Who They Are
CRA’s Antitrust and Competition Practice was founded over 50 years ago by professors specializing in antitrust policy, led by Prof. Franklin Fisher (MIT). Since that time, their work with leading antitrust scholars from prominent academic institutions has included the economic analyses underlying major antitrust lawsuits, merger reviews, or government investigations into anticompetitive behavior. Given their expertise and history, their engagements closely mirror rigorous analysis in academia – with foundations in economic theory as well as robust data analysis. And their current roster of projects and clients places their work near the forefront of today’s vigorous discussions regarding antitrust policy and innovation.
The Analyst Experience: Antitrust and Competition Practice
As analysts, students have the opportunity to apply the theoretical concepts learned in economics classes to real world data and problems. Much like academic researchers, new analysts at CRA are key contributors to several phases of project work, from data collection to programming statistical analyses to testing the robustness of results. Analysts can expect to work on a variety of antitrust issues in projects focusing on the assessment of competitive effects – including those that arise from mergers, price fixing, exclusive dealing or monopolization in a wide variety of industries including, for example, digital platforms, cloud services, healthcare, cellular devices, sports leagues and consumer goods. Examples of recent Competition Practice projects include evaluating the competitive issues of open versus integrated systems for the Apple iPod iTunes antitrust litigation, and working with the US Federal Trade Commission to assess whether a proposed merger of two Chicago-area hospital systems was likely to harm consumers by raising prices for care.
In addition to working with leading academic economists, analysts in CRA’s Antitrust and Competition Practice benefit from both formal training and informal on-the-job learning. CRA colleagues overseeing your development or collaborating with you on project work will often have PhD-level training. More formal training programs provided by CRA focus on technical skills, client interaction, and networking. While analysts often follow a career path to senior positions at CRA, many also use their experience at CRA as a springboard to top graduate programs. Members of recent analyst classes have gone on to pursue graduate studies at (for example) MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Chicago, Northwestern, and Penn.
Apply for the Antitrust & Competition Practice Analyst Position
The Antitrust and Competition Practice is now recruiting to fill open analyst positions at CRA offices in Boston, Chicago, Oakland, and Washington, DC. They are looking for students with a strong foundation in economics or related quantitative fields (e.g. mathematics, statistics, computer science) who are motivated to explore research opportunities in economics, and can bring a critical eye to their work.
Students working towards an honors thesis or participating in research projects at the University of Maryland are strongly encouraged to apply.
Interested students should apply through their job posting on Symplicity as well as on the CRA website using this this link (Analyst). Students should indicate their preference for the Antitrust and Competition Practice in their cover letter.
Important University of Maryland On-Campus Dates
Career fair
Monday, September 16th
3:00-8:00pm
The Hotel at the University of Maryland
7777 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
News, Updates & Opportunities for ECON Undergraduates
