Douglas Gordon Baird (born July 10, 1953) is an American legal scholar, the Harry A. Bigelow
Distinguished Service Professor
Professors in the United States commonly occupy any of several positions of teaching and research within a college or university. In the U.S., the word "professor" informally refers collectively to the academic ranks of assistant professor, asso ...
and a former dean of the
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dist ...
. He joined the faculty in 1980 and served as the dean from 1994-1999.
[Douglas Baird faculty page](_blank)
/ref> He is a leader in the field of bankruptcy law.[ ]
His books, including ''Elements Of Bankruptcy'', ''Cases, Problems, and Materials on Bankruptcy'' and ''Contract Stories'' are used in law schools around the country.
Early life and education
Baird was born in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. He grew up in suburban Wynnewood, PA. He grew up with his family on the same street as Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper
John Wright Hickenlooper Jr. (; born February 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Colorado since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 42nd governor of Colorado from 2011 to 20 ...
. His older brother Henry and Hickenlooper were childhood friends.
He received his B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in English summa cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
from Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
in 1975. He graduated from Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School (Stanford Law or SLS) is the law school of Stanford University, a private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world. Stanford La ...
in 1979. At Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
, he was elected to the Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...
and served as the Managing Editor
A managing editor (ME) is a senior member of a publication's management team. Typically, the managing editor reports directly to the editor-in-chief and oversees all aspects of the publication.
United States
In the United States, a managing edito ...
of the Stanford Law Review
The ''Stanford Law Review'' (SLR) is a legal journal produced independently by Stanford Law School students. The journal was established in 1948 with future U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher as its first president. The review produces six ...
. Before joining the faculty in 1980, he was a law clerk to Judge Shirley M. Hufstedler and Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, both of the U.S. Court of Appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal judiciary. The courts of appeals are divided into 11 numbered circuits that cover geographic areas of the United States and hear appeals fr ...
for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District o ...
.
Academic work
Baird has written 13 books and 71 articles. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...
in 1996. In 2008, The Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal awarded Baird with its Distinguished Service Award which honors an individual who makes a sizable impact on the field of bankruptcy. Baird was named a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and served as the Vice-Chair of the National Bankruptcy Conference from 1997 until 2005.
Publications
Books
* ''Cases, Problems, and Materials on Contracts'' (Foundation Press 9th edition 2008) (with Dawson, Harvey, and Henderson).
* ''Economics of Contract Law'' (Edward Elgar 2007) (editor).
* ''Contracts Stories'' (Foundation Press 2007) (editor).
* ''Elements of Bankruptcy'', 4th ed. (2006).
* ''Elements of Bankruptcy'', 3d ed. (2001).
* ''Cases, Problems, and Materials on Bankruptcy'', 3d ed. (Foundation Press 2000) (with Adler and Jackson).
* ''Game Theory and the Law'' (Harvard University Press 1994) (with Gertner and Picker).
* ''The Elements of Bankruptcy'' (Foundation Press revised edition 1993).
* ''The Elements of Bankruptcy'' (Foundation Press 1992).
* ''Cases, Problems and Materials on Bankruptcy'', 2d ed. (Little, Brown 1990) (with Thomas Jackson).
* ''Cases, Problems, and Materials on Security Interests in Personal Property'', 2d ed. (Foundation Press 1987) (with Jackson).
* ''Cases, Problems, and Materials on Bankruptcy'' (Little, Brown 1985) (with Jackson).
* ''Cases, Problems, and Materials on Security Interests in Personal Property'' (Foundation Press 1984) (with Jackson).
Articles
* "Bankruptcy's Undiscovered Country" 25 Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal 1 (2008).
* "Other People’s Money," 60 Stanford Law Review 1309 (2008) (with Todd Henderson).
* "The Young Astronomers," 74 University of Chicago Law Review 1641 (2007).
* “Tribute to Bernard Meltzer,” 74 University of Chicago Law Review 417 (2007).
* "The Prime Directive," 75 University of Cincinnati Law Review 921 (2007) (with Robert K. Rasmussen).
* "Technology, Information, and Bankruptcy," 2007 University of Illinois Law Review 305.
* "Beyond Recidivism," 54 Buffalo Law Review 343 (2006) (with Robert K. Rasmussen).
* "Legal Approaches to Restricting Distributions to Shareholders: The Role of Fraudulent Transfer Law," 7 European Business Org. L. Rev. 199 (2006).
