The persistent dilemmas of development: The next fifty years

Among the most significant of Michael Trebilcock's many exceptional scholarly contributions has been the impact of his work on the field of law and development. At the core of the development enterprise lies a central conundrum—Why do obviously desirable institutional outcomes not transpire in the developing world?—and Trebilcock has provided invaluable insights into how various historic, economic, social, and political forces may promote, shape, or inhibit such salutary change. Taking Trebilcock's existing corpus of work as a starting point, we outline a proposed research agenda for the next fifty years of law and development scholarship, highlighting outstanding questions that surround the sequencing of reforms; the role of path dependence; the interaction of law, culture, and institutions; and, finally, the role of international institutions in addressing the dilemmas of development.