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Henry N. Butler
Henry G. Manne Professor of Law and Economics
Chairman, Law & Economics Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8644

Henry N. Butler is the Henry G. Manne Professor of Law and Economics and Chairman of the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.  For over 30 years, Professor Butler has developed and led educational programs that teach the basics of economics, finance, accounting, statistics, and the scientific method to federal and state judges, as well as other legal professionals and scholars. He served as Dean of the law school from 2015 through 2020 and achieved unparalleled success including raising record-breaking gifts, establishing a host of new centers, institutes, and clinics, boosting the law school’s national and international reputation, and naming the school after the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

From 2007 to 2010, Professor Butler served as the first Executive Director of the Searle Center on Law, Regulation, and Economic Growth at Northwestern University School of Law. He has held prior appointments at the Brookings Institution, Chapman University, the University of Kansas, the University of Chicago, and Texas A&M University. From 1986 to 1993, he was a law professor at George Mason and, during that period, also served as an Associate Dean and Director of the Law & Economics Center.

He received an MA and PhD in economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a JD from the University of Miami School of Law. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Richmond.

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Donald J. Kochan
Professor of Law
Executive Director, Law & Economics Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8321

Donald J. Kochan is Professor of Law and Executive Director of the Law & Economics Center (LEC). Before joining the Antonin Scalia Law School faculty, he was the Parker S. Kennedy Professor in Law at Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law from 2004 to 2020. From 2003 to 2004, Professor Kochan was an Olin Fellow at the University of Virginia School of Law. During 2002-2003, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at George Mason’s Scalia Law School.

Professor Kochan received his JD from Cornell Law School, where he was a John M. Olin Scholar in Law and Economics and managing editor of the Cornell International Law Journal. During law school, he also served as editor and executive editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy symposium issues in 1997 and 1998. He received his BA from Western Michigan University, magna cum laude, with majors in both political science and philosophy, where he studied as the John W. Gill Medallion Scholar and was honored as the Presidential Scholar (awarded to the top graduate in the political science department).

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Alison Price
Director of Operations, Law & Economics Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8132

Alison Huber Price is the Director of Operations at the Law & Economics Center.  From 2017 to 2024, she served as Senior Associate Dean for the law school after having spent 11 years effectively managing the school’s admissions office and enrollment. For the 5 years preceding that, she was instrumental in directing Scalia Law’s Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis Program.

Alison Price originally came to George Mason from Atlanta, Georgia, where she was a partner with the law firm of Lawson, Davis, Pickren & Seydel, LLP. Her practice was concentrated in two distinct areas: litigation as a Special Assistant Attorney General to the State of Georgia (complex construction cases and wrongful death tort defense) and ranch management for Turner Enterprises, Inc. (water rights and hydrocarbon issues). Through her work with the State of Georgia, Price has considerable experience in motion and appellate practice.

Alison Price earned her BA in Political Science/Spanish from Dickinson College and her JD from the University of Georgia School of Law.

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James C. Cooper
Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.9582

James C. Cooper brings over a decade of public and private sector experience to his research and teaching. Prior to joining the faculty at Scalia Law, he served as Deputy and Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning, Advisor to Federal Trade Commissioner William Kovacic, and as an associate in the antitrust group of Crowell & Moring, LLP. Cooper returned to the FTC in 2018-19 to serve as a Deputy Director in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

His research focuses on the law and economics of privacy, data security, and consumer protection, as well as on wide variety of topics surrounding competition policy, and it regularly appears in top academic journals, such as the Journal of Law & Economics, International Review of Law & Economics, Journal of Regulatory Economics, Antitrust Law Journal, and the Virginia Journal of Law & Technology. Professor Cooper has a BA from the University of South Carolina, received his PhD in economics from Emory University, and his law degree, magna cum laude, from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he was a Levy Fellow and a member of the George Mason Law Review.

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Paolo Saguato
Professor of Law and Director, Program on Financial Markets
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8278

Paolo Saguato is Professor of Law, Founder and Director of the Program on Financial Markets. He also serves on the Consultative Working Group of the European Securities and Markets Authority’s Central Counterparty (CCP) Policy Committee and on the CCP Risk and Governance Subcommittee of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Market Risk Advisory Committee.

Professor Saguato’s research in international, US, and EU financial regulation focuses on the regulation of financial market infrastructures, securities and derivatives markets, financial institutions, and financial innovation and technology. His research has been cited by US agencies, including the Department of the Treasury, SEC, and CFTC.

Prior to Antonin Scalia Law School, he was a research fellow at Georgetown Law Center’s Institute of International Economic Law, a fellow in financial regulation at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Global Hauser Fellow at New York University School of Law (Center for Financial Institutions). Professor Saguato was a Fulbright Scholar at Yale Law School, during which he received his LLM and was senior editor of the Yale Journal on Regulation. He earned his PhD (Private, Business, and International) from the University of Genoa Law School (Italy).

