Lynn A Baker
- Frederick M. Baron Chair in Law
Faculty Profile: Lynn A Baker
Main Profile Content
Biography
Professor Baker's wide-ranging scholarly interests include mass tort litigation, "Mega-settlements," Professional Responsibility (especially issues involving "aggregate" litigation and group settlements), attorneys' fees, and State and Local Government Law. She is often called upon by lawyers to serve as a consultant in mass tort settlements and as an expert on issues of complex legal ethics, settlement fund allocations, and attorneys' fees. Professor Baker has also been a court-appointed allocation Special Master in mass tort settlements. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute.
Professor Baker is the author or co-author of dozens of articles and book chapters, many of which have been cited by courts and in prominent legal treatises. Her recent publications include "MDL Myths," (Texas Law Review, 2023) (with Andrew D. Bradt); "Anecdotes Versus Data in the Search for Truth about Multidistrict Litigation," (Cornell Law Review Online, 2022) (with Andrew Bradt); "The Mysterious Market for Post-Settlement Litigant Finance," (N.Y.U. Law Review Online, 2021) (with Ronen Avraham & Anthony J. Sebok); "The MDL Revolution and Consumer Legal Funding," (Review of Litigation, 2021) (with Ronen Avraham & Anthony J. Sebok); and "In Defense of Private Claims Resolution Facilities," (Law & Contemporary Problems, 2021, symposium contribution) (with Charles Silver). Professor Baker is also the co-author of a leading law school text, Local Government Law: Cases and Materials (Foundation Press, 6th ed. 2022) (with Clayton P. Gillette and David Schleicher).
A graduate of Yale Law School, Yale College, and Oxford University (Marshall Scholar), she was a Law Clerk to the Hon. Amalya L. Kearse, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (1985-86 Term). A two-time world champion in tournament bridge (2018 & 2014), Professor Baker is also a sixteen-time North American champion.
Most Recent Media
Courses for Fall 2023
Professional Activities
2023
April 27, 2023
Invited Moderator and Participant
George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C.
Invited Moderator, Panel on "Judicial Review of Mass Tort Settlements," Conference on "Resolving Mass Torts in Different Forums," George Washington University Law School, James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center
March 24, 2023
Invited Paper and Presentation
Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Malibu, CA
Invited Paper and Presentation, "The Inherent Powers of MDL Courts," Pepperdine Law Review's 50th Anniversary Symposium, "All Rise: The Future of the Federal Judiciary"
January 27-28, 2023
Conference Co-Organizer
University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX
Co-Organizer of Texas Law Review Symposium on "Judicial Mangement of MDLs and Other Consolidations"
January 27, 2023
Invited Paper and Presentation
University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX
Invited Paper and Presentation, "MDL Myths" (with Andrew Bradt), Texas Law Review symposium on "Judicial Management of MDLs and Other Consolidations.
2022
November 8, 2022
Invited Moderator
Duke Law School, Durham, NC
Invited Moderator, "Money and Ethics in MDL," Mass Tort MDL Certificate Program, Bolch Judicial Institute, Duke Law School, virtual Conference
October 22, 2022
Invited Panelist
UC Hastings Law School
Invited Panelist, "Adapting Ethics to Complex Litigation," Complex Litigation Ethics Conference
July 28, 2022
Invited Commentator
Emory Center on Federalism and Intersystemic Governance
Invited Commentator, "Are State Constitutional Rights for Sale? Protecting State Constitutional Rights from Unconstitutional Conditions" (by K. Levine, J. Nash & R. Schapiro), virtual Conference on State Constitutional Law
May 27, 2022
Invited Paper and Presentation
Duke Law School, Durham, NC
Presented "In Defense of Private Claims Resolution Facilities" (with Charles Silver), Panel on "Claims Resolution Facility Design & Innovation," McGovern Symposium on Civil Litigation, Bolch Judicial Institute
May 26, 2022
Invited Moderator
Duke Law School, Durham, NC
Panel on "The Leadership Appointment Process," Advanced MDL Certificate Program, Bolch Judicial Institute
May 20, 2022
Invited Panelist
Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA
"The Attorney-Client Relationship in Multidistrict Litigation," Convening hosted by the Stanford Center on the Legal Profession and the Berkeley Law Civil Justice Research Initiative
January 10, 2022
Invited Panelist
University of Texas School of Law, virtual panel
"Chalkboard 3.0: Ethics Edition"
2021
November 5, 2021
Invited Panelist and Moderator
21st Annual Complex Litigation Symposium, Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans, LA
Panel on "Ethics Associated with Complex Litigation"
October 23, 2021
Invited Paper and Presentation
31st Annual Meeting of the American Law and Economics Association, virtual meeting
Presented "The MDL Revolution and Consumer Legal Funding" (co-authored by Ronen Avraham and Anthony J. Sebok)
September 17, 2021
Invited Panelist
Berkeley Law Civil Justice Research Institute, virtual symposium on "Selection of Leadership in MDLs,"
Panel on "Selection of Leadership in Light of Other Aggregate Litigation Considerations"
July 13, 2021
Special Editor -- Law & Contemporary Problems
Special Editor (with Elizabeth Cabraser and Robert Klonoff) of Issue on "Innovations in Complex Litigation and Settlement" in Honor of Francis McGovern, Volume 84, No. 2, 2021.
