Eric Posner
Encyclopedia
Eric Andrew Posner is Kirkland and Ellis Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School
. He is the son of the prominent federal appellate judge
Richard Posner
.
(B.A.
, M.A.
in philosophy
, summa cum laude) and received his law degree
from Harvard Law School
(J.D.
, magna cum laude) in 1991. He clerked
for Judge
Stephen F. Williams
of the D.C. Circuit
.
. He has published articles on various subjects, including international law
, cost-benefit analysis
, and constitutional law
, and has taught courses on subjects including international law, foreign relations law, and game theory
and the law.
His current research focuses on international law, foreign relations law, and international tribunals. He has written about the trial of the deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
. In Terror in the Balance: Security, Liberty, and the Courts (2007), he argued that courts should be more deferential to executive action during emergencies than during normal times.
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
. He is the son of the prominent federal appellate judge
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
Richard Posner
Richard Posner
Richard Allen Posner is an American jurist, legal theorist, and economist who is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School...
.
Education and clerkship
Posner attended Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
(B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, summa cum laude) and received his law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
(J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
, magna cum laude) in 1991. He clerked
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge
Federal judge
Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state / provincial / local level.-Brazil:In Brazil, federal judges of first instance are chosen exclusively by public contest...
Stephen F. Williams
Stephen F. Williams
Stephen Fain Williams is a Senior Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He was appointed to the court in June 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, and took senior status in September 2001....
of the D.C. Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
.
Career
He is also an editor of The Journal of Legal StudiesThe Journal of Legal Studies
The Journal of Legal Studies is a law journal published by the University of Chicago Press focusing on interdisciplinary academic research in law and legal institutions....
. He has published articles on various subjects, including international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, cost-benefit analysis
Cost-benefit analysis
Cost–benefit analysis , sometimes called benefit–cost analysis , is a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project for two purposes: to determine if it is a sound investment , to see how it compares with alternate projects...
, and constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
, and has taught courses on subjects including international law, foreign relations law, and game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
and the law.
His current research focuses on international law, foreign relations law, and international tribunals. He has written about the trial of the deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. In Terror in the Balance: Security, Liberty, and the Courts (2007), he argued that courts should be more deferential to executive action during emergencies than during normal times.
Books
- Climate Change Justice (Princeton University Press 2010) (with David Weisbach) ISBN 0691137757
- Law and Happiness (University of Chicago Press 2010) ISBN 0226676005
- Perils of Global Legalism (University of Chicago Press 2009) ISBN 0226675742
- Terror in the Balance: Security, Liberty, and the Courts (Oxford University Press 2007) (with Adrian VermeuleAdrian VermeuleAdrian Vermeule, who is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, has been Professor of Law at Harvard Law School since 2006 and was named John H. Watson Professor of Law in 2008. He was a Visiting Professor of Law in 2005...
). ISBN 019531025X - The Limits of International Law (Oxford University Press 2005) (with Jack GoldsmithJack GoldsmithJack Landman Goldsmith is a Harvard Law School professor who has written a number of texts regarding international law, cyber law, and national security law...
). ISBN 0195168399 - Law and Social Norms (Harvard University Press 2000). ISBN 0674008146
Articles
- "Is the International Court of Justice Biased?," J. Legal Stud. (forthcoming) (with Miguel de Figueiredo).
- "An Economic Analysis of State and Individual Responsibility Under International Law", Amer. L. & Econ. Rev. (forthcoming; with Alan Sykes)
- "International Law: A Welfarist Approach", 73 U. Chi. L. Rev. 487 (2006)
- "International Law and the Rise of China", 7 Chi. J. Int’l L. 1 (2006; with John Yoo)
- "International Law and the Disaggregated State", 32 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. 797 (2005)
- "Terrorism and the Laws of War", 5 Chi. J. Int’l L. 423 (2005)
- "Optimal War and Jus ad Bellum", 93 Georgetown L.J. 993 (2005) (with Alan Sykes)
- "Judicial Independence in International Tribunals", 93 Calif. L. Rev. 1 (2005; with John Yoo)
- "Transnational Legal Process and the Supreme Court’s 2003–2004 Term: Some Skeptical Observations", 12 Tulsa Journal of Comparative and International Law 23 (2004)
- "A Theory of the Laws of War", 70 U. Chi. L. Rev. 297 (2003)
- "Do States Have a Moral Obligation to Comply with International Law?", 55 Stan. L. Rev. 1901 (2003)
- "Moral and Legal Rhetoric in International Relations: A Rational Choice Perspective", 31 J. Legal Stud. S115 (2002; with Jack Goldsmith)
- "Understanding the Resemblance Between Modern and Traditional Customary International Law", 40 Va. J. Int’l Law 639 (2000; with Jack L. Goldsmith)
Newspaper columns
- "A Threat That Belongs Behind Bars," The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, June 25, 2006 - "Apply the Golden Rule to al Qaeda?", The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, July 15, 2006, p. A9
External links
- University of Chicago Law School biography
- EricPosner.com
- CV
- Video (and audio) of debates and discussions involving Eric Posner on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...
- Facebook page
- Blog