Kinsella Not LSU Distinguished Alumnus

by Stephan Kinsella on March 29, 2026

Next month (April 9, 2026) the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards for the LSU Law Center, one of my alma maters, will be presented in Baton Rouge (Facebook post for 2025 awards), including:

Congrats to these honorees. A few months ago, a good friend of mine and LSU Law classmate, Tony Tramontana (I went backpacking in Europe with him and our friend Paul Comeaux the summer of 1991 during law school—see pix below), ¹ an LSU Law Dean’s Council member, and who knows of my work, asked if I minded if he submitted my name for the “Legal Innovator” award. He thought my career might fit the bill according to 2026 LSU Law Distinguished Alumni Awards criteria. I figured it was a long shot, but said go ahead and helped him gather some materials. I was not selected. Congrats to Mr. Pinkerton.

Aside: incidentally, earlier in my career, which started in 1992, I was toying with the idea of pursuing academia. This was in 2002. It’s one reason I was enrolled for a few years in the University of London’s PhD (Laws) program (my adviser was Dr. Stephen Guest, a Dworkin scholar); ² I eventually gave up as I was too busy to finish and had decided not to continue it as I didn’t need it anymore. At the time I had lived in London (1991–1992), then Houston (1992–1994), and then Philadelphia (1994-1998), and then back to Houston. My wife and I were considering moving back to Baton Rouge and so I started the process of inquiring for a possible teaching position at LSU Law. Eventually I learned they were looking for female or South American civilians, so that did not work out, probably a good thing as I was not really cut out for academia.

Tony’s nomination letter is appended below as well as all the info I sent him to prepare his submission. A few pix of my European adventures with Tony and Paul in 1991; others appended below.

Oktoberfest Munich 1991, with Paul

At the Walll, August 1990

Checkpoint Charlie 1990

2026 LSU Law Distinguished Alumni Awards Nomination

Category: Legal Innovator
Law Dean’s Council Member Sponsor:
Juan Antonio Tramontana
J. Antonio Tramontana
Attorney at Law
Monroe, La 71201

Nominee:
N. Stephan Kinsella
Graduation Year: 1991

NOMINATION

I would like to nominate my friend and classmate (Norman) Stephan Kinsella, LSU Law ’91, for the 2026 “Legal Innovator” award for the following reasons:

The “Legal Innovator” award is defined as follows:

“Not every graduate envisions themselves on a partnership track in a law firm. Some never challenge the bar. Others practice for a period of time then pursue other opportunities. Some just hear ‘a different drum.’ They leverage their law degrees toward a business endeavor, public/political life, journalism, technology or something as yet uncategorized.

This award recognizes an LSU Law graduate of more than 10 years who created success on the road less travelled.

The above describes an LSU graduate who “hears a different drum” and have “successfully leveraged their law degree towards something” other than the standard partnership track of a law firm, and “created success on the road less travelled.” This description seems to seek someone who succeeded on the less travelled road through innovative, non-traditional uses of their law degree rather than the classic path of law firm partner or judge. While I have followed the relatively standard track of a law practice, my friend and fellow LSU Law classmate Stephan Kinsella has followed a completely different path as what truly can be described as a “legal innovator.” I have had the pleasure of watching it unfold. I nominate Stephan for this award.

N. Stephan Kinsella, LSU Law Class of 1991, exemplifies the “Legal Innovator” spirit by forging an extraordinary path that bridges engineering, international law, and libertarian legal theory. His career, spanning global corporate counsel work, prolific scholarship, and pioneering thought on property and intellectual freedom, demonstrates how an LSU Law graduate can leverage the civil law foundation toward groundbreaking intellectual contributions recognized worldwide.

