Insolvency and Economic Development:Regional Variation and Adjustment

This paper examines the determinants of the rate of forced insolvency in New Zealand. The study incorporates two key features. First, we use regional as well as national data to explain insolvencies. The data cover six regions which have had a variety of economic experiences over the sample period (1988–2003). Second, we explain the total rate of forced insolvency in New Zealand, including both personal bankruptcies and involuntary company liquidations. We find that increases in regional economic activity and regional property values (the latter representing collateral effects) reduce regional insolvencies. An increase in credit provision (increased leverage) raises the rate of insolvencies. In a low-inflation environment, a rise in the inflation rate reduces insolvencies, but this effect disappears in a high-inflation environment. We show that interactions between economic activity, leverage and property price shocks provide a rich understanding of how region-specific shocks can compound into significant localised economic cycles.Insolvency; liquidation; bankruptcy; collateral; regional economy

Insolvency and Economic Development: Regional Variation and Adjustment

This paper examines the determinants of the rate of forced insolvency in New Zealand. The study incorporates two key features. First, we use regional as well as national data to explain insolvencies. The data cover six regions which have had a variety of economic experiences over the sample period (1988-2003). Second, we explain the total rate of forced insolvency in New Zealand, including both personal bankruptcies and involuntary company liquidations. We find that increases in regional economic activity and regional property values (the latter representing collateral effects) reduce regional insolvencies. An increase in credit provision (increased leverage) raises the rate of insolvencies. In a low-inflation environment, a rise in the inflation rate reduces insolvencies, but this effect disappears in a high-inflation environment. We show that interactions between economic activity, leverage and property price shocks provide a rich understanding of how region-specific shocks can compound into significant localised economic cycles.Insolvency; liquidation; bankruptcy; collateral; regional economy

Natural selection: firm performance following the Canterbury earthquakes

The Canterbury earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011 caused major upheaval to the people of the region. The second quake killed 185 people, forced many from their homes, and closed Christchurch’s central business district. This paper examines the consequential effects on business in the region, paying particular attention to heterogeneity in firm-level outcomes. Consistent with aggregate statistics, we quantify substantial variation in firm outcomes by industry and by location. In addition, we show that firms’ prior financial viability heavily influenced their chance of survival. Conditional on continuing to operate, average profitability returned to pre-quake levels relatively quickly, albeit subject to reduced inputs. Taken together, these effects support economic models where firm exit is driven by selection on profitability

Advancing legal education for all – the role of a journal

Promoting legal literacy is nothing new. There have been many initiatives, stretching back to the mid 1970s at least, to improve the public’s understanding of their rights (and responsibilities).[1][1] For example the (then) pioneering and (still) highly influential work of the Georgetown Law School, Washington DC, Street Law team under the direction of Richard Roe and of Street Law Inc, which evolved from this earlier initiative. For an account of this and other street Law programmes see: R. Grimes, E. O’Brien, D. McQuoid-Mason and J. Zimmer Street Law and Social Justice Education, in The Global Clinical Movement: Educating Lawyers for Social Justice, F. Bloch (ed.), OUP, 2010

Delivering legal education through an integrated problem-based learning model – the nuts and bolts

Judging by the number of enquiries received, visits made and conference discussions wide interest has been shown by academics and students alike in the form and content of legal education at the York Law School (YLS). YLS has, since its inception, used a problem-based learning model for study across all foundation and most, if not all, optional modules and at both undergraduate (LLB) and postgraduate (LLM) levels. Following repeated requests to explain how PBL works in an integrated legal education context this contribution sets out to describe exactly how these programmes are structured and will hopefully promote further discussion on the rationale behind and effectiveness of such an approach to stud

Evaluating legal literacy programmes - aims, challenges, models and a call to action

Generally speaking, if one asks most people whether improving public understanding of the law and legal system is a good thing, most hands will go up. This is perhaps no surprise. An improved level of legal literacy should not only raise awareness of rights and responsibilities but may well provide people with more of an informed choice about what to do if they encounter legal issues. It might give those concerned the tools and confidence to address some of these problems themselves through self-help and it may address, at least to some degree, inequalities that otherwise exist. Overall, improving levels of legal literacy could enhance access to justice more generally. The generic term often ascribed to raising legal awareness amongst the wider population is public legal education (PLE).There is a wealth of anecdotal material suggesting that all of the above is highly relevant and impactful but there is little by way of clear empirical evidence to substantiate such claims.  This article will look at the need for, and means of, developing such an evidence base and ends with a plea for more research, sharing of ideas and collaboration in terms of evaluating PLE

