Walter Mander Research Fellow Named University of Chicago Law School Dean

Prof. Adam Chilton has been appointed dean of the University of Chicago Law School, effective July 1, 2025. The Howard G. Krane Professor of Law and the Walter Mander Research Scholar, Chilton is widely recognized for his research at the intersection of international law, comparative law and empirical legal studies. His work addresses a broad array of global and domestic legal issues, including constitutional design, human rights, judicial behavior and legal education.

He currently serves as co-editor of UChicago’s Journal of Law and Economics and previously co-directed the Harry A. Bigelow Teaching Fellowship—a leading program for training future law professors. He also serves on the board of the American Law and Economics Association and is a fellow of the Society for Empirical Legal Studies.

“I strongly believe that the University of Chicago Law School is the world’s most academically outstanding and rigorous law school, and it is an extraordinary honor to lead it,” Chilton said. “I’m immensely proud of our institution’s long history of producing rigorous scholarship, delivering transformative legal education, and respecting free expression and intellectual diversity. I’m excited to work with our outstanding faculty, staff, students and alumni to build on our rich legacy and continue pushing the boundaries of legal teaching and research.”

Chilton joined the Law School faculty in 2014 after serving as a Bigelow Fellow and Lecturer in Law. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Yale University, followed by a JD and Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University.