Kinsella Education and Accomplishments:

Even before LSU law, Stephan followed a different drum. I met Stephan in law school, after he had finished undergrad as an LSU engineering graduate (BSEE) and had begun his MSEE studies before entering LSU Law with my class. He completed his MSEE while in the JD program, obtaining the MSEE in 1990 and his JD in 1991. Immediately after finishing his JD at LSU, he completed an LL.M. in International Business Law at King’s College London. By this point, Stephan had successfully blended engineering precision with intense legal analysis from the civil law perspective obtained through his LSU Law degree, and set out on his career path.

Stephan first practiced oil & gas law and international law at Jackson Walker in Houston but soon switched to patent law and practiced in Philadelphia with the prominent national firm Duane Morris LLP. He passed both the Louisiana and Texas bars in 1992, and the Patent and Pennsylvania bars in 1994. Upon moving back to Houston in 1998, Stephan started the firm’s Houston office, where he was made partner. In 2000, he joined Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (publicly traded as AAOI), where he worked as general counsel, Vice President–Intellectual Property, and corporate secretary, until 2012, when he opened his solo practice focusing on intellectual property law. He also taught as adjunct professor (computer law) at South Texas College of Law Houston (1998–1999). He retired from active legal practice earlier this year.

Throughout his career, Stephan became a prolific legal writer and speaker. He published widely on a variety of legal topics, including oil and gas law, Louisiana civil law, international investment law, and intellectual property law. His Louisiana law related publications include “A Civil Law to Common Law Dictionary, 54 Louisiana Law Review 1265 (1994) and “Smashing the Broken Mirror: The Battle of the Forms, UCC 2-207, and Louisiana’s Improvements,” 53 Louisiana Law Review 1555 (1993), which was reprinted in the 2011 Fall course pack for Sales and Real Estate Course 5204 (Professor John Randall Trahan) and also excerpted Professor Melissa Lonegrass’s book Sale, Lease, and Advanced Obligations: Cases and Readings (2019). The dictionary article was expanded into a book, Louisiana Civil Law Dictionary (co-author; Quid Pro Books, 2011) which is still in use and being sold today.

Because of the strong civil law background he developed from his LSU Law JD, Stephan was also able to publish internationally. His international law publications include Protecting Foreign Investment Under International Law: Legal Aspects of Political Risk (co-author; Dobbs Ferry, New York: Oceana Publications, 1997) and International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s Guide, 2d ed. (co-author; Oxford University Press, 2020). The latter has become a leading reference in this field, being excerpted or used in international law courses, e.g. excerpted in Foreign Investment Disputes: Cases, Materials and Commentary, 2d ed., Bishop, Crawford, et al. (ed) (Kluwer, 2014) and used in the International Law course, Prof. Dr. Ring and Prof. Dr. Wolf, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (2004).

In addition to writing, Stephan also was for many years an editor of a number of legal treatises in the fields of international and intellectual property law, including Digest of Commercial Laws of the World (Oceana Publications/Oxford University Press, 1998–2011; West/Thomson Reuters 2011–2016), World Online Business Law (Oxford University Press, 2003–2011), Online Contract Formation (Oxford University Press, August 2004), and Trademark Practice and Forms (Oxford University Press, 2001-2011; West/Thomson Reuters 2011–2013). Stephan also served as editor of several books including A Life in Liberty: Liber Amicorum in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2024) and Property, Freedom, and Society: Essays in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Auburn, Ala.: Mises Institute, 2009).

Taking his experience and knowledge of civil law, international law and property law, Stephan expanded his views and education into libertarian legal theory. Stephan has become a noted speaker, lecturer, and publisher of various areas of libertarian legal theory from 1992–present and is now one of the world’s leading and most influential libertarian intellectuals. He has taught online courses in intellectual property and libertarian legal theory for the Mises Academy, and has spoken at various universities including Yale, the University of Berkeley-California, Lewis & Clark College, the University of Texas, and numerous other colleges, which has included an appearance on the John Stossel Show. His influential works include Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008) and Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2023), with the latter published by the open-source press Stephan founded, and which he named in honor of the great Roman jurist Papinian, whose works laid foundations for modern civil law traditions.

