Robert A. Sitkoff (born 1970) is an American legal scholar specializing in trusts and estates, property law, and law‑and‑economics. He is the John L. Ely Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where he joined the faculty in 2008 after serving on the law faculties of Columbia Law School and the University of Texas School of Law.
Education and early career
Sitkoff earned his undergraduate degree (A.B.) from Harvard College and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Harvard Law School. After graduation, he clerked for Judge Stephen F. Breyer on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and subsequently for Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the United States Supreme Court.
Academic work
Sitkoff is a prolific author of scholarly articles in leading law journals, including Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, and University of Chicago Law Review. His research focuses on the structure and function of trusts, the economics of property rights, and the interface of private law with public policy. He co‑authored the casebook Wills, Trusts, and Estates (latest edition published by West Academic) and is a lead author of The Law of Trusts (Oxford University Press), a widely used treatise in the field.
Professional service
Sitkoff has served on numerous editorial boards, including the Supreme Court Review and the Journal of Law and Economics. He has been an adviser to the American Law Institute and has participated in legislative drafting projects concerning estate and trust law reforms in several U.S. states.
Recognition
His contributions to legal scholarship have been recognized with awards such as the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Distinguished Service Award and the Harvard Law School Association’s Alumni Achievement Award.
Selected publications
- Sitkoff, R. A., “The Law of Trusts and Trustees” (Oxford University Press, 2022).
- Sitkoff, R. A., & Cantor, C., Wills, Trusts, and Estates (West Academic, 9th ed., 2020).
- “The Funding of Trusts: A Comparative Perspective,” Harvard Law Review, vol. 124, no. 3 (2011).
Robert Sitkoff continues to teach, write, and engage in policy discussions related to private law and its economic implications.