LAW253

In a transformed global financial system, many are turning to public banks as an alternative way to provide essential financial services and administer payments infrastructure. This course centers public banks from the outset, and uses them as a lens in order to critically interrogate the relationship between banking, law, and public power more broadly. To that end, this course will consist of three components. First, students will read and discuss historical and theoretical texts and hear from experts to understand the basics of public banking, including their legal foundations and system dynamics. Second, students will read and discuss case studies of different historical and contemporary public banking models in order to better understand the prospects and limitations of public banks in the contemporary context. Third, students will complete an individual or group research or applied learning project on a related topic of your choosing, and present the results in a paper or equivalent final submission, due approximately three weeks after the last class. This course is open to upper-level students of all backgrounds. No prior economic or financial knowledge is assumed or required.

School of Law