Jay Feinman, Distinguished Professor of Law, was named the 2018 recipient of Rutgers University's Daniel Gorenstein Memorial Award. The award was established in 1993 by the family, friends, and colleagues of Professor Daniel Gorenstein to commemorate his outstanding mathematical research, his skillful and enthusiastic exposition of his field, and his wise and devoted service to Rutgers University. The award is given to a Rutgers University faculty member noted for both outstanding scholarly achievement and exceptional service to the University community. Professor Feinman will be the 25th recipient of this award.

"Over the course of his career, Professor Feinman has contributed as much to Rutgers Law School, and to the broader academic and professional community, as any single person possibly could," said Michael T. Cahill, Co-Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law. "I am delighted but not at all surprised to see this recognition of his accomplishments as an innovative and inspiring teacher, a well-rounded and respected scholar, and a devoted institutional citizen."

"I am delighted that Professor Feinman has been selected as the recipient of the Daniel Gorenstein Memorial Award," said Barbara A. Lee, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rutgers University, in an announcement about the award. "He represents entirely the ideals of this singular recognition named in honor of a scholar an intellectual who has made deep and lasting contributions to Rutgers and the world."

As a Distinguished Professor of Law, Professor Feinman has broad expertise in a number of areas, including contracts law, tort law, legal history, jurisprudence, and insurance law. He was an original member of the Conference on Critical Legal Studies and wrote some of the canonical critical texts on contract law. He has written seven books and over 65 scholarly articles and book chapters. Professor Feinman has shared his scholarly expertise by presentations at scores of conferences, universities, and professional meetings around the world.

Professor Feinman is also well known for bringing his academic expertise to broader audiences. Published by Oxford University Press, Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About American Law is an introduction to law for both students and non-lawyers.  It has sold more than 150,000 copies and has been translated into eight languages with a fifth edition forthcoming. 

He is an elected member of the prestigious American Law Institute and has served for many years as a board member of South Jersey Legal Services. In addition, he has served as Chair of the Association of American Law Schools' Section on Teaching Methods and Section on Contracts, Chair of the Planning Committee for an AALS national conference on teaching contract law, and as a member of the Editorial Board of the AALS Journal of Legal Education.

For his work with trial lawyers' organizations, Professor Feinman was awarded the Gold Medal for Distinguished Services from the New Jersey Association for Justice in 2014. He has a long and distinguished record of service to the law school and greater university, having served on numerous academic committees, and as Acting Dean and Associate Dean for Curriculum Development and Lawyering Programs at the law school. In 2012, he co-created the Center for Risk and Responsibility, which established Rutgers Law as a leader in the field of insurance law. Professor Feinman is also a master teacher whose excellence in the classroom was recognized by his receipt of the Provost's Award for Teaching Excellence, the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching. 

A special award ceremony and lecture will be held on Thursday, April 19th, at 4:00 p.m. in the 401 Penn Classroom, Paul Robeson Library, 300 N. 4th Street, Camden Campus. Professor Feinman will give a talk entitled, "Why Insurance Works, and Why It Doesn't."