Learning law by doing law in the UK

Using hands-on experience as a basis for learning has long been a feature of programmes in higher and further education in the UK. Medics, scientists, linguists, mechanics and beauty therapists, to name a few, are exposed to real life situations in which the opportunity exists for theory and practice to be studied and applied

Aprendizaje basado en problemas y educación jurídica – un estudio de caso en aprendizaje experiencial integrado

[EN] This work describes the legal education system as it currently exists in England and Wales (the rest of the UK has a somewhat  different  structure)  and highlights perceived shortcomings in that system. It then goes on to address these and to suggest how learning and teaching can be improved by paying attention to form as well as content, particularly from the perspective of how legal education is delivered. The paper focuses on one particular approach to legal education, termed: problem-based learning (PBL). This forms the key means for study at one of the UK’s leading law schools. The rationale for and concept of PBL is explained  and  extensive  reference  is made to a wealth of source materials on the nature and effectiveness of such a learning medium. The implications for PBL in the context of experiential learning are also explored including the use of PBL  in  live-client  clinics.  The  chapter concludes with the suggestion that more interactive  or  ‘hands-on’  methods  of st[ES] Este trabajo describe el Sistema de Estudios de Derecho tal y como es actualmente en Inglaterra y Gales (el resto del reino Unido tiene una estructura un tanto diferente) y subraya algunas fallas percibidas en este sistema. Por ello se trata de indicar dichas fallas y sugerir como el aprendizaje y la enseñanza pueden ser mejorados prestando atención a la forma así como al contenido, particularmente desde la perspectiva de cómo se imparten los estudios de Derecho. El trabajo se centra en un acercamiento particular a los estudios de Derecho, llamado: Aprendizaje Basado en Problemas (ABP). Este es el enfoque clave para el estudio en una de las escuelas de Derecho líder del Reino Unido. La razón de ser y el concepto del ABP es explicado y se hacen extensas referencias a la riqueza de las fuentes de recursos en la naturaleza y eficacia de dicho medio de aprendizaje. Las implicaciones del ABP en el contexto del aprendizaje experimental son también exploradas incluyendo el uso de ABP con casoGrimes, R. (2015). Problem-based learning and legal education–a case study in integrated experiential study. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 13(1):361-375. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2015.6451OJS361375131Barrows, (1986) A Taxonomy of Problem-based Learning Methods, Medical Education, 20, 481Barrows, (2000) Foreword in Evenson and Hmelo (eds.) Problem-based learning: A research perspective on learning interactions, Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum, viiBarrows and Tamblyn (1980), Problem-based learning: An approach to medical education, New York: SpringerBlock and Moore, (1994) Project evaluation in Tosteson, Adelstein and Carver, (eds.) New Pathways to medical education, Cambridge MA: Harvard University PressCruickshank, (1996) Problem-based learning in legal education, in Webb and Maughan, (eds.), Teaching lawyers' skills, London: ButterworthsDelgnan (2009) Enquiry-based learning: Perspectives on practice, Teaching in Higher Education 14 (1), 13Dolmans and Schmidt, (2006) What Do We Know About Cognitive and Motivational Effects of Small Group Tutorials in Problem-based Learning? Advances in Health Sciences Education 11, 321.Engel, (1991) Not Just a Method but a Way of Learning, in Boud and Feletti, (eds.), The challenge of problem-based learning, London: Kogan Page, 22Hmelo-Silver (2004), Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16, 235Hmelo-Silver and Barrows, (2006) Goals and strategies of a problem-based learning facilitator, Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1, 21Knowles (1980),The Modern Practice of Adult Education. Cambridge/Prentice HallMacckinnon, (2006) Problem-based Learning and New Zealand Legal Education, Web Journal of Current Legal Issues, 3 Web J CL, 1Martin, (2003) Using a modified problem-based learning approach to motivate and enhance student learning of taxation law, The Law Teacher 37(1), 55Maudsley, Do we all mean the same thing by 'problem-based learning'? A review of the concepts and formulation of the ground rules, Academic Medicine, 74 (2), 178Maughan, (1996) Problem-Solving Through Reflective Practice: The Oxygen of Expertise or Just Swamp Gas? 2 Web JCLI, available at: http://webjcli.ncl.ac.uk/1996/issue2/maughan2.htmlMoskovitz, (1992) Beyond the case method: it's time to teach with problems, Journal of Legal Education, 42, 241Moust, (1998) The problem-based education approach at the Maastricht Law School, The Law Teacher, 32 (1), 5Nathanson, (1998) Designing problems to teach legal problem solving', California Western Law Review 34, 325Payne, (2003) Peer learning at university: trusting the students,The Law Teacher 37(2), 143Pederson, (2011) Advancing Young Adolescents' Hypothesis Development Performance in a Computer - Supported and Problem-based Learning Enviroment, Computers and Education, 57, 178Sackalingam, Rotgans and Schmidt (2011) Student and Tutor Perceptions on Attributes of Effective Problems in Problem-based Learning, High Educ, 62, 1Savery and Duffy (1995), Problem based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework, Educational Technology, 35, 31Savin-Baden, (2000) Problem-based learning in higher education: untold stories Buckingham: Open University PressSchmidt (1993), Foundations of problem-based learning: some explanatory notes, Medical Education 27,422Schmidt, Rotgans and Yew, (2011) The Process of Problem-based Learning: What Works and Why, Medical Education, 45, 792Srinivasan, Wilkes, Stevenson, Nguyen and Slavin, (2007) Comparing problem-based learning with case-based learning: effects of a major curricular shift at two institutions, Academic Medicine, 82 (1), 74Szabo, (1993) Teaching substantive law through problem-based learning in Hong Kong, Journal of Professional Legal Education, 11, 195Tzannes, (1997) Problem-based learning in legal education: intentionally overlooked or merely misunderstood?, The Law Teacher 31 (2), 180Winsor, (1997) Applying problem-based learning to practical legal training', in Boud and Feletti (eds.) The challenge of problem-based learning , (2nd edition) London: Kogan PageWolff, (2000) Problem Based Learning. The role of the tutor: A resource guide for faculty, Vancouver: Wolff Consulting LtdWong, (2003) Harnessing the potential of problem-based learning in legal education, The Law Teacher 37(2), 157Yuan, Williams, Yin, Liu, Fang and Pang (2011) Nursing Students' Views on the Effectiveness of Problem-based Learning, Nurse Education Today, 31, 5

