Christopher Dass '11: Avoiding the Next Global Financial Crisis

I have spent the past two months researching for Professor George Geis, who will be teaching a class on the global financial crisis in the spring of 2010. The financial crisis has affected many if not all facets of human life, and my research has focused on gathering scholarly articles that touch upon the numerous — admittedly complicated — aspects of the crisis. My research has thus far cast a wide net, and has included: TARP, banking regulation, money market funds, hedge funds, private equity, financial derivatives, risk management and financial modeling. Nevertheless, my research has not simply been predicated on helping students understand how the crisis came to be.

Christopher Dass '11

Alternatively, and more importantly, the crux of my research has been aimed at compelling students to posit answers to two questions on the minds of those from Wall Street to Main Street: Where do we go from here, and how do we ensure that this never happens again?

On a personal level, the research I have conducted for Professor Geis has been incredibly fulfilling, arming me with a summer's worth of knowledge regarding the interconnected, symbiotic relationship shared by law and business. In February of 2010, the Law School will hold its annual Law and Business Symposium, and as the symposium's director, I hope the knowledge and ideas I have accrued through my research will help make 2010's symposium the most successful yet. And as I further my professional pursuits, I believe this summer's research will leave me poised for success, irrespective of which field of law I ultimately pursue.