Stephan has also served as editor of several books including A Life in Liberty: Liber Amicorum in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2024) and Property, Freedom, and Society: Essays in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Auburn, Ala.: Mises Institute, 2009). He has also contributed chapters to numerous books, such as Palgrave Handbook of Misesian Austrian Economics, David Howden, ed. (Palgrave, forthcoming 2025) and Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics, Prof. Dr. Christoph Lütge, ed. (Springer, 2013; 2d. ed. forthcoming 2025). He has also served on the editorial boards of various scholarly journals and book series, such as Reason Papers (2009–), Molinari Review (2014–), and the Lexington Books (Rowman & Littlefield) series Capitalist Thought: Studies in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (2013–). He was also a Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute (2009–2013), a member of the Judicial Committee of the Libertarian Party (2022–2026; Chair Jan. 1, 2023–July 31, 2023), is Founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom (2010–present), and was a founding member of the Property and Freedom Society based in Bodrum, Turkey (2006–present). He was also Book Review Editor of the Journal of Libertarian Studies (Mises Institute, 2000–2004) and founding editor and publisher of the innovative open source scholarly journal Libertarian Papers (Mises Institute, 2009–2018).

Stephan’s legal and libertarian theories, developed over a three-decade period from 1992 to 2023, culminated in his book, Legal Foundations of a Free Society, published in 2023. The foreword was written by Stephan’s intellectual mentor, the world-renowned philosopher Hans-Hermann Hoppe, author of works such as A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism (Kluwer, 1989), The Economics and Ethics of Private Property 2d ed. (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2006) and Democracy: The God That Failed (Transaction, 2001). I personally believe Hans-Hermann Hoppe did an excellent job summarizing the true extent of what Stephan had accomplished, and so I include directly much of the foreword. Of Stephans’ work, Hoppe writes:

In this situation, then, more than 40 years after the first publication of [Murray] Rothbard’s Ethics of Liberty and characterized by much practical disappointment and increasing theoretical confusion, the publication of Stephan Kinsella’s present work must be considered a most welcome sign of renewed hope and new, refreshing intellectual inspiration. Indeed, with this work, that has been in the making for more than two decades, Kinsella has produced no less than an intellectual landmark, establishing himself as the leading legal theorist and the foremost libertarian thinker of his generation. While following in Rothbard’s footsteps, Kinsella’s work does not merely rehash what has been said or written before. Rather, having absorbed as well all of the relevant literature that has appeared during the last few decades since Rothbard’s passing, Kinsella in the following offers some fresh perspectives and an innovative approach to the age-old quest for justice, and he adds several highly significant refinements and improvements and some centrally important new insights to the theories of personhood, property and contract, most famously some radical criticism and rejection of the idea of “intellectual property” and “intellectual property rights.”

Henceforth, then, all essential studies in the philosophy of law and the field of legal theory will have to take full account of the theories and criticisms expounded by Kinsella.

The Path Taken by Stephan Kinsella:

The typical LSU Law graduate’s path consists of a successful career practicing law generally in one area. Some take a bit less travelled path and teach law. Some take an even lesser path and become noted writers and authors on law. A few take the much lesser path of becoming true innovators of legal theory. Stephan has taken all these paths. He built on his LSU legal education in civil law and achieved a successful legal career in both law firms and in-house practice, but he did not stop there. Integrating his knowledge of Louisiana and Roman law as well as common law and international law with his practice experience in oil & gas, international, and intellectual property law, Stephan was able to provide an influential scholarly output rivaling that of many law professors. This, combined with his experience as editor and publisher, has led to him becoming a leading intellectual in the field of libertarian legal scholarship.

Stephan has created more than a career; he has created work and ideas that will remain when he has gone. His career demonstrates how an LSU Law graduate can innovate in practice, publication, and public thought. He has shown how one can build bridges from Louisiana’s civil law to the global arena of legal theory by not being afraid to take your LSU Law education down a path different from the typical path. His career is an example of what can be achieved with an LSU legal education in terms of professional success, legal scholarship, and legal and political philosophy. I honestly cannot see how any other career path could better meet the criteria of “Legal Innovator” than Stephan Kinsella’s.

