CARLISLE, Pa. — Uppsala University in Sweden, the oldest Scandinavian University, recently conferred the degree of juris doctor honoris causa on William E. Butler, John Edward Fowler Distinguished Professor of Law, Dickinson Law, during a degree ceremony. Butler is the seventh American to receive the honor in the field of law, which originated at Uppsala in 1600.
A worldwide authority in his field, Butler has written widely on comparative law, Russian and East European law, and international law. In conferring the degree on Butler, Uppsala University recognized his prolific contributions to research and authorship in his field, including "Soviet Law" (1983; 2d ed., 1988), "Russian Law" (three editions from 1999 to 2009) published by the Oxford University Press, and "Russian Law and Legal Institutions" (2014), together with a collection of his articles, "Russia and the Law of Nations in Historical Perspective" (2009).
A formal banquet at the Hall of State in the Uppsala Castle attended by approximately 700 guests followed the degree ceremony, which is treated as a national honor in Sweden and held in both Latin and Swedish. Recipients of the honorary degree receive a black, pleated cylinder-type hat symbolizing freedom and power; a diploma in Latin; and an inscribed gold ring symbolizing fidelity to science and scholarship.
Prior to joining the faculty at Dickinson Law, Butler held a Chair of Comparative Law in the University of London, University College London. He earned a doctor of laws at the University of London; a doctor of philosophy at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; a master of laws at the School of Law of the Academy University of Law, Institute of State and Law, Russian Academy of Sciences; a juris doctor from Harvard Law School; a master of arts from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; and a bachelor of arts from American University.