معرفی
John A.E. Pottow is the John Philip Dawson Collegiate Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, where he has been a faculty member since 2003. An internationally recognized expert in commercial law, he focuses on cross-border insolvencies and consumer financial distress. He serves on the United States delegation to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Private International Law.
Professor Pottow's educational background includes:
- BA in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Harvard University
- JD, magna cum laude, from Harvard University, where he served as treasurer of the Harvard Law Review
His research spans Corporate and Securities Law, International and Comparative Law, and Law and Social Sciences, with concentrated expertise in bankruptcy systems, financial regulation, and cross-border insolvency frameworks. He has testified before Congress and co-authored the leading bankruptcy textbook used nationally.
His recent scholarship demonstrates consistent focus on bankruptcy law evolution, consumer financial distress mechanisms, and international insolvency coordination, with increasing interdisciplinary connections to healthcare finance.
His accolades include:
- L. Hart Wright Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005)
- Pro bono award from the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2012)
- Elected member of the American Law Institute
- Elected member of the American College of Bankruptcy
- Elected member of the International Insolvency Institute
Professor Pottow teaches Bankruptcy, Commercial Law, and Contracts courses while maintaining an active pro bono practice that has reached the Supreme Court, successfully arguing Executive Benefits Insurance Agency v. Arkison (2014). His media commentary for NPR, CNBC, CNN, and BBC bridges academic scholarship with real-world legal applications. He maintains significant international engagement through UNCITRAL and State Department committees but does not lead a formal research laboratory.
