Farewell frost!
October 30, 2024
Sarah B. Lawsky, Stanford Clinton Sr. and Zylpha Kilbride and Clinton Research Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, has received the 2024 Martin E. and Gertrude G. Walder Award for Research Excellence.
The award recognizes Lawsky’s international impact at the intersection of law, artificial intelligence and real-world policy questions of government revenue and equity. Lawsky’s research focuses on tax law and on the application of formal logic and artificial intelligence to the law. She has taught courses related to federal income tax, corporate tax, partnership tax, tax policy, tax deals and contracts.
"I am very grateful for this recognition,” Lawsky said. “Working at the intersection of law, computer science and philosophy right now is incredibly fun and exciting, especially collaborating with other researchers and seeing my theoretical work have practical payoff in the real world."
The Walder Award, given by the Office of the Provost, carries a $20,000 grant. The award was established in 2002 by Dr. Jospeh A. Walder, who earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Northwestern in 1972 and an M.D. degree in 1975. He has also established a permanently endowed professorship at Northwestern, the Irving M. Klotz Research Professorship.
“Professor Lawsky’s immense impact inside and outside the classroom reflects Northwestern’s ongoing commitment to growing future leaders while transforming society,” said Provost Kathleen Hagerty. “It is my pleasure to honor these important, far-reaching contributions.”
Prior to joining Northwestern Pritzker in 2016, Lawsky taught at UC Irvine School of Law and George Washington University Law School, and as an adjunct in New York University’s tax LL.M. program. Before beginning her teaching career, she practiced tax law in New York.
Lawsky received her B.A. from the University of Chicago, her J.D. from Yale Law School, her LL.M. in tax from NYU School of Law, and her Ph.D. in philosophy from the UC Irvine Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science.
