John Langford is a Visiting Clinical Associate Professor of Law at Yale Law School and counsel at Protect Democracy. His work focuses on First Amendment issues, newsgathering rights, free expression, and disinformation. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School (2014) and dual degrees (B.M. and B.A.) from Oberlin College (2010). Education: J.D., Yale Law School, 2014 B.M. and B.A., Oberlin College, 2010 His research and practice emphasize media freedom and human rights. At Protect Democracy, he addresses legal challenges to democratic norms, particularly in digital contexts. Previously, Langford served as Clinical Lecturer in Law and Staff Attorney at Yale’s Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic, and clerked for Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He also practiced litigation at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. Labs/Teams: He is affiliated with the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic and the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School.
Stephanie Safdi is a Visiting Clinical Associate Professor of Law at Yale Law School, Yale University, with prior roles as Clinical Supervising Attorney and Lecturer at Stanford Law School's Environmental Law Clinic and Deputy County Counsel for Santa Clara County, California. Her work encompasses environmental litigation, regulatory advocacy, and public service, including wildfire recovery and COVID-19 emergency response coordination. Educational background: J.D., Yale Law School, 2013 M.E.M., Yale School of the Environment, 2013 M.Phil., University of Cambridge, 2006 A.B., Harvard College, 2005 Her research and practice center on environmental justice, water law, land use policies, and Indigenous rights, with litigation experience representing tribes and public agencies in federal and state courts. She also contributed to public nuisance abatement and health hazard mitigation during her tenure in Santa Clara County. Notable recognitions: Fulbright Fellowship for academic work in Israel Additional experience includes clerkships for Judge Michelle T. Friedland (U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit) and Judge Ricardo S. Martinez (U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington), as well as environmental law fellowship at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP.
Marc L. Busch is the Karl F. Landegger Professor of International Business Diplomacy at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He also holds adjunct professorships in the Law Center and the Department of Government. His expertise focuses on international trade policy and law, with particular attention to the World Trade Organization (WTO), trade dispute resolution, and global economic governance. Busch has served as a cleared advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, and has provided expert testimony before U.S. and Canadian legislative bodies on trade matters, including the TRIPS Waiver, Airbus-Boeing litigation, and NAFTA dispute settlement. He has consulted for major firms such as McKinsey & Company, Sidley Austin, and the World Bank, addressing trade-related challenges. His research interests span WTO dispute mechanisms, legal capacity in trade litigation, and the political economy of trade policy. He writes a bi-weekly column on international trade for The Hill and is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center's Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition. Busch has engaged with governments and institutions worldwide, including the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the United Nations, and the Advisory Centre on WTO Law, advocating for transparent and equitable trade practices. His work bridges academia and policy, influencing both scholarly discourse and real-world trade negotiations.
Professor John Ashton holds the position of Professor of Financial Regulation at the University of York's School for Business and Society, a role he has held since December 2021. Prior to this, he taught banking, finance, and related subjects at institutions including the University of Leeds, University of East Anglia, Bangor University, and Bournemouth University since 1993. His research focuses on financial and economic regulation, particularly in banking, insurance, and utility markets, with recent emphasis on pricing transparency and regulatory improvement in financial markets. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Bankers Institute and has contributed to policy guidance for the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority. Professor Ashton chairs the British Accounting and Finance Association's Financial Markets and Institutions Special Interest Group and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance . His work includes policy contributions on loyalty costs in financial services and barriers to entry in UK banking. He has extensive experience in regulatory training and has advised on payment systems and financial innovation risks at the G20 level. Education Background: Prior academic roles across multiple UK universities since 1993, with pre-academic experience in the financial services industry and insurance sector. Research Contributions: Over 50 peer-reviewed publications on topics ranging from cryptocurrency market dynamics to predatory financial services. Professional Affiliations: Member of the International Institute for Banking and Financial Services (University of Leeds) and founder of the ESRC Centre for Competition Policy (University of East Anglia). His research interests extend to environmental spending influenced by mutual fund ownership, the impact of cryptocurrency heists on market efficiency, and the regulatory challenges posed by behavioral economics in overdraft and insurance markets. He has also explored gender diversity on corporate boards and the effectiveness of punishments for accounting fraud. Grants and advisory roles include contributions to EU accession banking governance studies and evaluations of financial misconduct detection rates. His work often bridges academic research with practical policy implementation, emphasizing real-world regulatory challenges and solutions.
