Photo of Colleen Baker

PhD (Wharton) Professor Baker is an expert in banking and financial institutions law and regulation, with extensive knowledge of over-the-counter derivatives, clearing, the Dodd-Frank Act, and bankruptcy, in addition to being a mediator and arbitrator.

Previously, she spent time at the U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Business, the U. of Notre Dame Law School, and Villanova University Law School. She has consulted for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and for The Volcker Alliance.  Prior to academia, Professor Baker worked as a legal professional and as an information technology associate. She is a member of the State Bars of NY and TX. Read More

Dear BLPB Readers:

“Call for Papers: Wharton Financial Regulation Conference – 4/25, submission deadline 2/10.

We are pleased to announce that the annual Wharton Financial Regulation Conference will take place on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Convening as the Trump administration wraps up its first 100 days, the conference offers a timely opportunity for scholars and policymakers to assess recent developments in financial regulation and peer over the horizon.

We invite submissions from scholars across all disciplines—law, economics, political science, history, business, and beyond—on any topic related to financial regulation, broadly construed.”

The complete call for papers is here:2025 Wharton Fin Reg Conference – CFP

A front page story in today’s WSJ is entitled “Pension Funds Want Private Equity to Open Up About Fees and Returns.” The article notes that “An increasing number of [fund] managers borrow cash using so-called subscription lines and net-asset-value loans to lift short-term performance and the fees they charge.” Curious about net asset value (NAV) financing and private equity? Check out my article, Net Asset Value Financing and Private Equity in the U. Pa. L. Rev. Online.  

Increasingly, it seems like not a day goes by without my reading some story in the financial press about the growth of and developments in private capital markets. For example, earlier this week, the WSJ ran a story about Goldman Sachs’ plans for a new “Capital Solutions Group,” an institutional development seemingly related to the surge of private credit markets. And the private company market is also hot! So, Professor Christina Sautter and I wrote a short paper called “Democratization of the Private Markets?” for Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law. In this paper, we explore the market for private company equity with a particular focus on closed-end funds (CEFs) like ARK Venture Fund and Destiny Tech100. It’s a piece related to Transactions’ yearly Connecting the Threads Symposium, which is always a fabulous event and one of my favorite conferences of the year!

Dear Readers:

“The Department of Insurance, Legal Studies and Real Estate in the Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia invites applications for a full-time non-tenure-track faculty position in Legal Studies at the lecturer level, beginning in fall semester 2025, with an employment start date of August 1, 2025.

Candidates must hold a juris doctorate or equivalent degree. Strong communication skills and demonstrated potential for excellent teaching are required. The position is renewable based on performance and promotion to Senior Lecturer is possible after six years of service. For information regarding the requirements for each faculty rank, please see the University of Georgia Guidelines for Appointment and Promotion of Lecturers (https://provost.uga.edu/policies/appointment-promotion-andtenure/guidelines-for-appointment-and-promotion-of-lecturers/).

Participation in service activities appropriate to the rank is expected. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications.”

The complete announcement regarding this position is here: UGA Legal Studies Lecturer – Start Fall 2025

Dear Readers:

“The Midwest Academy of Legal Studies in Business (MALSB) Annual Conference is held in
conjunction with the MBAA International Conference. MBAA International draws hundreds of academics from business-related fields such as accounting, business/society/government, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, health administration, information systems, international business, management, and marketing. The MALSB has its own program track on Legal Studies and attendees may take advantage of the multidisciplinary nature of this international conference and attend sessions held by the other program tracks.

Presentations in 2025 will have the option of in person or live online delivery. Tentatively MALSB paper and panel in person/live online presentations are scheduled to begin Thursday morning (April 10, 2025) and conclude Friday afternoon (April 11, 2025). If registration numbers require additional sessions, they will be held Wednesday afternoon (April 9, 2025).”

Note that the registration/submission deadline is January 26, 2025.  The complete call for conference participation is here.”

Dear BLPB Readers:

"The American Business Law Journal (ABLJ) is seeking manuscripts for a special issue on “Rescuing Organizations in Financial Distress.”

Organizations around the globe, both private businesses and public entities, are currently experiencing extraordinary financial pressure and distress. A panoply of internal and external causal factors are contributing to the financial distress. While some organizations can overcome their financial predicament through continued operations, others require legal mechanisms to facilitate a path to rescue. The failure of a private business or the collapse of a public organization has a cascading impact on a host of stakeholders and interests, leading to significant detrimental outcomes well beyond the organization in financial distress. The special issue explores what businesses, regulators, lawmakers, and attorneys should do to provide effective rescue regimes and tools for organizations in financial distress."

