The Manne Programs in Economics for Federal Judges

<div> For over twenty years, Henry G. Manne developed and directed educational programs in economics for federal judges. After starting the programs at the University of Miami Law &amp; Economics Center (LEC) in 1976, Manne moved the LEC and its programs to Emory University in 1980 and then to George Mason University School of Law (GMUSL) when he became Dean in 1986. Over the years, the Manne Programs earned a reputation as demanding, intellectually stimulating, practical, and enjoyable experiences. Because of Manne's personal commitment, attention to detail, and warm hospitality, the programs have always enjoyed a strong following among federal judges. By 1990, approximately forty percent of the sitting federal judges had completed Manne's flagship program—the <i>Economics Institute for Federal Judges</i>. </div> <div> <br> </div> <div> The Manne Programs have influenced the thinking of a generation of federal judges. Manne, ever mindful of the potential for politically motivated attacks on his programs, was always careful to stress that the Institute focused on positive economics. He argued that there was little disagreement among economists about the theory and the logic of microeconomics, and he encouraged the judges to view economics as a practical set of tools for understanding cases. In general, the programs focused on price theory and applications to everything except legal issues. Initially, the only exception to this was the session on “Monopoly,” which necessarily included a discussion of antitrust law. Later, a session on "Law and Economics" was added in response to the judges’ desire to see how the materials were being taught in law schools. Manne intentionally left it to the judges to figure out the legal implications of the analysis. Nevertheless, it is no secret that a natural repercussion of the application of economic reasoning to legal problems is a greater appreciation of the roles of private property rights, freedom of contract, entrepreneurship, and the rule of law in a free society. Many of the judges attending the Manne Programs arrived skeptical of the alleged conservative bias of the programs, and left impressed with the analytical rigor and consistency of the economic approach to human behavior. </div> <div> <br> </div> <div> In terms of its popularity among judges, the success of the Manne Programs must be attributed to the high standards—both in academic substance and programmatic style—set by Henry Manne. The Manne Programs continue to be operated by the LEC at GMUSL. The real challenge for GMUSL will be to provide the energy, enthusiasm, commitment, and knowledge that are necessary to engender the same loyal following of the judges that Henry Manne enjoyed. </div>