March 4, 2021
Invited Paper and Presentation
3rd Annual Consumer Law Scholars Conference
"The Mysterious Market for Post-Settlement Litigant Finance" (with Ronen Avraham & Anthony J. Sebok), Invited Paper and Presentation, The 3rd Annual Consumer Law Scholars Conference, Berkeley Law, Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, Virtual Conference.
2020
November 13, 2020
Invited Panelist and Moderator
First Annual Class Action Annual Case Law and Practices Review Bench-Bar Conference
"Class Action Challenges," First Annual Class Action Annual Case Law and Practices Review Bench-Bar Conference, George Washington Law School, James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center, virtual presentation
August 4, 2020
Invited Panelist
Baylor Law School Complex Litigation LLM Program
"Litigation Exit Strategies," Baylor Law School Complex Litigation LLM Program, virtual presentation
March 14, 2020
Invited Paper and Panelist
2020 Federalist Society National Student Symposium on "The Structural Constitution in the 21st Century"
"The Proper Role of the Senate," Invited Paper and Panelist, 2020 Federalist Society National Student Symposium on "The Structural Constitution in the 21st Century," hosted virtually by the University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, MI
January 31, 2020
Invited Paper and Presentation
Texas Law Review Symposium on "Remedies in Complex Litigation"
"Mass Tort Remedies and the Puzzle of the Disappearing Defendant," Invited Paper and Presentation, Texas Law Review Symposium on "Remedies in Complex Litigation," University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX
2019
November 14, 2019
Scholarship Award Committee
Pound Civil Justice Institute
Member of 2020 Civil Justice Scholarship Award Committee for Pound Civil Justice Institute
November 8, 2019
Invited Panelist and Moderator
19th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium, Louisiana State Bar Association
"Ethics Associated with Complex Litigation," Invited Panelist and Moderator, 19th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium, Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans, LA
November 1, 2019
Invited Paper and Presentation
Lewis & Clark Law School and Pound Civil Justice Institute Symposium
"Layers of Lawyers: Parsing the Complexities of Claimant Representation in Mass Tort MDLs" (with Stephen J. Herman), Symposium on "Class Actions, Mass Torts, and MDLs: The Next 50 Years," Pound Civil Justice Institute and Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR
November 1, 2019
Invited Commentator
Lewis & Clark Law School and Pound Civil Justice Institute Symposium
Invited Commentator on "Mass Tort: Endgame," Symposium on "Class Actions, Mass Torts, and MDLs: The Next 50 Years," Pound Civil Justice Institute and Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR
October 25, 2019
Invited Commentator
Fifth Annual Civil Procedure Workshop
Invited Commentator on "Judicial Adjuncts in Multidistrict Litigation," Fifth Annual Civil Procedure Workshop, University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX
March 11, 2019
Invited Paper and Presentation
Workshop on Law and Economics, Tel Aviv University, Buchmann Faculty of Law
"Anatomy of Mass Tort Litigant Finance in the U.S." (with Ronen Avraham), Workshop on Law and Economics, Tel Aviv University, Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv, Israel
2018
December 13, 2018
Invited Paper and Presentation
Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand, Annual Meeting
"Anatomy of Mass Tort Litigation Finance in the U.S." (with Ronen Avraham), Annual Meeting, Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
December 8, 2018
Invited Paper and Presentation
8th International Legal Ethics Conference
"Anatomy of Mass Tort Litigation Finance in the U.S." (with Ronen Avraham), 8th International Legal Ethics Conference, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
November 26, 2018
Paper and Presentation
UT Law School Drawing Board
"The Anatomy of Mass Tort Litigation Finance" (with Ronen Avraham), Drawing Board presentation, University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX
November 12, 2018
Scholarship Award Committee
Pound Civil Justice Institute
Member of 2019 Civil Justice Scholarship Award Committee for Pound Civil Justice Institute.
