J.D.-Ph.D. in Finance Graduates Appointed to Tenure-Track Professorships

Two graduates of the J.D.-Ph.D. in Finance program — established by Yale Law School and the Yale School of Management — have been appointed to tenure-track positions. 

Aslihan Asil ’21 JD, ’25 PhD has joined the faculty of Duke University School of Law as an assistant professor, where she will teach corporate finance and antitrust law. Her research involves the intersection of law, economics, and public policy, and, as she describes it, falls into two categories: studying the effects of existing legal doctrine and suggesting changes or updates that will enhance competition and improve consumer welfare; and incorporating economic modelling to examine how legal doctrine can more effectively address new and emerging technologies and market structures, such as private equity and artificial intelligence. In her dissertation paper, “Can Robinson-Patman Enforcement Be Pro-Consumer?,” Asil demonstrates through a formal model and empirical analysis that in states where it is allowed, discriminatory pricing, such as granting wholesale volume discounts to major retailers, can reduce retail competition in the liquor industry and harm consumer welfare, contrary to prevailing economic wisdom about the Robinson-Patman Act’s impact. 

“I’m thrilled to join the faculty at Duke Law School,” Asil said. “I’m deeply grateful for the support and mentorship I received from Yale Law School, the Center for the Study of Corporate Law, and Professors Roberta Romano, Ian Ayres, Zach Liscow, Yair Listokin, Sarath Sanga, Aslı Bâli, John Morley, and Christine Jolls, among many others. Their guidance has profoundly shaped how I approach legal research, doctrine, and policy. I carry those lessons with me and aspire to reflect them in both my scholarship and teaching. I am also grateful for the insights and encouragement of my Ph.D. dissertation committee — Alp Simsek, Florian Ederer, Katja Seim, and Song Ma — throughout my research.”

Belisa Pang ’23 JD, '25 PhD has joined the faculty of the University of Michigan Law School as an assistant professor and will be teaching in the areas of bankruptcy and consumer finance. Her research in these areas is grounded in empirical analysis, using econometric methods to generate insights that inform policy and practice. Her article “Manipulating Random Assignment: Evidence from Consumer Bankruptcies in the Nation’s Largest Cities” (with Edward R. Morrison & Jonathon Zytnick), forthcoming in the American Law and Economics Review, was awarded the journal’s 2025 Best Empirical Paper Prize. The paper uncovers how attorneys in large cities systematically steer cases to preferred trustees, raising concerns about procedural fairness. In her dissertation essay, “Invisible Mortgages in Bankruptcy,” Pang shows that most homeowners kept at least one mortgage in good standing when they filed for bankruptcy, but credit rating agencies stopped reporting on their payments — leading to lower credit scores and reduced access to credit. She advocates for reforms to credit reporting practices to better reflect the financial realities of retained mortgages in bankruptcy.

“The J.D.-Ph.D. Program and the Center for the Study of Corporate Law gave me the intellectual freedom and support to pursue questions that matter to real people navigating financial distress,” Pang said. “I’m especially thankful to Professor Romano for her mentorship throughout the process. I couldn’t have asked for a stronger foundation as I begin my career at Michigan Law.”

Asil and Pang are the latest among several alumni of the J.D.-Ph.D. in Finance program to be appointed to tenure-track positions upon graduation, some with cross-appointments at business schools. The prior graduates include:

• Quinn Curtis ’09 JD, ’11 PhD, The Honorable Albert V. Bryan Jr. ’50 Research Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Curricular Programs, University of Virginia School of Law
• Ofer Eldar ’14 JSD, ’16 PhD, Professor of Law, University of California Berkeley School of Law
• Adriana Z. Robertson ’15 JD, ’17 PhD, Donald N. Pritzker Professor of Business Law, the University of Chicago Law School
• Dhruv Aggarwal ’21 JD, ’23 PhD, Assistant Professor of Law and Assistant Professor of Finance (Courtesy), Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

The J.D.-Ph.D. in Finance Program

The Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law established the J.D.-Ph.D. in Finance program between Yale Law School and Yale School of Management to equip Law School students interested in teaching business law with strong analytical skills. Sterling Professor of Law and Center Co-Director Roberta Romano ’80 observed that corporate law scholarship was taking an increasingly empirical turn, and created the program with colleagues at the School of Management to ensure that those seeking to make contributions in the area possessed the tools to work on the questions of the day. The program is designed so that students can complete the requirements for both their J.D. and their Ph.D. in Finance degrees in an integrated and streamlined manner.