Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein to Discuss Human Error and Paternalism in Storrs Lectures Nov. 12-13

Harvard Law Professor Cass R. Sunstein will deliver the 2012-2013 Storrs Lectures on Monday, Nov. 12, and Tuesday, Nov. 13, at Yale Law School. His lectures are titled “Human Error and Paternalism.” Both talks will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Room 127 and are free and open to the public. A reception will be held in the Alumni Reading Room following Monday’s lecture.

In his lectures, Sunstein will discuss the limits of “the nanny state.” Using cutting-edge work in social science, including recent findings in behavioral economics, he will attempt to answer the questions: Is paternalism justified? When? And should government influence people’s choices in order to improve their health and extend their lives?

Cass Sunstein is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, which he joined in 2008. Prior to that, he taught law and political science for many years at the University of Chicago. From 2009 to 2012, he was Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. His many books including Nudge (with Richard Thaler), Republic.com, Worst-Case Scenarios, and The Laws of Fear: Beyond the Precautionary Principle. He is also a columnist for Bloomberg View.