Supporting Material:

I will be happy to provide supporting material for any of the above information if you need it. Stephan Kinsella’s CV and list of publications can be accessed at kinsellalaw.com.

***

Background Information

The material Tony submitted above was based on info I provided to him, include the info below (some of it redundant with Tony’s nomination submission):

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS NOMINATION TEMPLATE

This document is for your use in developing your nomination. It is not an alternative method of submission. The online form does not permit you to save and come back later to complete. We recommend that you gather your information and develop your narrative, then return to the nomination form https://law.lsu.edu/forms/da. Copy and paste your responses. If you have supporting documents to upload, gather them in advance, too.

Legal Innovator

Value Statement and Criteria

Not every graduate envisions themselves on a partnership track in a law firm. Some never challenge the bar. Others practice for a period of time then pursue other opportunities. Some just hear “a different drum.” They leverage their law degrees toward a business endeavor, journalism, technology or something as yet uncategorized.

This award recognizes an LSU Law graduate who created success on the road less travelled.

NOTE: The questions posed for each narrative are examples of the kind of information the committee will consider. Feel free to elaborate, or to take your narrative in another direction. Your challenge is to make the case for your nominee. Be clear, convincing and concise in your effort to persuade us that your nominee best embodies the values implicit in the award criteria.

Legal Innovator – Nominee Graduation Year *

1991

Legal Innovator – Career Path *

Tell us about this nominee’s career path and what makes it unusual.

See attached

Legal Innovator – Accomplishments *

What accomplishments make your nominee deserving of this award?

See attached

“Supporting Material (for nomination packet)

Curriculum Vitae (available at kinsellalaw.com and https://www.kinsellalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/cv/kinsella_cv.pdf)
Major publications list: Legal publications at https://kinsellalaw.com/publications/; other publications at https://stephankinsella.com/publications/ Major works summarized in the attached.
Sample media features and lectures: Available on Kinsella’s podcast https://stephankinsella.com/kinsella-on-liberty-podcast/ but include:
- Numerous lectures, courses, interviews
- adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law Houston (1998–1999)
- Mises Academy course “Libertarian Legal Theory: Property, Conflict, and Society” (6 week course, Jan. 31–March 11, 2011), available at KOL018 | “Libertarian Legal Theory: Property, Conflict, and Society, Lecture 1: Libertarian Basics: Rights and Law” (Mises Academy, 2011)
- Mises Academy course “Rethinking Intellectual Property: History, Theory, and Economics” (6 weeks, Mar. 22–April 26, 2011), available at KOL172 | “Rethinking Intellectual Property: History, Theory, and Economics: Lecture 1: History and Law” (Mises Academy, 2011)
- John Stossel show, 2015 KOL308 | Stossel: It’s My Idea (2015)
- Delivered the Rothbard Memorial Lecture, “The Intellectual Property Quagmire, or, The Perils of Libertarian Creationism,” Austrian Scholars Conference 2008, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn AL, March 13, 2008 [KOL012]
Letters of support from academic, legal, and technology colleagues [see below re Hoppe]

https://hanshoppe.com/2023/10/foreword-legal-foundations-of-a-free-society/: Excerpt:

In this situation, then, more than 40 years after the first publication of Rothbard’s Ethics of Liberty and characterized by much practical disappointment and increasing theoretical confusion, the publication of Stephan Kinsella’s present work must be considered a most welcome sign of renewed hope and new, refreshing intellectual inspiration. Indeed, with this work, that has been in the making for more than two decades, Kinsella has produced no less than an intellectual landmark, establishing himself as the leading legal theorist and the foremost libertarian thinker of his generation. While following in Rothbard’s footsteps, Kinsella’s work does not merely rehash what has been said or written before. Rather, having absorbed as well all of the relevant literature that has appeared during the last few decades since Rothbard’s passing, Kinsella in the following offers some fresh perspectives and an innovative approach to the age-old quest for justice, and he adds several highly significant refinements and improvements and some centrally important new insights to the theories of personhood, property and contract, most famously some radical criticism and rejection of the idea of “intellectual property” and “intellectual property rights.”

