Professors Joo and Saucedo team up to research 'gig' economy

The summer is always a wonderful time to hear from faculty colleagues about their latest research. Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Afra Afsharipour has organized an outstanding series of lunch discussions about scholarship in progress by the UC Davis School of Law faculty.

Last week, Professors Tom Joo and Leticia Saucedo presented an amazing paper “A New Paradigm: Rideshare Drivers, Collective Labor Action, and Antitrust.” The paper sees antitrust law as better able than labor and employment law to protect the actors in the emerging “gig" economy. It posits that labor and employment law is more geared toward the traditional workplace than new technology-based economic activities.

Faculty had an array of questions for the co-authors. It really was an intellectually enriching discussion – and a very relevant one as law adapts to new economic and technological developments.