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William Birdthistle is a Professor of Practice at the University of Chicago Law School since April 2024. His scholarship focuses on investment funds, financial regulation, and corporate governance. Before joining the Law School, he served as the Director of the Division of Investment Management at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2021 to 2024. He is the author of 'Empire Fund: The Way to Save' (Oxford University Press, 2016) and co-editor of the 'Research Handbook on Regulation of Mutual Funds' (Elgar, 2018). Birdthistle has extensive experience in legal education and practice, having previously held professor roles at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he was a Professor of Law from 2014 to 2024, and practice law as a corporate associate at Ropes & Gray LLP. He also clerked for the Honorable Diarmuid O'Scannlain on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and has been an active participant in various legal conferences and workshops. Birdthistle holds a JD from Harvard Law School (1999), an MA in History from the University of Chicago (2021), and a BA in English and Psychology from Duke University (1995).
University of Chicago Law School • Chicago, IL
Professor focused on investment funds, financial regulation, and corporate governance.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission •
Led the division overseeing investment management regulation.
Chicago-Kent College of Law • Chicago, IL
Educated students in various areas of law.
Ropes & Gray LLP • Boston, MA
Worked in the investment management practice.
The LLM program is designed for lawyers trained outside the United States to gain an understanding of the American legal system.