Surreply: How and Why We Should Become Un-Stuck!

Abstract

Writing a "surreply" in a law review symposium is almost always a mistake. The author of the initial piece is inevitably motivated by conflicting and counterproductive impulses. Initially, the author will always experience an overwhelming feeling of gratitude that leading scholars took the time to write responses. I certainly feel this. The four responses to my article, Stuck! The Law and Economics of Residential Stagnation, are serious, in-depth, and thoughtful. I am very grateful to their four respective authors. But focusing on one's appreciation leads to saccharine responses, better fodder for thank you notes than for the pages of a law journal.