Property Law

Property law is about what we own and what we can do with it. 

From homes to possessions to ideas, it sets out the rights individuals have over their property, like the right to keep others out and let them in, the right to use it, and the right to sell it or give it away.

The law of property is one of the basic parts of the legal system; it is the foundation of the market economy and so plays an essential role in many other legal fields, from corporate law to family law, criminal law to zoning.

Our leading scholars have shaped national and global debates on the nature of property from a range of theoretical perspectives. 

Courses

Students are introduced to the basic principles of property law in the first-year course.

In upper years, students may elect from a diverse set of courses that address the legal regulation of property, including trusts, intellectual property, real estate and land use planning, as well as seminars probing property’s theoretical bases.

Faculty

  • Role: Professor
    Areas of Interest:
    Legal Theory
    Philosophical Approaches to Law
    Private Law
    Property Law
  • Alan Brudner
    Role: Professor Emeritus
    Areas of Interest:
    Criminal Justice
    Legal Theory
    Philosophical Approaches to Law
    Property Law
  • Role: Professor
    Areas of Interest:
    Intellectual Property Law
    Legal Theory
    Philosophical Approaches to Law
    Private Law
    Property Law
  • Chris Essert
    Role: Professor
    Areas of Interest:
    Legal Theory
    Philosophical Approaches to Law
    Private Law
    Property Law
    Tort Law
  • L-Katz2025
    Role: Professor
    Areas of Interest:
    Legal Theory
    Philosophical Approaches to Law
    Private Law
    Property Law
  • Jim Phillips posing for a headshot in front of brightly lit windows
    Role: Professor Emeritus
    Areas of Interest:
    Legal History
    Property Law
  • Professor Douglas Sanderson leans on the back of a chair
    Role: Professor
    Areas of Interest:
    Indigenous Peoples & the Law
    Legal History
    Legal Theory
    Property Law