Scott Baker

Professor Scott Baker is a leading scholar in law and economics at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. His academic roles include Professor of Law and Economics, with expertise spanning contractual theory, judicial behavior, and game theory applied to legal systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics (UNC Chapel Hill, 2001), J.D. from the University of Chicago (2000), and B.A. from Miami University (1994). Before joining Washington University in 2009, he was a professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at the University of North Carolina.

His research focuses on intersections of law, economics, and game theory, addressing topics like contractual enforcement mechanisms, legal uncertainty impacts on firms, and patent disclosure strategies. Notable contributions include studies on legal sanctions vs. reputational systems and the role of appellate courts in doctrinal development. He has received the McCall Award for Teaching Excellence and a Tilburg University grant for innovation in law and economics research.

Baker’s publications span prestigious journals such as the Journal of Political Economy and Journal of Law and Economics. His work analyzes doctrinal choice dynamics, motion practice strategies, and the economics of limited liability. He served as a Becker-Friedman fellow at the University of Chicago and clerked for Judge E. Grady Jolly of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Key research themes include: 1) mechanisms balancing legal and reputational sanctions for contract enforcement, 2) strategic disclosure in patent systems, 3) judicial hierarchy impacts on lawmaking, and 4) cost-benefit frameworks for regulatory participation. His scholarship emphasizes institutional design and behavioral economic insights applied to legal processes.