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Ashley Evaro George
Assistant Director, Law & Economics Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.9964

Ashley Evaro George is Assistant Director of the Law & Economics Center. She is responsible for managing all course offerings for state and federal judges. Prior to joining the LEC, Ashley served as a federal outreach associate for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Ashley earned her BA in political science and was a member of the Torrey Honors College at Biola University in Southern California. She also received her MPP from the Schar School of Policy and Government and is pursuing her JD at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School.

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Olivia Corso
Program Assistant, Law & Economics Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.9962

Olivia Corso is the Program Assistant for the Attorneys General Education Program, the Civil Justice Academy, the Henry G. Manne Program in Law & Economics Studies, and the Program on Economics & Privacy at the Law & Economics Center. Olivia graduated with a BA in English and history and a minor in Spanish from the University of Virginia.  Previously, Olivia worked as a paralegal in private practice, focusing on civil litigation and franchise law.

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Amanda Olsavsky Hu
Program Manager, Law & Economics Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8306

Amanda Olsavsky Hu is a Program Manager at the Law & Economics Center.  Amanda returns to the LEC in a supporting role to all divisions, and manages programs with an emphasis on competition and antitrust, as well as events with student organizations.  Beginning in 2014, Amanda served as a program assistant at the LEC, and after a six-month hiatus during Covid, took on the role of programs and operations manager with the Global Antitrust Institute for two years. Amanda earned a master of science in Organizational Development and Knowledge Management from the Schar School of Policy and Government.

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Angelica (Sisson) Kuvshinoff
Assistant Director, Judicial Education Program
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.2566

Angelica Kuvshinoff is the Assistant Director of the Judicial Education Program at the Law & Economics Center. She previously worked on the AGEP, PEP, Manne, and Civil Justice Academy divisions. Before joining the LEC, she was the Content Marketing Manager at a design agency. There, she managed websites, created publications, and assisted in the planning and facilitation of executive education workshops. Angelica graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Classics from The Catholic University of America.

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Abby Plummer
Events Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8965

Abby Plummer is the Events Coordinator at the Law & Economics Center. Full bio coming soon!

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Madeline Sarrett
Program Assistant, Judicial Education Program
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8301

Madeline Sarrett is the Program Assistant for the Judicial Education Program at the Law & Economics Center. Prior to joining the LEC, she worked in Student Accounts at West Virginia University. There, she managed accounts covered by third-party sponsors and helped resolve financial issues for students. Madeline graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics with minors in Business Data Analytics and Communication Studies.

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Jolene Sears
Director of External Relationships, Law & Economics Center
E-mail: [email protected]

Jolene Sears is the Director of External Relationships of the Law & Economics Center. Jolene comes to the LEC with over 18 years of experience in higher education and the corporate world, including serving as Board Operations Coordinator for the Texas A&M System Board of Regents, and directing operations and outreach for the Texas A&M School of Innovation. She was Director of Strategic Operations at A&M Innovation Partners, providing support and managing projects to assist faculty researchers in commercializing their IP. Most recently, she worked at National Instruments in Austin, Texas, working with the global Analytics Commercial Group in the office of the Chief Technology Officer and supporting efforts of NI’s Long Term Innovation program. Jolene graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

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Emily Shaheen
Judicial Education Program Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.9960

Emily Shaheen is the Judicial Education Program Coordinator at the Law & Economics Center. Prior to joining the LEC, she worked for a non-profit organization advocating for substance abuse prevention for minors and new drug legislation within the Virginia General Assembly. Emily graduated from the University of Arizona where she received her Bachelor of Science in Public Management and Policy.

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Ian Spears
Assistant Director, Attorneys General Education Program and Civil Justice Academy
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8008

Ian Spears is the Assistant Director of the Attorneys General Education Program and Civil Justice Academy at the Law & Economics Center. He is pursuing his MA in political science at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Ian graduated from the Torrey Honors College at Biola University in May 2020 with a BA in political science. Prior to joining the Law & Economics Center, Ian worked for advocacy organizations that concentrated on religious freedom and prison reform. Ian has contributed research to a variety of primary and secondary academic projects, including developments of democracy in the 19th century, terrorism studies, and transhumanism. His research interests lie in the areas of political philosophy, civic education, and the law.

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Heather Vignali
Associate Director, Events
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.9961

Heather Vignali joined the LEC in June 2021, where she manages hotel sourcing and logistical elements for all LEC programming. Previously, she was a project manager with a contractor for the US Army’s Strong Bonds Program. There, she managed a team of event planners and the logistics for 1,500 events annually across the globe. She began her career in hotel operations and events, including two years as a hotel’s General Manager before focusing on event management. Heather graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management from James Madison University.

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Gwendolyn Watson
Program Coordinator, Henry G. Manne Program in Law & Economics Studies and Program on Economics & Privacy
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 703.993.8388

Gwendolyn Watson joined the Law & Economics Center in August of 2023 as the Program Assistant, and is now the Program Coordinator of the Henry G. Manne Program in Law & Economics Studies and the Program on Economics & Privacy. Prior to joining the LEC, she attended the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where she graduated in May of 2023. Gwendolyn graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management on the Policy & Law track and with minors in Technical Writing & Communications and Sustainability Studies.