Vivek Jayaram is an Adjunct Professor and Co-Director of the Arts Law Track at the University of Miami School of Law, specializing in Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law. He holds a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (2004) and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2000). His legal expertise spans intellectual property transactions, corporate deals, and litigation across multiple U.S. federal and state courts. Mr. Jayaram’s professional experience includes roles as a law clerk to Judges Adalberto Jordan and Richard Conway Casey, and as an associate at Greenberg Traurig. He currently leads Jayaram Law, advising creatives, innovators, and enterprises in Web 3.0, fashion, and new media. He is also a board member of Kartemquin Films and GAPScore, Inc. Honors include the Benjamin N. Cardozo Service & Achievement Award and the Jacob Burns Medal. His career intersects legal practice, academic teaching, and entrepreneurial ventures, with a focus on supporting artists and emerging technologies.
Ira Jay Kurzban is a nationally recognized immigration attorney and Lecturer (adjunct faculty) in Immigration and Nationality Law at the University of Miami School of Law. Over more than four decades he has shaped U.S. immigration policy through landmark federal litigation, prolific scholarship, and tireless advocacy on behalf of immigrants and refugees. Education: J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law M.A. in Political Theory, University of California, Berkeley B.A. with High Honors, Syracuse University (Phi Beta Kappa) Research & Teaching Focus: Kurzban’s teaching and writing concentrate on cutting-edge issues in immigration and nationality law, refugee protection, human-rights-based federal litigation, and the intersection of constitutional and international law. His classroom work integrates first-hand litigation experience with doctrinal analysis, providing students practical insight into asylum adjudication, removal defense, and policy reform. Major Publications: He is the author of Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook , the most widely used one-volume treatise on U.S. immigration law, and Democracy and Immigration: Keeping Out the Other (Columbia University Press, 2008). These works are foundational references for practitioners, judges, and scholars nationwide. Awards & Honors: 2020 Leonard J. Theberge Award for Private International Law Tobias Simon Pro Bono Award (first recipient) Lawyers of the Americas Award for Human Rights Advocacy Jack Wasserman Award for excellence in federal litigation Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for advancement of immigration law Carol King Award for contributions to immigration law (National Lawyers Guild) Wasserstein Fellowship, Harvard Law School Honorary Fellow, University of Pennsylvania Law School Consistently ranked “Star Individual” in Chambers & Partners Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Immigration & Employment Law, 1995–Present) Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America National Law Journal – Top 20 Immigration Lawyers Who’s Who Legal – International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers Florida Legal Elite (2004–Present) South Florida Legal Guide – Top Lawyers (2021) Advising & Service: Beyond his faculty role, Kurzban has served as General Counsel and National President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He founded the pro-immigrant political action committee Immigrants’ List and the Berkeley Law Foundation, which funds public-interest fellowships for law graduates. He has acted as counsel to the governments of Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Panama in high-profile immigration and human-rights matters. Litigation Leadership: Kurzban has argued multiple cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—including Jean v. Nelson , INS v. Jean , and McNary v. Haitian Refugee Center —and has litigated over 100 federal cases shaping the rights of non-citizens. Under the Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Victim Protection Act he secured a $500 million judgment against former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier.
Scott Schaefer is a Professor of Finance at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business and holds the John W. McIntyre Family Endowed Chair for Free Market Economics. He also serves as a Visiting Professor of Management and Strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. His academic journey includes a PhD in Economic Analysis and Policy from Stanford University (1995) and a BS in Economics and Mathematical & Computational Sciences (1990). His research focuses on the economics of strategy, organizational economics, and labor markets. Notable works include Economics of Strategy (textbook) and Roadside MBA , exploring practical business lessons and elite education impacts. Schaefer has held leadership roles, including Associate Dean at Eccles School (2009–2012) and the Richard M. Paget Chair in Management Policy at Kellogg (1995–2005). His awards highlight teaching excellence: Professional Service Award (2011), Executive MBA Teaching Excellence Award (2010), Brady Superior Teaching Award (2009), and Masters Teaching Excellence Award (2008). Schaefer’s research bridges economic theory and real-world applications in law firms, compensation strategies, and elite education outcomes. He has contributed to policy analysis, including studies on labor market dynamics, legal profession economics, and the impact of regulatory changes like the Civil Rights Act of 1991. His work frequently appears in top journals and addresses strategic decision-making in organizations.
