This is the first volume of the Columbia Law School series on “The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization.” This series, consisting of biennial thematic volumes, is based upon the papers presented in the Seminar in WTO Law and Policy organized every fall semester at Columbia. Each volume – representing the papers that will have been presented in that seminar over a two-year period – addresses different, but always vital, aspects of the WTO integration process. The contributors are, without exception, outstanding experts in their field of expertise, and they include economists, political scientists, and lawyers, all specializing in the WTO. By the time these volumes appear, each author will have in principle benefited from presentation and discussion of their work in a Columbia Law School seminar composed of a highly select group of WTO students.

WTO law is a dynamic and richly evolving field, and the series will reflect that reality. Upcoming volumes will deal with WTO law and developing countries; intellectual property in the WTO; and the WTO dispute resolution process.