The emergence and decline of the Delaware Indian nation in western Pennsylvania and the Ohio country, 1730--1795

Many past and current generations of historians, anthropologists, and literary writers have acknowledged the existence of a Delaware Indian nation. They, however, have failed to thoroughly understand or address the historical and cultural dynamics that contributed to both the formation and quick decline of this Indian nation. This multidisciplinary study includes the oral traditions and oratory of Delaware Indians, the observances of Moravian missionaries and colonial-revolutionary officials, and contemporary anthropological and historical sources, to construct the building of the Delaware nation during the eighteenth century.;Once decentralized and living in the Delaware River watershed, three phratries or animal tribes (Turtle, Turkey, and Wolf) of Delawares, in response to their unfair treatment at the hands of the Pennsylvania-Iroquois alliance of 1732, moved west to the Allegheny Valley of western Pennsylvania and eventually across the Ohio River into the Muskingum River valley. Western Delawares developed a sense of common cause and weathered the turmoil of imperial conflict between the French and British during the Seven Years\u27 War in western Pennsylvania. A regional identity was greatly enhanced when western Delawares by 1765 separated themselves politically from their eastern kin who remained on the Susquehanna.;This dissertation also considers the creation of a National Council or Lupwaaeenoawuk, the influence of Moravian missionaries, and the importance of visionary leaders, such as Tamaqua, White Eyes, and Captain Pipe---three important factors, imperative to the story of Delaware centralization and nationhood in the Ohio. The stability of a lasting political Delaware nation, however, was undermined by the stress of factionalism in the Great Council as the American Revolution divided Delaware leaders in 1780.;This study will also examine the processes, which led to the fractured state of the Delawares after Washington\u27s Indian War in the Old Northwest Territory and the subsequent Treaty of Greenville that followed in 1795. The story of the Delawares from 1730-1795 demonstrates a dramatic and arduous struggle for autonomy, identity, and political union. In the end, however, the Delaware nation became weakened and broken, driven from the Ohio and forced to migrate west once again