Honoring their significant contributions as educators, scholars, and leaders, Oregon Law awarded endowed positions to four members of the faculty at the start of the 2026-27 academic year.
The work of these professors is wide-ranging, from shaping international food policy at the United Nations to advancing artificial intelligence in legal education, as well as collaborating on intellectual property dialogue internationally and producing award-winning scholarship on workplace law.
“We are fortunate to have such an outstanding faculty,” said Dean Jennifer W. Reynolds. “Their commitment and expertise create a rich educational experience for our students while advancing legal knowledge and practice throughout the world.”
Professor Michael Fakhri is now the James O. and Alfred T. Goodwin Senior Fellow. As part of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center, Professor Fakhri leads the Food Resiliency Project, one of seven interdisciplinary research projects. His work reaches far beyond the legal academy to the United Nations, where he served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food for six years, concluding his tenure in March.
Clinical Professor Rebekah Hanley was named the Bernard B. Kliks Professor of Law. An award-winning member of the No. 1-ranked Legal Research and Writing Program, Professor Hanley is a national leader in AI and legal education. Her expertise in this evolving area extends to developing new courses, conducting scholarly research, presenting nationally, and assisting in policy development.
Professor Eric Priest is the new James L. and Ilene R. Hershner Professor of Jurisprudence and part of the Business Law Program. Professor Priest is an expert in intellectual property law, with a focus on copyright law in the information age and creative industry ecosystems in the US and China. He serves on the US-China IP Cooperation Dialogue, a convening of experts from the US and China to address Chinese IP issues.
Professor Liz Tippett, the new Orlando J. and Marian H. Hollis Professor of Law, leads the Consumer Protection Research Grant, which actively supports research across the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Her book, The Master-Servant Doctrine: How Old Legal Rules Haunt the Modern Workplace, received the Office of the Provost Book Publication Recognition after it was published last fall.