Excusez-moi?!

Diary Entry: October 1, 2024

Today was a slog. I’m trying to get ahead on the JSD qualifying exam reading list, so I decided to tackle that Ronald Coase paper, The Problem of Social Cost.

I read it. It’s... a paper on economics and law. Seemed like a pretty standard, dry academic argument about nuisance cases and who should pay for what. Honestly, I finished it, closed my laptop, and was ready to forget about it until the seminar next week. It’s just another box to check on the path to the qualifying exam.

Then, I don’t know why, I got curious. Who is this Coase guy, anyway? I typed the paper’s title into Google.

I am absolutely floored.

This isn’t just “another paper.” I’m seeing articles and studies that all say The Problem of Social Cost is the most cited law review article of all time.

Excusez-moi?

I’m just sitting here staring at my screen. The paper I just skimmed and thought was “just okay” is apparently the most important piece of legal-economic writing in the last century.

It feels like I just glanced at a boring-looking painting in a hallway, only to find out it was the Mona Lisa.

Now I’m completely fascinated. I must have missed something. What is it about this paper? Why is everyone so obsessed with it? I feel like I’m not in on the secret. I guess I’ll find out at the seminar, but this is... this is interesting. Very interesting.