Faculty Spotlight: Professor John D. Morley ’06

After studying political science and economics at the University of Utah, John D. Morley ’06 received his law degree from Yale Law School, where he now teaches students about business organizations, securities regulation, trusts and estates, and investment management regulation as a faculty member. A leading expert on the regulation and structure of investment funds, his work focuses on the law and economics of organizations as well as the law of trusts and estates. 

In this Q&A, Morley reflects on his time at YLS, his interest in organizational theory, and his work as faculty director of the Chae Initiative in Private Sector Leadership.

How do you compare your experiences at Yale Law School as a student to your time as a faculty member? 

The Law School has grown, both physically and intellectually. We have a new building in Baker Hall. We have a few more students. We have a significantly larger faculty. And we have many more resources for students. But it retains much of the small-community vibe that makes Yale Law School so special. The faculty still know the students by name and remember their stories. The students still know each other. And there’s still a special pride about being part of this place. 

As a leading expert on the regulation and structure of investment funds, what role do you see Yale historically having in that field? 

Professor Henry Hansmann ’74 laid much of the intellectual foundation in organizational theory that I use today. And our graduates have gone on to build some of the most successful investment management enterprises in history. Our graduates also include some of the most influential investment management lawyers in America.

What draws you to your research? 

I’m interested in how people work together. What makes it possible? What inhibits it? Law helps people work together by allowing them to make commitments in advance. I can work with you because the law protects us both from cheating by the other. Economics comes in by inviting us to view people and their motivations neutrally, with scientific dispassion. It helps us to think about those motivations in a structured and disciplined way.

Describe your experience as faculty director of the Chae Initiative in Private Sector Leadership. What kinds of opportunities are students gaining from the program that you wish had been available to you as a law student? 

The first benefit students get is each other. We organize activities, trips, and other interactions to build friendships and help students to bond over shared ambitions. A second benefit is the unparalleled community of alumni who are anxious to share experiences, mentorship, and wisdom. A third benefit is access to distinguished scholars and teachers from outside of the Law School and Yale University. This year, the program is funding teaching by leaders in disciplines as diverse as corporate finance, negotiations, social psychology, and artificial intelligence.

What do you feel is important in teaching the next generation of lawyers, practitioners, and legal academics? 

We have to promote the open, inquisitive, and rigorous habits of mind that make great scholars. We have to avoid letting our students find shelter from conflicting views. And we have to remind our students that democracy and the rule of law are precious inheritances that require renewed commitment in each generation.