The law school has done an effusive writeup announcing my (temporary) chair: UM Law Awards Silvers-Rubenstein Endowed Distinguished Professorship to A. Michael Froomkin.
Recent Bluessky Posts- That can't be legal. Does the DoJ still have an IG? May 29, 2026 Michael Froomkin
- Jotwell Jurisprudence: Nina Varsava, Post-Merits Stare Decisis, JOTWELL (May 29, 2026) (reviewing Peter Povilonis, Sustaining Stare Decisis as a Post-Merits Determination, 27 U. Pa. J. Const. L. 655 (2025)), juris.jotwell.com/post-merits-.... May 29, 2026 Jotwell
- This is seriously fucked. Like for starters they’re using commercial web analytics that are in no way in line with federal privacy disclosure requirements… May 29, 2026 Tyler King
- Jotwell Int'l & Comp: Erin F. Delaney, Litigation in the Shadows of Empires, JOTWELL (May 28, 2026) (reviewing Trevor T. W. Wan, Globetrotting Advocates: Foreign Barristers in Hong Kong Courts, 73 Am. J. Comp. L. 872 (2025)), intl.jotwell.com/litigation-i.... May 28, 2026 Jotwell
- Having some trouble detecting my choices here for how they share my data. May 27, 2026 Michael Froomkin
Effusive perhaps, but right on the money. Congratulations on the greatly deserved honor, Michael, and may you wear it in good health!
Congratulations, Michael.
Q: (since I’m not an academic): What does it mean? Do you get some extra money above your salary to pursue some particular goal? What’s its purpose? What did Bruce Winick do when he was there?
(Not a snarky slam – I really have no idea, and am curious what these sorts of things actually mean for the recipiants.)
Chairs vary. They’re considered an honor. Usually the honor comes with some sort of funding, either pay or resources or both. There are rarely strings attached (and this one has an emolument but no strings). If my experience is any guide, they make your parents very happy.
Bruce Winick didn’t go anywhere — unlike most chairs that you hold indefinitely, this is a one-year rotating chair (not unheard of, but less common), and he was the first to have it. Bruce may be the most productive member of our faculty. Despite being nearly blind he writes up a storm, edits a journal, and is starting an institute. See Bruce Winick’s homepage for more.