Law and Technology Mini-course: Behavioral Law and Economics

Dates: March 10-11 & 13-14, 2025 (Mon-Tues & Thurs-Fri)

Time: 2:30pm – 5pm

Venues: 

Room 723, 7/F Cheng Yu Tung Tower,  HKU (March 10, 13-14)
Room 824, 8/F Cheng Yu Tung Tower, HKU (March 11)

Lecturer: Arna Wömmel, Ph.D. candidate in Economics, University of Hamburg

This course introduces students to behavioural law and economics, with an emphasis on experimental methods. We will study seminal behavioural studies that have influenced legal theory and practice, as well as most recent literature in this field. We will also discuss how this field, and experimental research in particular, might evolve in light of current technological advances. Participants will gain knowledge of key literature and methodological approaches, while developing practical skills to conduct their own experimental studies. The course also provides opportunities to discuss participants’ own research ideas, projects and experimental designs.

Arna Wömmel is a final-year Ph.D. candidate in Economics within the German Research Foundation (DFG) Graduate Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the University of Hamburg. She is a PhD student fellow at the NYU School of Law Information Law Institute. Her research was awarded the Best Paper Prize in Technology, Privacy, and Information at the 2023 American Law & Economics Association Conference and the Theodore Eisenberg Prize at the 2024 Conference on Empirical Legal Studies. Her research applies behavioral economics to questions about the fairness of new technologies. Much of it studies how new technologies affect discrimination and inequality, especially when they support – rather than replace – humans. Methodologically, she uses behavioral experiments, household survey data, and natural language processing (NLP).

All HKU students are welcome.  To register for the mini course, please go to https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_regform.aspx?UEID=99114 (HKU Portal log-in required).

For inquiries, please contact Ms. Grace Chan at mcgrace@hku.hk / 3917 4727.