Law in the Time of COVID-19

Introduction and Election Law

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its social, political, and economic effects, members of the Columbia Law School faculty came together in March 2020 to publish an ebook to help identify the key legal issues and provide guidance to policy makers. Spearheaded by Professor Katharina Pistor, leading Columbia Law professors explore COVID’s impact on all facets of our lives, including contracts, elections, bankruptcy, child welfare, the gig economy, and prisoners’ rights.

In part 1 of this 3-part series, Professor Katharina Pistor explains the wide-reaching effects the pandemic has and some of the critical legal issues explored in the ebook. In the latter half, Professor Richard Briffault describes how elections unfolded across the country early on in the pandemic as states scrambled to hold primaries, with particular focus on Ohio and Wisconsin. He explores what went right, what went wrong, and what changes should be implemented leading up to the November 2020 presidential election to ensure a fair and safe electoral process.

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