Henceforth, then, all essential studies in the philosophy of law and the field of legal theory will have to take full account of the theories and criticisms expounded by Kinsella.

About Hoppe:

Hans-Hermann Hoppe, an Austrian school economist and libertarian/anarcho-capitalist philosopher, is Professor Emeritus of Economics at UNLV, Distinguished Fellow with the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Founder and President of The Property and Freedom Society, former Editor of the Journal of Libertarian Studies”

Hans-Hermann Hoppe was born on September 2, 1949, in Peine, West Germany. He attended the Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken, the Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, for studies in Philosophy, Sociology, History, and Economics. He earned his Ph.D. (Philosophy, 1974) and his “Habilitation” (Sociology and Economics, 1981), both from the Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main.

He taught at several German universities as well as at the Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center for Advanced International Studies, Bologna, Italy. In 1986, he moved from Germany to the United States, to study under Murray Rothbard. He remained a close associate of Rothbard until his death in January, 1995.

Hoppe’s key and influential works:

https://hanshoppe.com/publications/

A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism(Kluwer, 1989; Mises Institute reprint, 2007; Laissez Faire Books, 2013)
The Economics and Ethics of Private Property, Second Edition (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2006)
Democracy: The God That Failed(Transaction, 2001)
The Great Fiction: Property, Economy, Society, and the Politics of Decline(Laissez Faire Books, 2012; second revised edition, Mises Institute, 2021)
Economic Science and the Austrian Method(1995)
Economy, Society, and History(Mises Institute, 2021)
A Short History of Man: Progress and Decline(Mises 2015)
Critique of Causal Scientific Social Research: Studies on the Foundation of Sociology and Economics

What accomplishments make your nominee deserving of this award?

Additional info:

Stephan is a recently retired patent attorney living in Houston. A native of Ascension Parish, he attended St. George Elementary and Catholic High, and attended LSU for his BSEE and MS in electrical engineering and JD, from 1983–1991. He was my classmate at LSU Law where we were friends, and backpacked in Europe together. We have kept in touch and I have followed his career.

Stephan entered LSU in 1983, after graduating from Catholic High, where he was one of three National Merit Finalists. After completing his BSEE in 1987, Stephan began his MSEE studies and then put that on hold when he entered LSU Law in 1988. He finished his MSEE while in law school in 1990 and completed his JD in 1991. He then attended King’s College London, earning an LL.M. (international business law) in 1991.

After law school, Stephan practiced oil & gas law and international law at Jackson Walker in Houston but soon switched to patent law and practiced in Philadelphia with the prominent national firm Duane Morris LLP. He passed both the Louisiana and Texas bars in 1992, and the Patent and Pennsylvania bars in 1994. Upon moving back to Houston in 1998, started the firm’s Houston office where he was made partner. In 2000, he joined Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (publicly traded as AAOI), where he worked as general counsel, Vice President–Intellectual Property, and corporate secretary, until 2012, when he opened his solo practice focusing on intellectual property law. He also taught as adjunct professor (computer law) at South Texas College of Law Houston (1998–1999). He retired from active legal practice earlier this year.

During his successful career at law firms in Houston and Philadelphia, in house practice, and in solo practice, he published widely on a variety of legal topics, including oil and gas law, Louisiana civil law, international investment law, and intellectual property law. His Louisiana law related publications include “A Civil Law to Common Law Dictionary, 54 Louisiana Law Review 1265 (1994) and “Smashing the Broken Mirror: The Battle of the Forms, UCC 2-207, and Louisiana’s Improvements,” 53 Louisiana Law Review 1555 (1993), which was reprinted in the 2011 Fall course pack for Sales and Real Estate Course 5204 (Professor John Randall Trahan) and also excerpted Professor Melissa Lonegrass’s book Sale, Lease, and Advanced Obligations: Cases and Readings (2019). The dictionary article was expanded into a book, Louisiana Civil Law Dictionary (co-author; Quid Pro Books, 2011) which is still in use and being sold today.