* “Reconstructing Contracts: Hamer v. Sidway,” in Contracts Stories 162, Douglas G. Baird, ed. (Foundation Press 2006).
* "Absolute Priority, Valuation Uncertainty, and the Reorganization Bargain," 115 Yale Law Journal 1930 (2006) (with Bernstein).
* "Private Debt and the Missing Lever of Corporate Governance," 154 University of Pennsylvania Law Review 1209 (2006) (with Rasmussen).
* "Discharge, Waiver, and the Behavioral Undercurrents of Debtor-Creditor Law," 73 University of Chicago Law Review 17 (2006).
* "The Boilerplate Puzzle," 104 Michigan Law Review 933 (2006).
* "Serial Entrepreneurs and Small Business Bankruptcies," 105 Columbia Law Review 2310 (2005) (with Morrison).
* "Adversary Proceedings in Bankruptcy: A Sideshow," 79 American Bankruptcy Law Journal 951 (2006) (with Morrison).
* "Substantive Consolidation Today," 47 Boston College Law Review 5 (2005).
* "The Story of INS v. AP," Intellectual Property Stories (2006).
* "¿ Bogart permanece en boga?: Rights of publicity en la era digital," Ano XIV, No. 29 ius et veritas 179 (2005).
* "Remembering Pine Gate," 38 John Marshall L. Rev. 5 (2004).
* "Secured Lending and Its Uncertain Future," 25 Cardozo L. Rev. 1789 (2004).
* "The New Face of Chapter 11," 12 Am. Bankr. L. Rev. 69 (2004).
* "Chapter 11 at Twilight," 56 Stan. L. Rev. 673 (2003) (with Rasmussen).
* "Enron and the Long Shadow of Stat. 13 Eliz.," in Enron: Corporate Fisacos and their Implications (Foundation Press 2004).
* "In Coase's Footsteps," 70 U. Chi. L. Rev. 23 (2003).
* "Llewellyn's Heirs," 62 Louisiana L. Rev. 1287 (2002).
* "The End of Bankruptcy," 55 Stan. L. Rev. 751 (2002) (with Rasmussen).
* "Four (or Five) Easy Lessons From Enron," 55 Vand. L. Rev. 1787 (2002) (with Rasmussen).
*"Control Rights, Priority Rights, and the Conceptual Foundations of Corporate Reorganizations," 87 Va. L. Rev. 921 (2001) (with Rasmussen).
* "Does Bogart Still Get Scale? Rights of Publicity in the Digital Age," 4 Green Bag 2d 357 (2001).
* "Bankruptcy Decisionmaking," 17 J. Law Econ. & Org. 356 (2001) (with Morrison).
* "Commercial Norms and the Fine Art of the Small Con," 98 Mich. L. Rev. 2716 (2000).
* "Boyd's Legacy and Blackstone's Ghost," 1999 Supreme Court Review 393 (with Rasmussen).
* "Optimal Timing and Legal Decisionmaking: The Case of the Liquidation Decision in Bankruptcy" (November 1999) (Chicago Working Papers in Law and Economics No. 86 (2d Series)) (with Morrison).
* "Bankruptcy's Uncontested Axioms," 108 Yale L.J. 573 (1998).
* "Fraudulent Conveyance," in 2 New Palgrave Dictionary of Law and Economics 192 (1998).
* "Game Theory and the Law," in 2 New Palgrave Dictionary of Law and Economics 192 (1998).
* "Leveraged Buyouts," in 2 New Palgrave Dictionary of Law and Economics 192 (1998).
* "The Importance of Priority," 82 Cornell L. Rev. 1420 (1997).
* "The Hidden Virtues of Chapter 11" (March 1997) (Chicago Working Papers in Law and Economics No. 43 (2d Series)).
* "The Future of Law and Economics: Looking Forward," 64 U. Chi. L. Rev. 1129 (1997).
* "Security Interests Reconsidered," 80 U. Va. L. Rev. 2249 (1994).
* "The Reorganization of Closely Held Firms and the 'Opt Out' Problem," 72 Wash. U. L. Rev. 913 (1994).
* "Revisiting Auctions in Chapter 11," 36 J. Law & Econ. 633 (1993).
* "Introduction: Taking Stock," 36 J. Law & Econ. 237 (1993).