Giuseppe Bellantuono is a Full Professor of Comparative Private Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Trento. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. and post-doc in Comparative Private Law from the University of Trento, following a Magna cum Laude law degree from the University of Bari. He has held visiting professorships at institutions like the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the University of Lisbon, focusing on energy law and comparative legal frameworks. His research interests span AI and law, climate change law, comparative contract law, and the regulation of network industries. He has taught extensively in Italy and abroad, including courses on energy law, contract law, and law and economics. Notably, he served as a secondee at the European Commission's DG Energy (2014–2015). Bellantuono’s recent publications address legal challenges in decarbonization, low-carbon transitions, and comparative energy governance. His work bridges legal systems through interdisciplinary approaches, emphasizing policy transfer and regulatory innovation. He holds the title of Professor Colaborador at the Federal University of Minas Gerais’s Law School since 2018.
Naim Bugra Ozel is a Professor of Accounting at the Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). He previously held roles including Associate Professor (2017–2024) and Assistant Professor (2015–2017) at UTD, and visiting positions at the Wharton School (2019–2021) and UCLA Anderson School (2010–2016). He is the PhD coordinator for Accounting at UTD and founder/director of the Center for Corporate Compliance. Education: PhD in Accounting, Columbia University, 2010 MPhil in Accounting, Columbia University, 2007 BS in Industrial Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 2005 BS in Management Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 2004 Research Focus: Corporate disclosure, debt markets, corporate compliance, labor relations, and litigation. His work has been published in top journals like Journal of Accounting & Economics and Journal of Financial Economics , influencing laws and media coverage in outlets like The Wall Street Journal and Forbes . Awards: AAA FARS Outstanding Service Award (2024) Poets & Quants 40-under-40 Best Professor (2021) Multiple Teaching Excellence Awards from Wharton and UCLA Professional Activities: Serves as a Senior Research Fellow at Wharton’s Harris Family Program. Founder of the Center for Corporate Compliance and active with Girls Who Invest. Recognized for innovative teaching and interdisciplinary research.
Dr. Mary Phelan is an Associate Professor at the School of Applied Language & Intercultural Studies (SALIS), Dublin City University, and Chairperson of the Association of Translators and Interpreters Ireland (ATII). Her research focuses on Translation Studies, particularly historical and contemporary provision of interpreters in legal, healthcare, and public service contexts. She is a leading expert on Irish language court interpreting, ethics in interpreting, and translation policy. Key research interests include the historical role of court interpreters (1754–1921), current interpreter provision standards, and ethical dilemmas in public service interpreting. Dr. Phelan has contributed to national and international projects addressing interpreter training, policy development, and language access in healthcare and legal systems. Her publications include monographs, peer-reviewed articles, and edited volumes on topics such as ethical frameworks for interpreters, historical language practices in courts, and the implementation of trained interpreters in healthcare. She actively collaborates with organizations like the HSE, EU Strategic Litigation Project, and the Royal Irish Academy. Dr. Phelan’s work emphasizes improving interpreter availability and quality, advocating for policy reforms, and supporting marginalized communities through effective cross-cultural communication. She encourages PhD research on interpreting history, policy, and ethical challenges.
Kate Dixon is an Instructor in the School of Business at Saint Martin's University and serves as Director of Credit Review at Heritage Bank. Her leadership roles span Enterprise Risk Management, compliance, and financial oversight. She has over fifteen years of experience in the Olympia/Lacey area, with expertise in credit risk assessment, loan portfolio management, and financial control systems. Professional background includes managing litigation and loan workouts in commercial banking, leading compliance examinations at the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, and driving bank transformation initiatives. Her work emphasizes risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and enhancing organizational financial processes. No academic articles or awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided text. Current roles focus on educational instruction and independent credit risk evaluation for Heritage Bank's Board committees.