His international law publications include Protecting Foreign Investment Under International Law: Legal Aspects of Political Risk (co-author; Dobbs Ferry, New York: Oceana Publications, 1997) and International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s Guide, 2d ed. (co-author; Oxford University Press, 2020). The latter has become a leading reference in this field, being excerpted or used in international law courses, e.g. excerpted in Foreign Investment Disputes: Cases, Materials and Commentary, 2d ed., Bishop, Crawford, et al. (ed) (Kluwer, 2014) and used in the International Law course, Prof. Dr. Ring and Prof. Dr. Wolf, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (2004).

Stephan also was for many years editor of a number of legal treatises in the fields of international and intellectual property law including Digest of Commercial Laws of the World (Oceana Publications/Oxford University Press, 1998–2011; West/Thomson Reuters 2011–2016), World Online Business Law (Oxford University Press, 2003–2011), Online Contract Formation (Oxford University Press, August 2004), and Trademark Practice and Forms (Oxford University Press, 2001-2011; West/Thomson Reuters 2011–2013).

In addition to his legal scholarship, Stephan has also spoken, lectured and published widely on various areas of libertarian legal theory from 1992–present, becoming one of the world’s leading and most influential libertarian intellectuals. He has taught online courses in intellectual property and libertarian legal theory for the Mises Academy, and has spoken at various universities including Yale, the University of Berkeley-California, Lewis & Clark College, the University of Texas, and numerous other colleges and for including an appearance on the John Stossel Show. His influential works include Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008) and Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2023), with the latter published by the open source press Stephan founded, named in honor of the great Roman jurist Papinian.

Stephan also served as editor of several books including A Life in Liberty: Liber Amicorum in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2024) and Property, Freedom, and Society: Essays in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Auburn, Ala.: Mises Institute, 2009). He has also contributed chapters to numerous books, such as Palgrave Handbook of Misesian Austrian Economics, David Howden, ed. (Palgrave, forthcoming 2025) and Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics, Prof. Dr. Christoph Lütge, ed. (Springer, 2013; 2d. ed. forthcoming 2025). He has also served on the editorial boards of various scholarly journals and book series, such as Reason Papers (2009–), Molinari Review (2014–), and the Lexington Books (Rowman & Littlefield) series Capitalist Thought: Studies in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (2013–). He was also a Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute (2009–2013), a member of the Judicial Committee of the Libertarian Party (2022–2026; Chair Jan. 1, 2023–July 31, 2023), is Founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom (2010–present), and was a founding member of the Property and Freedom Society based in Bodrum, Turkey (2006–present). He was also Book Review Editor of the Journal of Libertarian Studies (Mises Institute, 2000–2004) and founding editor and publisher of the innovative open source scholarly journal Libertarian Papers (Mises Institute, 2009–2018).

Though he retired from law earlier this year, he continues to speak and publish; forthcoming works include Copy This Book: The Case for Abolishing Intellectual Property and Libertarianism: A Treatise.

Stephan’s legal and libertarian theories, developed over a three decade period from 1992 to 2023, was presented in his magnum opus, Legal Foundations of a Free Society, published in 2023. The foreword was written by Stephan’s intellectual mentor, the world-renowned philosopher Hans-Hermann Hoppe, author of works such as A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism (Kluwer, 1989), The Economics and Ethics of Private Property 2d ed. (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2006) and Democracy: The God That Failed (Transaction, 2001). Of Stephans’ work, Hoppe writes in the foreword:

