William E. Butler, formerly of the University of London, has joined the faculty of Penn State Dickinson School of Law as the John Edward Fowler distinguished professor of law. An authority on the legal systems of Russia and former Soviet nations, he is the author, co-author, editor or translator of more than 120 books on Soviet, Russian, Ukrainian and other Commonwealth of Independent States legal systems.
Some of his most recent books include "Russian Law," 2d ed., Oxford University Press, 2003; "The Law of Treaties in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States," Cambridge University Press, 2002; and "Foreign Investment Law in the Commonwealth of Independent States," Simmonds & Hill, 2002. He also edits the journal Russian Law, published by the Russian Academy of Legal Sciences.
Butler held the chair of comparative law at the University of London and is the founder and director of The Vinogradoff Institute, which now will operate as a unit of Penn State Dickinson. Under Butler's direction, the institute coordinates research and teaching activities related to Russian and CIS legal systems and publishes the journal Sudebnik.
The recipient of numerous honors for his service to Russian and international law, Butler is Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and has been elected to his third term as a member of the Russian International Court of Commercial Arbitration. He teaches Russian law, foreign investment in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, law of treaties, law of the sea, history of international law and comparative approaches to international law.