Maya Steinitz

Maya Steinitz

Professor of Law

R. Gordon Butler Scholar in International Law

LLB, Hebrew University Faculty of Law
LLM, New York University School of Law
JSD, New York University School of Law


Biography

Professor Maya Steinitz teaches civil procedure, international arbitration, and international business transactions. Her research focuses on a wide range of topics including the intersection of civil litigation and corporate law, public and business international law, transnational dispute resolution, and the global legal profession. She is one of the nation’s leading experts on litigation finance. 

Her articles have been published by leading law reviews and journals published by Harvard, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, and Vanderbilt Law Schools and Oxford University. Her book about transnational mass tort litigation, “The Case for an International Court of Civil Justice,” was published by Cambridge University Press in 2019 and her next monograph, “Litigation Finance, Law Firm Ownership, and The Future of the Legal Profession” has been accepted for publication by Cambridge University Press.

Professor Steinitz has been interviewed and cited by scores of leading news outlets globally, including CBS 60 MinutesNew York TimesWashington PostWall Street JournalFinancial TimesNBCNPRThe AtlanticChicago TribuneReutersBloomberg, and The American Lawyer.

Professor Steinitz’s expertise in international law and dispute resolution is further exemplified by her significant engagement with the Middle East. This includes teaching appointments at Columbia Law School, where she co-taught a course on The Legal Aspects of the Israeli – Palestinian Conflict, designed as an “impartial, dispassionate look” at the legal issues from both sides. She also served as a Visiting Professor at Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she taught courses in international dispute resolution. She was instrumental to the establishment of the Israeli-Palestinian ICC Jerusalem Arbitration Center (JAC) and served on its inaugural bench. Her scholarship includes an in-progress monograph on the governance of holy sites in Jerusalem. Her recent service includes service on Boston University’s working group on antisemitism.

While in private practice, she led the representation of the emerging government of Southern Sudan in drafting its national and sub-national constitutions and provided legal advice on various aspects of the Sudanese peace process, in a representation which The American Lawyer described as “one of the most ambitious international pro bono undertaking ever by a commercial law firm.”

Professor Steinitz is a seasoned arbitrator with extensive experience in both private and public law, having served in over 100 arbitrations. Her representative matters include complex multibillion-dollar commercial disputes, sensitive NATO contracting, and a maritime boundary dispute.

A sought-after expert in litigation finance and the future of law firms, Professor Steinitz teaches a course on the topic at Harvard Law School. She regularly testifies, advises, and speaks on the topic at AmLaw 100 firms, Fortune 500 corporations, financial institutions, and governments across the U.S. and internationally.

Before joining academia, Professor Steinitz served as a litigator at Latham & Watkins, LLP (2003-2009) and Flemming, Zulack & Williamson LLP (2001-2002). She also clerked for the Hon. Esther Hayut, former Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court (1998-1999).

Professor Steinitz’s publications are available on Social Science Research Network.

Publications

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  • Maya Steinitz, Chapter 25: Transnational mass tort litigation: a proposal for an International Court of Civil Justice, in Research Handbook on Civil Justice (Anne Bloom, David M. Engel & Richard L. Jolly,2025)
    Scholarly Commons
  • Stella Burch Elias, Derek T. Muller, Jason Rantanen, Caroline Sheerin & Maya Steinitz, Rules and Laws for Civil Actions 2026 (2025)
    Scholarly Commons
  • Stella Burch Elias, Derek T. Muller, Jason Rantanen, Caroline Sheerin & Maya Steinitz, Rules & Laws for Civil Actions: 2025 Ed. (2024)
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  • Maya Steinitz, Zombie Litigation: Claim Aggregation, Litigant Autonomy and Funders' Intermeddling Cornell Law Review (2024)
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  • Stella Burch Elias, Derek T. Muller, Jason Rantanen, Caroline Sheerin & Maya Steinitz, Rules & Laws for Civil Actions: 2024 Ed. (2024)
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  • Stella Burch Elias, Derek T. Muller, Jason Rantanen, Caroline Sheerin & Maya Steinitz, Rules and Laws for Civil Actions 2023 (2023)
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  • Maya Steinitz, The Partnership Mystique: Law Firm Finance and Governance for the 21st Century American Law Firm 63 William & Mary Law Review (2022)
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  • Maya Steinitz, Follow the Money? A Proposed Approach for Disclosure of Litigation Finance Agreements 53 U.C. Davis Law Review (2019)
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  • Maya Steinitz, The Case for an International Court of Civil Justice (2018)
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  • Letter to the Hon. Sen. Orrt (NYS Senate) Regarding Litigation Finance (Lawsuit Lending) (2018) (2018)
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  • Testimony on Third Party Financing of Lawsuits (2018)
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  • Maya Steinitz & Paul Gowder, Transnational Litigation as a Prisoner's Dilemma 94 North Carolina Law Review (2016)
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  • Geoffrey P. Miller, Maya Steinitz, Joshua Schwadron, Bradley Wendel, Michael Faure, Jef De Mot & Travis Lenkner, Panel 2: Types of Litigation Funding, 12 New York University Journal of Law & Business (2016)
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  • Maya Steinitz, Back to Basics: Public Adjudication of Corporate Atrocities Torts, 57 Harvard International Law Journal Online (2016)
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  • Maya Steinitz, Incorporating Legal Claims 90 Notre Dame Law Review (2015)
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  • Maya Steinitz, The Case for an International Court of Civil Justice 67 Stanford Law Review Online (2014)
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  • Maya Steinitz, Transnational Legal Process Theories, in The Oxford Handbook of International Adjudication (Cesare P. R. Romano, et al.,2014)
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  • Maya Steinitz & Abigail C. Field, A Model Litigation Finance Contract 99 Iowa Law Review (2014)
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  • Maya Steinitz, How Much Is That Lawsuit in the Window; Pricing Legal Claims 66 Vanderbilt Law Review (2013)
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  • Maya Steinitz, The Litigation Finance Contract 54 William & Mary Law Review (2012)
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  • Maya Steinitz, Whose Claim Is This Anyway? Third Party Litigation Funding 95 Minnesota Law Review (2011)
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  • Joseph Matthews & Maya Steinitz, TDM Special Issue: Contingent Fees and Third Party Funding in Investment Arbitration Disputes 2011 Transnational Dispute Management Journal (2011)
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  • Maya Steinitz, Internationalized Pro-Bono and a New Global Role for Lawyers in the 21st Century: Lessons from Nation-Building in Southern Sudan 12 Yale Human Rights & Development Law Journal (2009)
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  • Maya Steinitz & Michael Ingrassia, The Impact of Sovereign Wealth Funds on the Regulation of Foreign Direct Investment in Strategic Industries: A Comparative View 10 Business Law International (2009)
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  • Maya Steinitz, The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as the Theater: The Social Negotiation of the Moral Authority of International Law 5 Journal of International Law & Policy (2007)
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  • Maya Steinitz, The Ad Hoc International Criminal Tribunals and a Jurisprudence of the Deviant 7 International Law FORUM du Droit International (2005)
    Scholarly Commons
  • Maya Steinitz, The Milosevic Trial - Live: An Iconical Analysis of International Law's Claim of Legitimate Authority 3 Journal of International Criminal Justice (2005)
    Scholarly Commons