The deadline for submissions is February 3, 2025.  The complete call for papers is here:  Download Updated ABLJ 2025 Special Issue Call for Papers – Sept 2024.

Dear BLPB Readers:

"The American Business Law Journal (ABLJ) is currently accepting submissions for Volume 62 (2025).  

The ABLJ is a faculty-edited, double blind peer-reviewed journal, continuously published since 1963. The journal is ranked is ranked #2 in the 2023 Washington & Lee Law Journal Rankings for journals in Business, Corporations and Securities Law. It is ranked as an “A” journal by the Australian Business Deans Council.

Our mission is to publish only top quality law review articles and essays that make a scholarly contribution to all areas of law that impact business theory and practice, either U.S. or comparative in scope. We search for those articles that articulate a novel research question and make a meaningful contribution directly relevant to scholars and practitioners of business law. The blind peer-review process means legal scholars well-versed in the relevant specialty area have determined selected articles are original, thorough, important, and timely, and peer editors provide expert feedback and support throughout the editorial process. 

The ABLJ is published quarterly. Articles should be between 16,000 and 20,000 words (inclusive of footnotes). Essays should be between 7,000 and 10,000 words (inclusive of footnotes). 
 
Authors may submit their manuscripts and CVs/resumes through Scholastica or

Dear BLPB Readers:

"SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL in Los Angeles invites applications for the following positions:

• Multiple full-time entry-level and lateral tenure/tenure-track positions. Our primary curricular needs include Business Associations, Evidence, and Property. When selecting candidates to interview, we also will consider whether they might also contribute in the following areas: Administrative Law, Contracts, Copyright, Business/Corporate/Entrepreneurship electives; Cyberlaw/Technology/Privacy, Entertainment Law, Family Law, International Business Transactions, Professional Responsibility, and Wills & Trusts.

•  Multiple full-time entry-level or experienced Associate Professors of Academic Success and Bar Preparation

•  Multiple full-time entry-level or experienced Associate Professors or Professors of Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills.

Attached are the ads for each position.

Founded in 1911, Southwestern is an ABA-accredited, independent law school located in the center of Los Angeles. Our mission includes educating lawyers ready to serve clients, the profession, and our society with excellence, empowering students to reach their potential, cultivating inclusion and belonging, and shaping the law and public policy through teaching, scholarship, and service.

To apply, please send your CV, professional references, research agenda, and preferred areas of teaching via email to academicadmin@swlaw.edu and put "Faculty Application" in the email subject line. Review of applications will begin in mid-August. Initial interviews

Dear BLPB Readers:

“The American University Business Law Review (AUBLR) is placing a call for submissions of original legal articles and scholarly commentaries for its forthcoming issues.  As a distinguished publication committed to advancing scholarship in business law, AUBLR is dedicated to publishing high-quality and impactful pieces that address the complex challenges facing business today.  AUBLR is the first law review in Washington, D.C. dedicated solely to business issues and is ranked #15 in Business, Corporations, and Securities Law journals by Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings.

We welcome submissions from academics, practitioners, and American University Law students, and we review submissions for possible publication on a rolling basis.  Submitting your work to AUBLR provides an excellent opportunity to contribute to the academic discourse in business law and to showcase your expertise to a wide audience. If you have pieces ready for submission or if you would like more information about our submission guidelines, please reach out to Zach Schumacher, AUBLR’s Senior Articles Editor at blr-sae@wcl.american.edu.  Additionally, you can find more details about AUBLR on our website: https://aublr.org.”

Dear BLPB Readers:

"The Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, is seeking applicants for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position. We welcome candidates working in any business-relevant area of law and/or ethics, but we are particularly interested in the following areas:

  • Technology / artificial intelligence
  • Corporate law / governance / purpose / responsibility
  • Law and ethics of markets (antitrust / bankruptcy / consumer law)
  • Inequality and discrimination
  • Bioethics / health law
  • Energy / environment / climate

The appointment is expected to begin July 1, 2025. Information about the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department and the research expertise of its current faculty may be found at: https://lgst.wharton.upenn.edu."

The complete job posting is here.