BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Dean of the School of Business and Economics Bryan McCannon ‘98 was named one of eight finalists with the nation’s top law and economics scholars at the inaugural Manne Madness Tournament.
The tournament was organized to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School — which was established in 1974 by one of the founding scholars of law and economics as a discipline, Henry G. Manne. State and federal judges were gathered to moderate the competitive program, identifying and rewarding 32 top lecturers in the field.
“It was absolutely fun. I love getting up in front of a room and teaching economics. The judges were truly interested in learning how economic principles apply to their careers,” said McCannon. “In addition, I made sure to incorporate some of my research findings into each lecture. What was unique was the uncertainty. I have never competed in a lecturing competition and was not sure what topics, depth or case studies would be most impactful.”
McCannon’s research explores the economics of legal institutions, focusing on the incentives driving judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and even criminals. Through his lectures, he connected economic theories to real-world legal contexts, such as how judicial salaries influence decision-making quality, how elections affect prosecutorial behavior and how bargaining theory applies to plea deals.
“My goal is to show how the structures and incentives within legal institutions influence outcomes, often in unexpected ways,” he said.
Leading up to the final tournament, McCannon competed in a regional competition in Chicago over the summer. He said his goal was to win at least one round, but he quickly advanced through the bracket and was named regional champion.
“I would hear from judges during the breaks and breakfasts about how much they liked my lectures and presentation style. I was honestly quite shocked that I was able to beat scholars who were so accomplished in the field and who taught at elite law schools,” he said.
During the national competition Dec. 8-13 in Miami, McCannon continued to rise through the ranks, surpassing professors from Boston University, Northwestern and Texas A&M. He ultimately fell to University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Jonathan Klick.
“[The other competing scholars] are incredibly bright people who are able to articulate their ideas well, connect with the audience, and challenge others to think critically about the law and the consequences to the decisions made,” said McCannon. “I knew about their scholarship, but being able to watch them give their presentations, it was obvious why they had made the finals.”
McCannon said he enjoyed networking with other lecturers in the field, as well as the federal judges, and he is eager to incorporate some of the topics discussed into his curriculum and research.
“Being able to enjoy the beach and temperatures in the 80s in mid-December was a nice bonus,” he added.
McCannon is the Robert S. Eckley Endowed Chair in Economics at IWU. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Illinois Wesleyan in 1998 and his PhD in economics from Pennsylvania State University in 2003. Previously, he was a professor at Wake Forest University, the chair of the Department of Finance at Saint Bonaventure University, and director of the Center for Free Enterprise while a faculty member at West Virginia University. McCannon has mentored undergraduate, master’s and PhD students for over 20 years and serves on the executive board of multiple professional, academic societies.