In this situation, then, more than 40 years after the first publication of [Murray] Rothbard’s Ethics of Liberty and characterized by much practical disappointment and increasing theoretical confusion, the publication of Stephan Kinsella’s present work must be considered a most welcome sign of renewed hope and new, refreshing intellectual inspiration. Indeed, with this work, that has been in the making for more than two decades, Kinsella has produced no less than an intellectual landmark, establishing himself as the leading legal theorist and the foremost libertarian thinker of his generation. While following in Rothbard’s footsteps, Kinsella’s work does not merely rehash what has been said or written before. Rather, having absorbed as well all of the relevant literature that has appeared during the last few decades since Rothbard’s passing, Kinsella in the following offers some fresh perspectives and an innovative approach to the age-old quest for justice, and he adds several highly significant refinements and improvements and some centrally important new insights to the theories of personhood, property and contract, most famously some radical criticism and rejection of the idea of “intellectual property” and “intellectual property rights.”

Henceforth, then, all essential studies in the philosophy of law and the field of legal theory will have to take full account of the theories and criticisms expounded by Kinsella.

Stephan built on his LSU legal education to achieve a spectacularly successful legal career in both law firm and in-house practice, and integrated his knowledge of Louisiana and Roman law as well as common law and international law and his practice areas of oil & gas, international, and intellectual property law to provide an influential scholarly output rivaling that of many law professors. In addition, he has leveraged his legal knowledge, career, and publishing experience as editor and publisher and has become a leading intellectual in the field of libertarian legal scholarship. His example illustrates what can be done with an LSU legal education, both in terms of professional success, legal scholarship, publishing, and related areas of legal and political philosophy and scholarship.

From ChatGPT:

here’s a draft LSU Law Distinguished Alumni Award Nomination for N. Stephan Kinsella tailored specifically to the Legal Innovator category.
This version matches the Law Center’s 2025 nomination template and tone used in prior award write-ups.

🏛 LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center

Distinguished Alumni Award Nomination

Category: Legal Innovator — Recognizing an LSU Law graduate who created success on the road less travelled

Nominee:

N. Stephan Kinsella (’91)
Patent Attorney, Author, Legal Scholar
Director, Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom (C4SIF)
Houston, TX

Summary Statement (Overview of Candidacy)

Stephan Kinsella exemplifies the very definition of Legal Innovator. Trained in both law and engineering at Louisiana State University, he has spent more than three decades forging a career that bridges law, technology, scholarship, and entrepreneurship. From pioneering thought leadership in intellectual-property theory to founding a legal think-tank dedicated to innovation and freedom, Kinsella has consistently leveraged his LSU Law education in bold and non-traditional directions—creating measurable impact on legal scholarship, technology law, and public discourse worldwide.

Career Path — “The Road Less Travelled”

After earning a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering and his J.D. from LSU, followed by an LL.M. in International Business Law from King’s College London, Kinsella entered the patent and technology field at a time when law and engineering rarely overlapped in Louisiana.

Instead of pursuing a conventional partnership path, he became:

General Counsel and Director of Intellectual Property for high-tech companies in Houston, merging his engineering expertise with complex IP and commercial-law strategy.
Founder of the Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom (C4SIF) — an independent legal think-tank examining how law and innovation intersect in technology, entrepreneurship, and global commerce.
Author and public scholar, publishing works that challenge orthodox thinking about IP and freedom (Against Intellectual Property, Legal Foundations of a Free Society), now widely cited in academic and policy discussions.
Frequent lecturer and debate participant in national and international forums, bridging law with economics, innovation policy, and technological ethics.

This non-linear career—spanning law, technology, and global scholarship—illustrates exactly the kind of inventive professional path envisioned by the Legal Innovator award.

Major Accomplishments & Innovations

1. Intellectual Leadership in Law & Technology

Authored Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008), one of the most cited works challenging traditional IP doctrine and offering alternative models for innovation law.
Published Legal Foundations of a Free Society (2023), a comprehensive integration of natural-law theory with modern legal reasoning.
His scholarship has been translated into multiple languages and is used in academic courses on IP and legal philosophy.

