Essays on Law and Economics

Author: Estes, Matthew

Year: 2026

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Alvarez, R. Michael

Committee Members: Katz, Jonathan N.; Alvarez, R. Michael; Sherman, Robert P.; Greiner, D. James

Option: Social Science

Abstract

This dissertation empirically studies problems in law and economics. Using data and econometric methods, the dissertation estimates causal effects in different legal settings. Chapter 1 studies eviction reduction policies, finding that reforms to the number of LA County eviction courts had limited effects. Chapter 2 further studies eviction court assignments using a regression discontinuity design, finding local gaps in eviction probability and testing the impact of two causal mechanisms. Chapter 3 develops a partial identification approach to regression discontinuity designs, offering local and extrapolated bounds, new estimators, simulation results, and an application to a prior property price study. Chapter 4 studies the relationship between courts and legal scholarship, finding that judicial mentions boosted citations to certain works. Overarching themes include specification robustness, partial identification, measurement, counterfactual simulations, and visualizations to demonstrate causal identification and model estimation.