Prof. Adam Chilton has been appointed as the new dean of the University of Chicago Law School, with his term beginning on July 1. This announcement was made by President Paul Alivisatos and Provost Katherine Baicker.
Chilton holds the position of Howard G. Krane Professor of Law and is recognized for his research in international law, comparative law, and empirical legal studies. His work covers various global and domestic legal issues such as constitutional design, human rights, judicial behavior, and legal education.
President Alivisatos praised Chilton's scholarly rigor: “Adam is a scholar of exceptional rigor, known for bringing analytical depth and empirical clarity to complex legal questions.” He expressed confidence in Chilton's ability to uphold the Law School’s traditions of free expression, academic freedom, and institutional neutrality.
Chilton is committed to academic excellence and mentorship within the legal community. He serves as co-editor of UChicago’s Journal of Law and Economics and has co-directed the Harry A. Bigelow Teaching Fellowship. Additionally, he is on the board of the American Law and Economics Association and is a fellow at the Society for Empirical Legal Studies.
Provost Baicker highlighted Chilton's intellectual vision: “Adam brings his exceptional intellectual and strategic vision to the role.” She emphasized that his leadership will help attract leading scholars to UChicago.
Chilton's research includes studies on competition law development across jurisdictions, Bilateral Labor Agreements' impact on labor migration, and strategies for improving conditions in informal urban communities. His recent book "How Constitutional Rights Matter," co-authored with Mila Versteeg, uses empirical methods to explore how constitutional rights influence real-world protection.
He will succeed Thomas J. Miles as dean when Miles returns to faculty duties next month after serving since 2015. Chilton expressed pride in leading what he considers "the world’s most academically outstanding" law school: “I’m immensely proud of our institution’s long history...and respecting free expression and intellectual diversity.”
Before joining academia in 2014 as a Bigelow Fellow at UChicago Law School, Chilton worked at Boston Consulting Group. He holds degrees from Yale University (BA/MA) and Harvard University (JD/Ph.D.).