Okechukwu Oko is a Professor of Law at the Southern University Law Center since 1995. He previously taught at the University of Nigeria, Grambling State University, and Brandeis University. Prof. Oko holds an LL.B. from the University of Nigeria (1981 Rotary Award recipient), BL from Nigeria Law School, LL.M. from University of Nigeria, and LL.M. and J.S.D. from Yale Law School. His expertise spans African/Nigerian Law, Contract Law, Commercial Law, and Democracy. He has authored articles in journals like the Rutgers Law Journal, Brooklyn Journal of International Law, and Harvard Human Rights Journal. Prof. Oko is a Lislet Fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation and a member of the American Academy of Legal Studies in Business. He belongs to multiple legal associations, including the Nigeria Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He frequently serves as an expert witness in international litigation for multinational corporations. He has received notable awards including the 1998 Teacher of the Year and the 1981 Rotary Award. His teaching focuses on Business Entities, Criminal Law, and Urban Legal Problems.
Harold J. Krent is a Professor of Law and Full-Time Faculty member at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. He joined the faculty in 1994 and served as Interim Dean (2002) and Dean (2003–2019). His expertise spans Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and U.S. Supreme Court dynamics. Krent earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law and A.B. from Princeton University. His research focuses on legal interactions between individuals and government, particularly presidential powers and administrative law. Key works include Presidential Powers and articles on executive authority, judicial review, and Fourth Amendment issues. He has advised the Biden Administration (2022) and consults for entities like the Administrative Conference of the United States. Notable media appearances include discussions on executive orders targeting law firms (2025), Supreme Court ethics reforms (2024), and presidential immunity (2024). Krent has also litigated cases with students for indigent prisoners and contributed to legal education through clinics and scholarly publications. He has received awards for excellence in legal writing and has over 58 publications, including articles in Notre Dame Law Review , Georgetown Law Journal , and Columbia Law Review .
Joachim Horn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Oslo. His work focuses on pediatric orthopaedics, biomechanical studies of bone fixation, and surgical techniques for limb deformities. He has contributed to research on femoral anteversion treatment, epiphysiodesis accuracy, and hip displacement in cerebral palsy patients. His recent studies (2020-2025) emphasize clinical outcomes of limb lengthening, growth plate modulation, and orthopaedic instrumentation improvements. Publications span biomechanical analysis, surgical case studies, and population-based epidemiological research in orthopaedic conditions. Key affiliations: Rikshospitalet Hospital, Oslo University Hospital Research interests include skeletal growth modulation, orthopaedic biomechanics, and pediatric trauma management. Collaborations involve multi-institutional studies on limb reconstruction and congenital bone disorders.
Associate Professor Yun Lou is a Full-time Faculty member and Associate Dean (Research) at the School of Accountancy (SOA), Singapore Management University (SMU). She holds a PhD in Accounting from London Business School (2012). Her research focuses on debt contracting mechanisms and corporate disclosure strategies, with publications in top journals like Journal of Accounting Research and Management Science . She teaches courses on Accounting Thought, Governance, and Financial Statement Analysis. Education : PhD in Accounting, London Business School, 2012 Research Interests : Examines how corporate disclosure practices interact with debt contracts, exploring topics like litigation disclosures' impact on bond terms, accounting quality's role in debt markets, and governance mechanisms driving transparency. Her work bridges accounting information systems, executive compensation, and financial intermediation challenges. Awards : Tier 2 Academic Research Fund (AcRF), MOE Singapore SMU School of Accountancy Research Award (2018 and 2020) Grants & Advising : Guides PhD candidates in accounting research, including Cao Huijing (DBA) and Zhao Yuan (PhD). Her research is supported by Singapore's Ministry of Education funding. Labs/Teams : Contributes to SMU's strategic priorities in Digital Transformation and Sustainable Living through research on corporate governance frameworks and financial reporting innovations.
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