* Book Review: Thinking Strategically
''Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life'' is a non-fiction book by Indian-American economist Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff, a professor of economics and management at Yale School of Management. Th ...
, Avinash K. Dixit & Barry J. Nalebuff, 100 Journal of Political Economy 1278 (1992).
* "The Dark Side of Chapter 11: A Comment on Professor Triantis' Article," 20 Canadian Business L.J. 261 (1992).
* "The Initiation Problem in Bankruptcy," 11 International Review of Law and Economics 223 (1991).
* "Fraudulent Conveyances, Agency Costs, and Leveraged Buyouts," 20 J. Legal Stud. 1 (1991).
* "Jury Trials After Granfinanciera," 65 Am. Bankr. L.J. 1 (1991).
* "Self-Interest and Cooperation in Long-term Contracts," 19 J. Legal Stud. 583 (1990).
* "Avoiding Powers under the Bankruptcy Code," in Current Developments in Bankruptcy and Reorganization 1990 (PLI 1990).
* "The Seventh Amendment and Jury Trials in Bankruptcy," 1989 S. Ct. Rev. 261.
* "Property Rights, Priority Rights, and Ostensible Ownership: The Deep Structure of Article 9," in Secured Transactions Under the Uniform Commercial Code, P. Coogan, W. Hogan, D. Vagts, & J. McDonnell (1988).
* "Loss Distribution, Forum Shopping, and Bankruptcy: A Reply to Warren," 54 U. Chi. L. Rev. 815 (1987).
* "A World Without Bankruptcy," 50 Law & Contemp. Probs. 173 (1987).
* "The Uneasy Case for Corporate Reorganizations," 15 J. Legal Stud. 127 (1986).
* Book Review, Commercial Transactions, Jonathan A. Eddy & Peter Winship (1985), 36 J. Legal Educ. 433 (1986).
* "Changing Technology and Unchanging Doctrine: Sony Corp. v. Universal Studios," 1984 S. Ct. Rev. 237.
* "Notice Filing and the Problem of Ostensible Ownership," 12 J. Legal Stud. 53 (1983).
* "Common Law Intellectual Property and the Legacy of International News Service v. Associated Press," 50 U. Chi. L. Rev. 411 (1983).
* "Bankruptcy Procedure and State-Created Rights: The Lessons of Gibbons and Marathon," 1982 S. Ct. Rev. 25.
* "Standby Letters of Credit in Bankruptcy," 49 U. Chi. L. Rev. 130 (1982).
* "A Simple Noncooperative Bargaining Model of Corporate Reorganizations," 20 J. Legal Stud. 311 (1991) (with Randal Picker).
* "Bargaining After the Fall and the Contours of the Absolute Priority Rule," 55 U. Chi. L. Rev. 738 (1988) (with Jackson).
* "Fraudulent Conveyance Law and its Proper Domain," 38 Vand. L. Rev. 829 (1985) (with Jackson).
* "Corporate Reorganizations and the Treatment of Diverse Ownership Interests: A Comment on Adequate Protection of Secured Creditors in Bankruptcy," 51 U. Chi. L. Rev. 97 (1984) (with Jackson).
* "Information, Uncertainty, and the Transfer of Property," 13 J. Legal Stud. 299 (1984) (with Jackson).
* "Kovacs and Toxic Wastes in Bankruptcy," 36 Stan. L. Rev 1199 (1984) (with Jackson).
* "Possession and Ownership: An Examination of the Scope of Article 9," 35 Stan. L. Rev. 175 (1983) (with Jackson).
* "Rules, Standards, and the Battle of the Forms: A Reassessment of §2-207," 68 Va. L. Rev. 1217 (1982) (with Robert Weisberg).
* "Human Cannonballs and the First Amendment," 30 Stan. L. Rev. 1185 (1978).
Other positions
* Visiting Professor of Law, Yale University (2000)
* Robert Braucher Visiting Professor of Law, Harvard University (1993)
* Visiting Professor of Law, Stanford University, (1987–1988)
* Scholar in Resident, American College of Bankruptcy (since 2009)
* Board of Directors, American Law Deans Association (1997–1999)
* Board of Directors, American Law and Economics Association (1992–1995; 2008–present)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baird, Douglas
1953 births
American legal scholars
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Living people
Lawyers from Philadelphia
Scholars of contract law
Stanford Law School alumni
University of Chicago Law School faculty
Yale College alumni