Brian Feinstein

Brian D. Feinstein examines the structure and function of regulatory agencies and the interplay between these agencies and other institutions. His articles have charted the connections between mortgage finance regulation and state foreclosure law, considered the impact of partisan polarization on regulatory agencies, and shed light on Congress’s use of oversight hearings as a means of influencing agency behavior. A political scientist and lawyer by training, Feinstein’s research incorporates insights from the social sciences and law. His articles have appeared in the Columbia Law Review, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, and Journal of Politics, among other journals.

Before joining Wharton in 2018, Feinstein was a Bigelow Fellow & Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School. Prior to entering academia, he practiced law at Arnold & Porter LLP, where he served as outside counsel to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and clerked for the Honorable John Daniel Tinder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Feinstein received a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. in government from Harvard University. He also earned a B.A. in economics and political science from Brown University.

Awards and Honors

• Holmes-Cardozo Outstanding Research Award, Academy of Legal Studies in Business Annual Conference, 2019
• Mack Institute Research Fellowship (joint with Kevin Werbach), 2019