November 9, 2018
Invited Panelist and Moderator
18th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium
"Ethics Associated with Complex Litigaiton," Invited Panelist and Moderator, 18th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium, Lousiana State Bar Association, New Orleans, LA
May 30, 2018
Invited Panelist and Moderator
HarrisMartin's "MDL Conference: 'Bet-the-Company' Mass Tort Litigation"
Panel on "Ethics Associated with Complex Litigation," HarrisMartin's "MDL Conference: 'Bet-the-Company' Mass Tort Litigation," Chicago, IL
May 2, 2018
Invited Discussant
Discussion on "Improving the MDL Process"
"Improving the MDL Process," American Association for Justice, Washington, D.C.
April 26, 2018
Invited Participant
Conference on "Documenting and Seeking Solutions to Mass-Tort MDL Problems"
"Documenting and Seeking Solutions to Mass-Tort MDL Problems," Duke Law Conference, Atlanta, GA
2017
November 29, 2017
Invited Panelist
Conference on "Contemporary Issues in Complex Litigation"
"Current Issues in Multidistrict Litigation," invited panelist, Conference on "Contemporary Issues in Complex Litigation," Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Chicago, IL.
November 10, 2017
Invited Panelist and Moderator
17th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium
"Ethical Conundrums," invited panelist and moderator, 17th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium, Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans, LA.
April 7, 2017
Invited Panelist
26th Annual Spring CLE Meeting -- ABA Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Committe
Invited Panelist on "Ethical Considerations in Settling Mass Torts," 26th Annual Spring CLE Meeting, "Hot Topics in Toxic and Environmental Law," ABA Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Committee, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Phoenix, AZ.
February 10, 2017
Invited Presentation
TTLA 4th Annual Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Seminar
Invited Presentation on "Ethical Finality in Mass Tort Settlements," TTLA 4th Annual Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Seminar, Austin, TX.
January 7, 2017
Invited Participant
Law School Outreach Summit
Participated in the invitation-only Law School Outreach Summit, hosted by the Pound Civil Justice Institute in San Francisco, CA.
2016
December 7, 2016
Invited Paper and Presentation
Tel Aviv University Law School Law & Economics Workshop
Presented "Mass Torts and the Pursuit of Ethical Finality" at Tel Aviv University Law School, Tel Aviv, Israel.
November 11, 2016
Invited Panelist and Moderator
16th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium of the Louisiana State Bar Association
Moderated and spoke on panel titled "Ethics, Ethics, and More Ethics" at the 16th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium, Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans, LA.
October 21, 2016
Invited Paper and Presentation
Fordham Law School Symposium
Presented "Mass Torts and the Pursuit of Ethical Finality" at the Symposium on "Civil Litigation Ethics at a Time of Vanishing Trials," hosted by the Stein Center for Law and Ethics and the Fordham Law Review, NY, NY.
July 16, 2016
Invited Speaker
7th International Legal Ethics Conference
Spoke on "Mass Torts and the Pursuit of Ethical Finality" as a panelist on "Aggregate Litigation Ethics" at the 7th International Legal Ethics Conference in New York, NY
May 25, 2016
Invited Speaker
HarrisMartin's MDL Conference
Spoke on "Ethical Finality in Mass Tort Litigation" at HarrisMartin's "MDL Conference: 'Bet-the-Company' Mass Tort Litigation" in Chicago, IL.
January 16, 2016
Published Op-Ed
Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News
"Attorney Fees Key to Fighting Wall Street Fraud" (with Charles Silver)
January 13, 2016
Published Op-Ed
Austin American-Statesman
"Commentary: Improve Market Integrity by Standardizing Attorneys' Fees" (with Charles Silver)
2015
November 13, 2015
Invited Panelist
15th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium of the Louisiana State Bar Association
Spoke on aggregate settlements and legal ethics as a panelist on "Does Complex Litigation Complicate Ethics?" at the 15th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium of the Louisiana State Bar Association, in New Orleans, LA.
November 9, 2015
Invited Presentation
Columbia Law Review
Presented (with Michael A. Perino) "Is the Price Right? An Empirical Study of Fee-Setting in Securities Class Actions" at a colloquium with Columbia Law Review editors, in New York, NY.
September 10, 2015
Invited Presentation
Kentucky Justice Association Annual Convention and Seminar
Spoke on "Aggregate Settlements (Large and Small): The Evolving Ethical Landscape," at the Kentucky Justice Association Annual Convention and Seminar, in French Lick, IN.
