Benjamin Van Rooij

Professor dr. Benjamin van Rooij is the director of the Center for Law and Behavior. In his work, he focuses on the interaction between law and behavior. 

Why study the combination of law and behavior?
My PhD research about environmental law in China showed that it is insufficient to just study legal rules. We need to understand how these rules influence behavior, and how people implementing the rules behave.

What are you trying to accomplish with C-Lab?
I hope that C-Lab will become the center of Behavioral Jurisprudence. A place where we study the interaction between law and behavior, and question legal assumptions about human conduct.

Who is your favorite scientist and why?
This one is difficult! But the first person that came to mind is Matthew Desmond. His ethnographic account of poverty, inequality, and housing practices in Milwaukee is one of the best scientific books I have read. His style and meticulous research… it provides completely new insights into a massive social problem. A must read!