Abstract
The argument proposed in this paper is that the Law and Economics literature should invest more in designing causal theories that fully exploit the ideas put forward in the debate on causal pluralism. To succeed, this approach should go beyond importing causal theories from economic theory. For both large-N and small-N studies, causality should be understood as a search for connections between institutional contexts and non-institutional factors. Legal concepts and interpretative practices should be included in the inquiry if they shape those connections by enabling or hampering the causal effects. Even though legal studies mainly discuss causality issues with regard to liability judgments, it is clear that any discussion about legal change requires to explore causal nexuses at micro-, meso- and macro- institutional levels.