Richard Posner
Richard Posner
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Richard Allen Posner is an American judge, economist, legal scholar, and law professor. He is also known as Judge Posner.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on January 11, 1939, in New York City. Still active in academia and public life.
Nationality and Profession(s)
American
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Posner's professional career spans over four decades, with a strong focus on law, economics, and politics.
Early Life and Background
Richard Posner was born to Jewish parents, Charles and Ruth Posner, in New York City. His father was a lawyer who later became a judge, which would likely influence Richard's future career path. Growing up in Queens, New York, Posner developed an interest in law and economics from an early age.
Posner earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Yale University in 1957 and then went on to receive his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Harvard Law School in 1960. After completing his education, he worked as a clerk for Judge David L. Bazelon of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Major Accomplishments
Throughout his career, Posner has made significant contributions to various fields:
Judge: Posner was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 1981, where he served for over three decades.
Legal scholar: He is known for his influential work on antitrust law and intellectual property law, among other areas.
Economist: Posner's expertise in economics has led to publications on topics such as the economic analysis of law.Notable Works or Actions
Some notable works include:
The Economics of Justice (1981) - a book that explores how economic theory can be applied to legal decision-making.
* Antitrust Law (1976) - a two-volume work that provides an in-depth analysis of antitrust law.
Impact and Legacy
Richard Posner's influence extends far beyond his own publications. His judicial opinions have shaped the course of American law, particularly in areas such as intellectual property and antitrust. As a leading figure in the field of law and economics, he has inspired generations of scholars and judges.
His opinions are widely respected for their clarity and rigor, which has contributed to the development of more effective legal frameworks. Posner's legacy is evident not only through his written works but also through the countless minds he has influenced throughout his career.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Richard Posner's contributions to various fields have cemented his status as a renowned figure in law, economics, and academia. His groundbreaking work on antitrust law, intellectual property, and the economic analysis of law continues to be widely referenced by scholars and practitioners alike.
In conclusion, Richard Posner is a celebrated American judge, economist, legal scholar, and law professor who has dedicated his life to advancing our understanding of law and economics. Through his numerous publications and influential opinions, he has left an indelible mark on the world of academia and beyond.
Quotes by Richard Posner

MacKinnon’s treatment of the central issue of pornography as she herself poses it – the harm that pornography does to women – is shockingly causal. Much of her evidence is anecdotal, and in a nation of 260 Million people, anecdotes are a weak form of evidence.

Because reputation lags achievement, we should expect people to reach the zenith of their reputation well past the zenith of their productive output.

We have a tendency to assume people are a unity, and thus good people all good, etc. But the fact that Hitler was good to dogs and children isn’t a paradox.

Violent video games played in public places are a tiny fraction of the media violence to which modern American children are exposed. Tiny – and judging from the record of this case not very violent compared to what is available to children on television and in movie theaters today.

The only rationale that the states put forth with any conviction-that same-sex couples and their children don't need marriage because same-sex couples can't produce children, intended or unintended-is so full of holes that it cannot be taken seriously....


The Constitution has to be interpreted loosely, otherwise it becomes a straitjacket. You can't interpret it literally. You can pretend to, and go digging around in 18th Century dictionaries to figure out what 'cruel and unusual punishment' meant or what the 'right to bear arms' meant, but that is all fake really. The Constitution has to be interpreted in light of modern needs, and that's what they (the strict interpreters) end up doing in spite of all their investigations.

A diversity of approaches is necessary if there is to be a good chance of hitting on one that works. Progress is a social undertaking & achievement, because people see things differently

As a social good, I think privacy is greatly overrated because privacy basically means concealment. People conceal things in order to fool other people about them. They want to appear healthier than they are, smarter, more honest and so forth.

I was an advocate of the deregulation movement and I made - along with a lot of other smart people - a fundamental mistake, which is that deregulation works fine in industries which do not pervade the economy," he said in the appearance on Spitzer's "Viewpoint." "The financial industry undergirded the entire economy and if it is made riskier by deregulation and collapses in widespread bankruptcies as what happened in 2008, the entire economy freezes because it runs on credit.