May 28, 2015
Invited Panelist
ABA National Conference on Professional Responsbility
Spoke on aggregate settlements and legal ethics as a panelist on "Riding the Aggregate Settlement Bronco," at the 41st Annual National Conference on Professional Responsibility, sponsored by the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, in Denver, CO.
April 1, 2015
Invited Paper and Presentation
Conference on "Lawyers as Targets: Suing, Prosecuting and Defending Lawyers"
Presented paper titled "Aggregate Settlements and Attorney Liability: The Evolving Landscape," at the Conference on "Lawyers as Targets: Suing, Prosecuting and Defending Lawyers,' at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY.
February 6, 2015
Invited Presentation
Conference on "The Rehnquist Court: Ten Years Later"
Spoke on "Federalism" as part of the Conference on "The Rehnquist Court: Ten Years Later," presented by the William H. Rehnquist Center on Constitutional Structures of Government, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, AZ.
2014
November 21, 2014
Invited Presentation
Louisiana State Bar Symposium
Spoke on "Ethics, Aggregate Settlements, and Exit Strategies" at the 14th Annual Class Action/Complex Litigation Symposium, sponsored by the Louisiana State Bar Association, in New Orleans, LA.
April 12, 2014
Invited Presentation
University of Texas Law School Annual Reunion
Spoke on "Recent Developments in Legal Ethics," at the University of Texas Law School Annual Reunion, Austin, TX.
2013
November 8, 2013
Invited Paper and Presentation
Corporate and Securities Litigation Workshop
Presented "Private Ordering Versus Judicial Regulation of Attorneys' Fees in Securities Class Actions: An Empirical Assessment" (coauthored with Michael A. Perino & Charles Silver), at the Corporate & Securities Litigation Workshop, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, IL.
September 28, 2013
Invited Paper and Presentation
A Conference in Honor of Richard A. Nagareda
Presented "Models of Closure in Mass Torts: A Comment on 'The Mass Tort Bankruptcy: A Pre-History'" at a conference on "The Public Life of the Private Law: The Logic and Experience of Mass Litigation; A Conference in Honor of Richard A. Nagareda," Vanderbilt Law School, Nashville, TN.
August 29, 2013
Invited Paper and Presentation
University of Texas Law School Faculty Colloquium
Presented "Setting Attorneys' Fees in Securities Class Actions: An Empirical Assessment" (with Michael A. Perino and Charles Silver) at the University of Texas Law School Faculty Colloquium, Austin, TX.
May 30, 2013
Invited Presentation
ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibiilty
Panelist on "Mass Torts as Quasi-Class Actions: The Role of Judicial Oversight," ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibility, San Antonio, TX.
April 19, 2013
Invited Paper and Presentation
Clifford Symposium
Presented "Alienability of Mass Tort Claims" at the Clifford Symposium on "Brave New World: The Changing Face of Litigation and Law Firm Finance," DePaul Law School, Chicago, IL.
April 12, 2013
Invited Paper and Presentation
Symposium of the Institute for Law and Economic Policy
Presented "Setting Attorneys' Fees in Securities Class Actions: An Empirical Assessment" (with Michael A. Perino and Charles Silver) at the 19th Annual Symposium of the Institute for Law and Economic Policy, "The Economics of Aggregate Litigation," Naples, FL.
April 10, 2013
Invited Presentation
Mass Torts Made Perfect Conference
Spoke on "The Business of Law" at the Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, NV.
2007
June 8, 2007
Invited Presentation
Hot Topics In Pharmaceutical Litigation Conference
Spoke on "Group Settlements in the New Era: Ethical and Liability Issues," at the "Hot Topics In Pharmaceutical Litigation" conference in Miami, Florida.
April 24, 2007
Paper Presentation
University of Texas Law School Drawing Board Lunch
Presented (with Dan Rodriguez) a work-in-progress titled "Comparative Domestic Constitutional Law: Federalism and Localism as a Case Study," at a Drawing Board Lunch at the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX.
March 30, 2007
Invited Presentation
Mass Torts Made Perfect Symposium
Spoke on "Group Settlements in the New Era: Ethical and Liability Issues," at the Mass Torts Made Perfect symposium in Las Vegas, NV.
March 29, 2007
Paper Presentation
Legal Theory Colloquium
Presented a paper entitled "Solving the Problem of the Modern Spending Power," at the Legal Theory Colloquium at the University of California at Davis School of Law, Davis, CA.
March 22, 2007
Invited Presentation
Review of Litigation Symposium
Presented remarks on "Do the Ethics Rules Governing Group Litigation Disadvantage Plaintiffs?," at the Review of Litigation Symposium on "Products Liability: Litigation Trends on the 10th Anniversary of the Third Restatement," at the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX.