Yale Law School on George Priest
The death of former ICLE Academic Affiliate George L. Priest was acknowledged in an announcement from Yale Law School, which he joined in 1981. You can read the full piece here.
George L. Priest, the Edward J. Phelps Professor of Law and Economics at Yale Law School, died on Dec. 17, 2024, at the age of 77.
“Professor Priest was a distinguished scholar, revered teacher, and fierce mentor,” said Dean Heather K. Gerken. “A scholarly pioneer, George left a legion of ideas in his wake. He was also a beloved member of our community, someone who managed to be an intellectual giant with great warmth, humor, and modesty. He made us think, and he made us laugh. And we all mourn his loss.”
Priest joined Yale Law School in 1981 and was named the John M. Olin Professor of Law and Economics in 1986. He was a director of the John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics, and Public Policy, which supported the development of the field of law and economics at Yale; the Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization; and Yale Law School’s Law, Economics, and Organization Workshop. With Steven Shavell of Harvard and A. Mitchell Polinsky of Stanford, he co-founded the American Law and Economics Association, an organization that thrives today. Priest served as the Association’s first president from 1991 to 1992.