Prerequisite: Admission is by permission of the instructor. Students who wish to be considered for the seminar should submit a brief (1-2 paragraph) statement of interest and their CV to Jasmine Jin (jjin@law.harvard.edu). Recommended deadline for consideration is July 24, 2026, however, applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Exam Type: No Exam

This workshop will explore the foundations of private law – property, contracts, torts, and restitution. Emphasis will be on theories that offer explanations, justifications, and criticisms of architectural features of these areas of law and of their connections to one another. Sessions will be devoted to paper presentations by outside speakers and to discussions of classic and contemporary works reflecting philosophical, historical, and economic approaches to private law topics.