April 14, 2026
Marc Galanter, the John and Rylla Bosshard Emeritus Professor of Law and South Asian
Studies at the University of Wisconsin Law School, passed away on April 14, 2026. Marc
was one of the most influential legal scholars of his generation and the most cited scholar
in UW Law School history, with more than 6,700 citations and nearly 190 published works
spanning more than six decades.
Born in Philadelphia, Marc earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from the
University of Chicago. He joined the UW Law School faculty in 1977 and remained a central
presence for the rest of his career. He taught South Asian Law, Law and Social Science,
Legal Profession, Religion and the Law, Contracts, and Dispute Processing and
Negotiations.
A leader of the law and society movement and a defining figure in the Law in Action
tradition, his 1974 article “Why the ‘Haves’ Come Out Ahead” remains one of the most
cited law review articles of all time, reshaping how scholars understand inequality, power,
and legal institutions. His wide-ranging scholarship included his seminal Law and Society
in Modern India (1989), works on compensatory discrimination and the Bhopal disaster, as
well as his characteristically playful yet incisive book Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and
Legal Culture (2006), which used humor to illuminate the legal profession and society
itself.
Marc was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Delhi, an AIIS fellow, and a consultant on
legal services for the Ford Foundation in India. He was a founding member of the Law and
Society Association, and served as its President.
Beyond his intellectual legacy, Marc’s influence endures through his generosity toward
students, junior scholars, and colleagues, many of whom credit him with shaping their
careers and ways of thinking. Known for his curiosity, openness, and delight in
conversation, he took a deep personal interest in others and modeled a collegiality that
continues to inspire. As his family, friends, students, and colleagues mourn his
passing, they also celebrate a life that profoundly shaped how we understand law’s role in
the world.