Richard A. Posner has died

Richard A. Posner, a University of Chicago Law School scholar and former federal appellate judge, died November 10, 2026, at age 87. He joined the faculty in 1969 and became a leading figure in law and economics, which applies economic reasoning to legal rules and institutions to assess their effects on policymaking, markets, and judicial decisions. Posner’s influential work challenged readers to consider whether legal doctrines promote efficiency, including his arguments about the efficiency of common law. His 1973 book, The Economic Analysis of Law, became a defining text in the field and has reached its ninth edition.

In 1981, Posner was appointed to the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, where he served for 36 years, including as chief judge from 1993 to 2000. He retired in 2017 after writing about 3,300 opinions on a wide range of issues. Known for incisive questioning, opposition to jargon-heavy decisions, and commitment to legal pragmatism, he also produced hundreds of academic articles and dozens of books. University of Chicago Law School Dean Adam Chilton described him as exceptionally prolific and influential, emphasizing his lasting impact on legal scholarship, the courts, and the school.