I am a Professor of Law and Philosophy at the University of Southern California, where I also serve as Co-Director of the Center for Law and Philosophy. My research focuses on jurisprudence, private law theory, and contract theory. I teach courses on contract law, private law, legal theory, and law and society.
I was born in Chile and grew up in Chile and Venezuela. I currently live in Los Angeles.
Core areas of inquiry
The nature of law and legal reasoning, legal positivism, the methodology of legal theory, and constitutional and statutory interpretation.
The normative foundations of contract law, the nature of contractual powers, contract remedies, and contract law adjudication.
The justification and structure of private law, the nature of private law reasoning, and the foundations of private law institutions.
The Institution of Contract (Oxford University Press, under contract) — A non-reductive theory about the institution of contract law, its justification, and its internal structure.
Selected publications
Conversations with leading scholars in private law theory, recorded during the pandemic. Guests include Seana Shiffrin, Arthur Ripstein, Benjamin Zipursky, John Goldberg, Paul Miller, Brian Bix, Hanoch Dagan, Larissa Katz, Liam Murphy, Jody Kraus, Aditi Bagchi, and many others.
Selected presentations
I welcome inquiries from scholars, students, and institutions. Feel free to reach out about research collaborations, speaking invitations, or academic opportunities.
fjimenez@law.usc.edu USC Faculty ProfileUniversity of Southern California
699 Exposition Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90089