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Courses

LAW JD 873

Civil Procedure

4 credits

Examines the structure and function of civil procedure and the requirements of due process of law.


FALL 2026: LAW JD 873 A1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Tue,Thu 10:40 am 12:40 pm 4
FALL 2026: LAW JD 873 B1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Tue,Thu 2:10 pm 4:10 pm 4 Naomi M. Mann
FALL 2026: LAW JD 873 C1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Mon,Wed 2:10 pm 4:10 pm 4 Maya Steinitz
FALL 2026: LAW JD 873 D1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Tue,Wed,Thu 4:20 pm 5:35 pm 4 Portia Pedro
FALL 2026: LAW JD 873 E1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Tue,Thu 2:10 pm 4:10 pm 4 Sahani
FALL 2026: LAW JD 873 F1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Mon,Wed 2:10 pm 4:10 pm 4 David H. Webber
LAW JD 721

Happiness and the Law

3 credits

This seminar offers an in-depth exploration of the interactions of happiness and the law. The course is structured into three interconnected units: • Unit 1: Happiness, Law, and Public Policy: This unit delves into how social policies and legal frameworks can be designed to promote happiness and well-being at a societal level. It examines the use of happiness data and insights from behavioral sciences to inform legal change in areas such as criminal law, civil procedure, corporate law, and tax law. • Unit 2: How to Be a Happy Lawyer: This unit focuses on cultivating meaningful and fulfilling legal careers. Drawing on general happiness studies and the growing field of law and mindfulness, it explores strategies for lawyers to enhance their own well-being and job satisfaction. • Unit 3: The Lawyer-Client Relationship: This unit analyzes the lawyer-client relationship beyond traditional paradigms. It considers the potential for this relationship to increase the happiness and well-being of both attorneys and clients, incorporating perspectives from philosophy, psychology, economics, and political science. The seminar employs a variety of pedagogical methods to facilitate student learning. These include Socratic discussion of assigned readings, synchronous and asynchronous experiential exercises, and hands-on activities. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with mindfulness techniques and develop an actionable personal career-life plan that integrates the themes of the course. Additional experiential exercises will be incorporated throughout the semester to provide practical application of course concepts. UPPER-CLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: This seminar may be used to partially satisfy the requirement. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.


SPRG 2027: LAW JD 721 A1, Jan 11th to Apr 21st 2027
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Thu 8:30 am 10:30 am 3 Maya Steinitz
LAW JD 842

International Business Transactions

3 credits

This course provides a comprehensive survey of the legal and business issues arising in international commercial transactions. The course will cover key areas of international business and economic law impacting cross-border transactions, including: the basic documentary transaction (international sales and shipment contracts); agencies and distributorships; franchises and licensing; joint ventures; international project finance; and Cross-border mergers and acquisitions. In addition to substantive law, the course introduces students to essential lawyering skills crucial for success in international transactional practice. Students will develop their skills in negotiation, contract drafting, and client counseling. Through a combination of doctrinal study, case analysis, and practical exercises such as role-playing, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of international business transactions and the role of lawyers in facilitating these deals. The course will also address the importance of cultural awareness in international business dealings and explore topics such as corporate social responsibility and international dispute resolution. PREREQUISITE: Any course in International Law.


FALL 2026: LAW JD 842 A1, Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026
Days Start End Credits Instructors Bldg Room
Thu 4:20 pm 7:20 pm 3 Maya Steinitz