibliography which
covers most of the published material in the particular area.

‘No area of the law has remained unexamined and untouched by economic analysis. This encyclopedia successfully meets its goal of providing to scholars and practitioners access to summary statements of the present status of the field of law and economics.’
– Richard A. Miller, American Reference Books Annual

‘This brilliant survey of relatively recent interdisciplinary field of study explains and analyses basic concepts, articulates a logical structure, and stimulates independent analysis. . . . Every article or topic is supported with nearly complete bibliographies of interdisciplinary publications. The
editorial board and board of referees are leading theorists, many of whom contributed articles to the volumes. . . . this encyclopedia belongs in every academic library’s reference collection.’
– H. Leskovac, Choice

‘. . . interesting publication . . . The coverage is world wide and the articles consist of an introduction to a particular area and its literature by an expert in the field followed by a bibliography for that area. In all, the editors estimate over 20,000 publications and journals are contained in these bibliographies. This is an ambitious project, but it is to the credit of the company that they have been prepared to undertake it. As commented in earlier reviews of similar collections, the opportunity to refer to a whole range of articles in one collection like this is a great boon to serious researchers and Edward Elgar is to be commended for their contributions in these areas.’
– Talking Politics

‘The Encyclopedia of Law and Economics endeavours to provide the kind of encylopedic coverage – comprehensive and sophisticated but lucid, international without being esoteric, uniform without being monochrome, collective but individual – that the field of law and economics requires. It will help to make the field accessible to outsiders and to promote mutual intelligibility among insiders. It provides a meeting place for and an overview of scholarship, and will thus help to unify and advance the field. It is a milestone in an advancing field.’
– From the foreword by Richard A. Posner

The Encyclopedia of Law and Economics is a monumental reference work that surveys the entire literature on law and economics in over 3,000 pages. The entries consist of two elements: a review of the literature written by an authority in the field and a bibliography which covers most of the published material in the particular area. The reviews are written in an accessible style which will be suitable for non-specialists, such as lawyers, judges, politicians and students as well as scholars of law and economics. This authoritative Encyclopedia will rapidly become established as a leading bibliographic and reference source in law and economics.

The Encyclopedia has been divided into five volumes, each of which can be purchased separately or as a complete set.

Volume I: The History and Methodology of Law and Economics includes entries on general works, the history of law and economics around the world, schools and approaches, and the general structure of the law.

Volume II: Civil Law and Economics addresses private property, intellectual property, common property, environmental regulation and tort law.

Volume III: The Regulation of Contracts examines general contract law, the regulation of contracts, antitrust law and competition law, employment law, corporate law, the theory of the firm and industry sector regulation.

Volume IV: The Economics of Public and Tax Law includes entries on tax law including property taxes, personal income taxation and international taxation, social security including health insurance, unemployment insurance and pensions and administrative law, including public organizations and administrative procedure.

Volume V: The Economics of Crime and Litigation considers judicial organisation, appeal and supreme courts, settlement and arbitration, the economics of criminal behaviour, organized crime and corruption, corporate criminal liability and war law, as well as the production of legal rules.