"The Impact of Common Law on the Volume of Legal Services: An International Study,"
CEPII Working Paper 2021- 08 , November 2021 , CEPII.
We show that the heavy use of legal services relative to output in the US is not a peculiarity of the country but applies to common law countries in general. It stems largely from better ability to contract and easier access to justice. Yet in close association, common law also opens significantly more room for rentseeking by lawyers than civil law. Thereby the costs could outweigh the benefits. Both real GDP per capita and openness emerge as further factors making room for lawyers.
Common Law ; Civil Law ; Rent-Seeking ; Openness