Neil B. Cohen

Neil B. Cohen is the 1901 Distinguished Research Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, specializing in Commercial Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts, and International Business Law. He holds the Jeffrey D. Forchelli Professorship and serves as Director of Research for the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Permanent Editorial Board. Cohen’s work focuses on commercial law reform, international harmonization of secured credit rules, and conflict of laws. He has authored influential books like Choice of Law: Cases and Materials and Contracts: Cases and Materials.

Education:

• J.D., New York University School of Law (Root-Tilden Scholar)
• S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research Interests: Cohen’s research spans commercial law modernization, international secured transactions, contract theory, and the intersection of science and law. He has contributed to the ALI’s Restatement of Suretyship and Guaranty and advised U.S. delegations at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). His work often bridges theoretical legal analysis with practical regulatory frameworks.

Awards:

• American Law Institute’s John Minor Wisdom Award (2014)
• Homer Kripke Lifetime Achievement Award (2014)
• R. Ammi Cutter Reporter Honor (American Law Institute)

Advising & Grants: Cohen has advised on major international law reform projects, including the Hague Principles on Choice of Law and UNIDROIT’s work on international contracts. He has collaborated with the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on Private International Law since 2009.

Additional Roles: He directs the UCC research initiatives and co-authors leading commercial law textbooks. His interdisciplinary work includes studies on statistical causation in tort law and baseball’s legal analogies (e.g., the infield fly rule’s jurisprudential implications).