Robert E. Scott Named President of American Law and Economics Association
Scott, the Alfred McCormack Professor of Law and an Expert in Contracts, Commercial Transactions, and Bankruptcy, Took the Helm of the Organization at its Annual Meeting
New York, May 28, 2014—Professor Robert E. Scott has been named president of the American Law and Economics Association (ALEA), an organization of law professors and economists dedicated to advancing economic understanding of law and related areas of public policy and regulation.
Scott, the Alfred McCormack Professor of Law and a founding member of the ALEA, most recently served a two-year term as president-elect. Under his presidency, Columbia Law School will host the organization’s annual conference in the spring of 2015, which will be attended by hundreds of academics from North America and Europe.
The ALEA publishes a scholarly journal, the American Law and Economics Review, and awards the biannual Ronald H. Coase Medal in recognition of significant contributions to the field of law and economics. But its annual conference typically marks the pinnacle of its yearly activities.
Scott is a nationally recognized scholar and teacher in the fields of contracts, commercial transactions, and bankruptcy. On July 1, 2014, he will become interim dean of Columbia Law School, taking over for David M. Schizer whose 10-year term as dean ends June 30. Gillian Lester will become Columbia Law School’s 15th dean on Jan. 1, 2015.