Lex Mercatoria Fellows

The Dallas Insurance Law American Inn of Court established the Lex Mercatoria Fellowship in 2025. The Fellowship recognizes distinguished lawyers and judges who have made exceptional and sustained contributions to insurance law scholarship and seeks to advance the quality, depth, and practical relevance of scholarship in the field.

The Fellowship takes its name from the lex mercatoria, or law merchant—a body of commercial customs and principles that helped shape the legal traditions from which modern commercial and insurance law developed. Fellows are elected in recognition of their scholarship, subject-matter expertise, and contributions to the development and understanding of insurance law.

Candidates for election ordinarily must have at least fifteen years of substantial professional experience in insurance law—whether through legal practice, relevant judicial service, or a combination of the two—and must be recognized as authorities in the field. Candidates typically have distinguished records of scholarship, including published articles, books, or other significant works, as well as substantial experience presenting at leading conferences, continuing legal education programs, and other professional forums. Each year, the current Fellows may elect one or more new Fellows, but no election is required in any particular year and no annual quota applies.

Each year, the Fellows confer the Lex Mercatoria Award for Insurance Law and sponsor the annual Lex Mercatoria Lecture, presented at the Inn’s November meeting. Through these programs, the Fellows seek to encourage rigorous scholarship, promote thoughtful examination of significant legal issues, and advance excellence in the development and practice of insurance law.

Election as a Fellow is based solely on professional merit and is not conditioned on a candidate’s ability or willingness to make a financial contribution. Following election, each newly elected Fellow is ordinarily asked to make a one-time contribution of $1,500 to the Inn’s Lex Mercatoria Fund. No financial contribution is ordinarily requested from members of the judiciary or lawyers employed in public service. The requested contribution may also be waived or adjusted in other appropriate circumstances at the Inn’s discretion. The fund is used exclusively to support insurance-law scholarship, the annual Lex Mercatoria Lecture, and the Lex Mercatoria Award for Insurance Law. The Fellowship carries no recurring contribution requirement.

Questions regarding the Lex Mercatoria Fellowship should be directed to J. James Cooper, Chair of the Lex Mercatoria Fellowship.