This course critically assesses international experience and empirical data regarding judicial reform and other legal assistance in the developing and transition countries. Development theory broadly conceived has come to focus on institutions, including legal institutions, as the necessary foundation for economic growth and democratization. Yet, many international development actors proceed without seriously examining or analyzing the extensive experience of recent decades in trying to perform the complex set of tasks needed to implement reforms. This course will review case studies of such reform efforts; draw on relevant literature in political science, economics, comparative law, and related disciplines; analyze the reform strategies of selected development agencies; and explore alternative modes of analysis that may lead to more effective strategies than many legal assistance programs have enjoyed to date. The intent is to bridge theory and practice as the course probes the political economy of reform of legal institutions in developing countries.