Jeffrey Evans Stake

Jeffrey Evans Stake is the Robert A. Lucas Chair and Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. His distinguished career includes visiting appointments at University of Illinois, Georgetown University, University of Colorado, Paris II (Panthéon-Assas), Max Planck Institute, and Peking University School of Transnational Law. Professor Stake co-founded the Midwest Law and Economics Association and serves as past president of the Society for Evolutionary Analysis in Law.

His research explores the intersection of property law with economics and evolutionary biology, examining how human instincts shape legal concepts of ownership and transfer. Key areas include:

• Evolutionary foundations of property rights
• Law and economics applications
• Trusts and estate planning
• Critical analysis of legal education systems
• Behavioral biology in legal frameworks

Professor Stake's publications demonstrate consistent focus on empirical analysis of legal systems, with recent work examining perceptions of compensation in property takings and biological influences on beneficence. His scholarship combines theoretical innovation with practical applications in legal education reform.

Teaching honors include:

• Trustees' Teaching Award (2012, 2001)
• Leon H. Wallace Teaching Award (1995)
• Student-selected 'Last Lecture' honoree (2012)