Yale Summer Session in Paris: Law and Economics of the International Commercial Order

Description

What happens when commerce crosses borders? What are the economic impacts of differing standards of enforcement and proof? How is legal harmony achieved? This joint summer program brings together faculty and students from Yale University, Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II), and ESSEC Business School for case study and on-site modules at the International Court of Commercial Arbitration. If international trade is in your future, this program provides a breadth of understanding no internship can match.

Professor Sarath Sanga will teach Law and Economics of the International Commercial Order. This course will examine how parties engaging in economic exchange often organize their relationships through written and oral contracts. Students will study, with particular emphasis on economic efficiency, the design of these contracts and the body of law that governs them. The curriculum develops through a substantive theoretical component and a practical component, with on-site modules at the International Court of Commercial Arbitration in Paris. This program takes the existing institutions of trade and contract law seriously - students will, for instance, develop familiarity with everyday trading practices and basic legal rules of exchange - and then asks whether and how they facilitate efficient trade. A principal topic of the program will be contractual solutions to the hold-up problem. Starting from seminal articles in the bilateral trade literature and the literature on breach remedies, the program will introduce students to the most recent developments of the field.

Courses & Credits

ECON S276:Law and Economics of the International Commercial Order (2 credits)

Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad are intensive, highly structured academic programs led by Yale instructors. 

Instructors

Sarath Sanga, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law

Sarath Sanga is a Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Corporate Law at Yale Law School. Before his appointment at Yale, he was a Professor of Law at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and held a secondary appointment as Associate Professor in the Strategy Department, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. For the 2022–2023 academic year, Sanga was the William Nelson Cromwell Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He has also held visiting professorships at Stanford Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, the UC Berkeley School of Law, and Columbia Law School.

His research focuses on corporate law and contract theory. His work has appeared in leading journals, including the Journal of Political Economy, the Journal of Law & Economics, and Science. Sanga also co-founded SCALES, an interdisciplinary collaboration that includes legal scholars, computer scientists, journalists, and policy experts. SCALES seeks to build an AI-powered data platform that enables the public to access, understand, and analyze federal court records.

Sanga holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan, a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Class Times 

Classes will meet Monday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., with social and cultural events, such as visits to museums or institutions, every Friday.

Class times may be subject to change with notice from the instructors.

Classroom Location

Classes will be held at the main locations of the university Paris 2 Panthéon Assas. Students will receive more details upon arrival in Paris.
Classroom Address: 92, rue d’Assas

Money & Budgeting

Many participants find a combination of credit and debit cards to be the most convenient way of accessing money while abroad. It’s important to have a backup option as well in case of emergency.

Participants should bring a moderate amount (equivalent to $100 or so) of the host country currency in cash when leaving the U.S. to cover initial expenses like bus/taxi fares, snacks, and phone calls for the first couple of days. Please note that participants likely will need more than $100 for out-of-pocket expenses throughout the entire duration of the program.

France uses the euro, which is currently almost the same price as the dollar. Paris is an expensive city in general, but participants are advised to take advantage of the city's many inexpensive restaurants and food stands, as well as the city's potable tap water, which is available upon request at all bars and restaurants. There is also a local supermarket near the program residences where students are able to buy groceries.

Tipping is not required and service is always included in the bill. However, it is common to leave a few euros as a gesture of appreciation for good service at restaurants and cafes.

Participants should expect out-of-pocket costs not billed by Yale, including but not limited to class materials, coffee, snacks, and transportation to and from the classroom.

Program Cost & Funding

Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad costs are updated annually and include the administrative fee and program deposit, program fee, tuition, and international housing charge.  

Budget

Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad updates program budgets in late January. Please note the year listed on the button below.

Summer 2024 Budget

Trips and Activities

On every Yale Summer Session Program Abroad, learning extends outside of the classroom. Participants can expect a variety of integrated activities and excursions that enhance the academic goals of the program. Trips and activities listed below are included as examples only and are subject to change. 

