Introduction: Posner’s Economic Analysis of Law at fifty and the globalization of jurisprudence

Richard Posner is undoubtedly one of the most influential legal scholars of the 20th century, one of the most prolific judges, and one of the most prominent public intellectuals. This special issue, compiling seventeen contributions by leading scholars from a range of countries, is on the occasion of 50th anniversary of the first publication of Posner’s magnum opus, the textbook Economic Analysis of Law. In our introduction, we emphasise that Posner’s book, applying economic concepts such as efficiency to the legal domain, has had a significant impact on the legal discourse not just in the US but also far beyond. Particularly noteworthy is the book’s role in creating a common language among economists, lawyers, and other social scientists from many countries of the world, including almost all European countries.