2. Creation of the Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom (C4SIF)

Founded and directs C4SIF, dedicated to promoting innovation through open intellectual exchange and re-thinking how legal frameworks affect creativity, invention, and enterprise.
This think-tank represents the type of entrepreneurial legal enterprise that transforms a JD into broader societal impact.

3. Bridging Law, Engineering, and Global Practice

One of the few LSU Law alumni to combine a graduate engineering background with advanced legal credentials to shape patent strategy and policy in technology industries.
Served as counsel for international technology companies, integrating U.S. IP frameworks with global innovation markets.

4. Educator, Mentor, and Public Advocate

Regularly delivers lectures and podcasts on law, liberty, and technology, mentoring students and young lawyers to think creatively about career possibilities beyond traditional practice.
Through public education, he has expanded awareness of how legal structures can both hinder and empower innovation.

Impact & Recognition

Kinsella’s ideas have influenced policy analysts, entrepreneurs, and academics worldwide, cited in journals, podcasts, and policy debates.
He has been featured by the Mises Institute, Soho Forum, and other scholarly organizations, positioning LSU Law as a center producing thought leaders of global reach.
His interdisciplinary achievements have helped redefine what it means to be a 21st-century legal professional.

Why He Embodies the Legal Innovator Award

Stephan Kinsella’s career vividly reflects LSU Law’s tradition of intellectual courage and innovation. He has:

Charted an independent, unconventional career merging law with technology and scholarship.
Created success on a path few others have travelled—turning legal theory into practical frameworks for innovation.
Elevated LSU Law’s reputation internationally by demonstrating how its graduates can lead in emerging, cross-disciplinary fields.

His professional life models what this award seeks to honor: a graduate whose creativity, intellect, and innovation have expanded the frontiers of what a legal career can be.

Supporting Material (for nomination packet)

Curriculum Vitae (available at kinsellalaw.com)
Major publications list
Sample media features and lectures
Letters of support from academic, legal, and technology colleagues

***

Additional info:

additional info: Alford

LSU Law Alumni Association Scholarship
LSU Alumni Federation Scholarship
National Merit Finalist, 1983
P. Alford III Prize (Mises Institute) for scholarly article published during 2001–2002 that best advances libertarian scholarship
2005 version of IIPR used in
- http://wordpress.ei.columbia.edu/vcc/files/2013/12/Syllabus_2semesters1.pdf
- Investment Law Syllabus Project, Vale/Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment International Investment Law—Policy & Development First Semester of a Year-Long Course in Investment Law, Policy & Dispute Settlement
2020 version of IIPR used—Prof. Dr. Stephan W. Schill, a professor of international law at the University of Amsterdam, lists it as a required reading in the “Legal Texts” section of his syllabus for the International Investment Law course (Winter 2021 semester). The syllabus specifies the second edition published by Oxford University Press in 2020, highlighting its role as a key practitioner’s guide for topics like investor-state dispute settlement and political risk assessment. This course is part of the university’s advanced law program, focusing on the legal frameworks of international investment agreements and arbitration.
- Confirmed by email:
  - From: Stephan Schill<[email protected]>
    Date: Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 12:16 AM
    Subject: Re: International investment law course
    To: Stephan Kinsella <[email protected]>
  - Dear Stephan,
  - many thanks for writing. Your book has been one of the few books available when I started my PhD on investment law in the 2000s and have used it a lot then. It continues to figure on a list of monographs on investment law that is part of my investment law class ant the University of Amsterdam but it is not specifically assigned reading. I am not aware of whether any of my colleagues make use of it.
  - I hope this is useful.
  - Best wishes, Stephan”

I believe Zacharly Catanzaro knows and likes me and was influenced by me https://www.law.nova.edu/faculty/adjunct-faculty/catanzaro-zachary.html and professor Gary Chartier knows and likes and has cited me and hosted me for a talk at his law school a couple years ago https://lasierra.edu/schools/business/team/gary-chartier/

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