All required activities and excursion include transportation (when outside of the host city), entrance fees, and most meals. 

Possible program excursions include visits to the ICC International Court of Arbitration, the Senate, and other relevant state institutions, as well as a trip to the Lourve Museum for lectures on its contracts-related archival holdings.

Housing

All participants are required to live in program-provided housing while abroad and are not permitted to arrange housing independently. International housing is guaranteed from the first day of the program until the official end date.

Students will live in double-occupancy rooms in an international dorm at St. John's University - Paris Campus. The dormitory includes shared bathrooms on each floor and rooms are furnished with bunk beds, desks, chairs, closets, bookshelves, and a sink. The dormitory also features both a computer lab and wifi throughout the building. Smoking and consumption of alcohol are not permitted on the premises, nor are overnight guests.

Meals

A continental breakfast is included daily at St. John's, but students will be responsible for their own lunch and dinner each day. A student cafeteria with discounted prices is located only two metro stops from the dorm.

Notes

Climate

Summer in Paris is warm, but very hot weather is uncommon. The average June temperature is around 73˚ F. July is not much hotter, with an average temperature of 76˚ F. However, heat waves are becoming more common, and most buildings are not air conditioned. There can also be periods of time when the weather becomes quite chilly and rainy, so participants are encouraged to pack accordingly.

Packing Considerations

1. Pack light! Participants will be able to do laundry and will likely return home with new items from the host country. Participants should expect the possibility of carrying their bags on several modes of transportation and up several flights of stairs alone.

2. Keep all essential items in a carry-on bag (e.g., passport and medications). 

Clothing

Participants should pack at least one dressier outfit for evenings out. Parisians dress more formally in general than Americans, especially when going out at night.
Students should also pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes, as they will be walking much more than is typical in much of the United States. Although it is summer, the French wear flip-flops or slide sandals only at the beach and they are not considered appropriate footwear for the city.

Electricity Adapters

Students should bring a “Europe” (Type C or E) plug adapter (the UK adapter will not work in France). Computers, phones, and other electronics do not require a current converter, although smaller electronics such as hair dryers or electric razors may need both a plug adapter and a current convertor to avoid shorting out when plugged in and turned on.

Social Interactions and Cultural Considerations

French Attitudes Towards Drinking and Drug Use

In France drinking is a social act. If participants choose to drink alcohol, they should do so in reasonable amounts and indoors in restaurants and cafés, but not in the streets or on public transportation. This includes drinking in public parks and on the banks of the Seine or the Canal Saint Martin, where rowdy behavior is neither customary nor tolerated.
Unlike some states in the U.S., drugs, even recreational drugs, are considered not only strictly forbidden, but illegal in France. If a student is caught with drugs, there is nothing the program director or anyone at Yale can do to help and chances are high that they will be prosecuted by French law.

Questions

For general program questions, contact studyabroad@yale.edu.

Important Information Before Applying

• All YSS Programs Abroad are intensive, highly structured academic programs for Yale credit and grades.
• Students may only apply to one YSS Program Abroad per summer.
• Admission is not guaranteed. Applicants should anticipate that more students will apply than there are spots available, and Yale College students should apply to a backup Non-Yale Summer Abroad opportunity.
• Ensure that your transcript reflects how you have met the pre-requisite, if applicable, prior to applying.
• Participants must commit to the full program dates. Late arrivals and early departures are not permitted.
• Participants are required to be enrolled in all program courses.
• Participants should expect evening and weekend requirements. Students who have questions about religious observance during a YSS Program Abroad are encouraged to Meet with an Adviser.
• Program-arranged housing is required for all YSS Programs Abroad. Students are not permitted to secure independent housing. Students who have housing-related questions about placements, allergies, religious observance, or disability-related access are encouraged to Meet with an Adviser.

Apply to a YSS Program Abroad