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Bio
(Norman) Stephan Kinsella is a retired attorney and libertarian writer in Houston. He was previously General Counsel for Applied Optoelectronics, Inc., a partner with Duane Morris, and adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law Houston. A registered patent attorney, he received an LL.M. (international business law) from King’s College London, a JD from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University (LSU), and BSEE and MSEE degrees from LSU.
He has spoken, lectured and published widely on both legal topics, including intellectual property law and international law, and also on various areas of libertarian legal theory. Libertarian-related publications include Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Papinian Press, 2023), The Universal Principles of Liberty (2025), Rothbard at 100: A Tribute and Assessment (co-editor, with Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Papinian Press and The Saif House, 2026), A Life in Liberty: Liber Amicorum in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (co-editor, with Jörg Guido Hülsmann, Papinian Press, 2024), Property, Freedom, and Society: Essays in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (co-editor, with Jörg Guido Hülsmann, Mises Institute, 2009), Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008), Douglas E. French, When Movements Become Rackets and Other Swindles: The PFS Trilogy, Stephan Kinsella, ed. (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2025). Forthcoming works include Copy This Book: The Case for Abolishing Intellectual Property.
Kinsella’s legal publications include International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s Guide (Oxford, 2020); Online Contract Formation (Oceana, 2004); Trademark Practice and Forms (Oxford & West/Thomson Reuters 2001–2013); World Online Business Law (Oxford, 2003–2011); Digest of Commercial Laws of the World (Oxford, 1998-2013); Protecting Foreign Investment Under International Law: Legal Aspects of Political Risk (Oceana Publications, 1997); and Louisiana Civil Law Dictionary (Quid Pro Books, 2011).
Kinsella is a member of the Judicial Committee of the Libertarian Party (2022–2026; Chair Jan. 1, 2023–July 31, 2023), a co-founder and member of the Advisory Council for the Open Crypto Alliance (2020–22), a member of the Editorial Board of Reason Papers (2009–), a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Molinari Review (2014–), an External Reviewer for the Journal of Libertarian Studies (2019–) and the Journal of Policy Analysis (Institute for Youth in Policy) (2021; defunct), a member of the Advisory Board of the Lexington Books (Rowman & Littlefield) series Capitalist Thought: Studies in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (2013–), Founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom (2010–present), and legal advisor to LBRY (2015–2020). He is Editor of Property and Freedom Journal (2026–present) and previously, he was Founder and Executive Editor of Libertarian Papers (2009–2018), a Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute (2009–2013), a member of the Advisory Council of the Government Waste and Over-regulation Council of the Our America Initiative (2014–2017), Book Review Editor of the Journal of Libertarian Studies (Mises Institute, 2000–2004), a member of the Editorial Board of The Journal of Peace, Prosperity & Freedom (Liberty Australia, 2012–2016), a member of the Advisory Panel of the Center for a Stateless Society (C4SS) (2009–2012), and served as Chair of the Computer Law Subcommittee of the Federalist Society’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. He has also run for Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, as a Libertarian, in 2002, and 2024.
Contact: [email protected]
Short Bio
N. Stephan Kinsella (LL.M., King’s College London; JD, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, LSU; BSEE and MSEE, LSU) is a libertarian writer and registered patent attorney in Houston. He was previously General Counsel for Applied Optoelectronics, Inc., a partner with Duane Morris, and adjunct law professor at South Texas College of Law.
Founder and Director of the Center of the Study of Innovative Freedom and Founder and Executive Editor of Libertarian Papers, he has spoken, lectured and published widely on both legal topics, including intellectual property law and international law, and on various areas of libertarian legal theory. His numerous publications include Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Papinian Press, Papinian Press, 2023), Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008), The Universal Principles of Liberty (2025), Rothbard at 100: A Tribute and Assessment (co-editor, with Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Papinian Press and The Saif House, 2026), A Life in Liberty: Liber Amicorum in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (co-editor, with Jörg Guido Hülsmann, Papinian Press, 2024), Property, Freedom, and Society: Essays in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Mises Institute, 2009), and Copy This Book: The Case for Abolishing Intellectual Property (Papinian Press, forthcoming). His legal publications include International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s Guide (2d ed., Oxford University Press, 2020) and Louisiana Civil Law Dictionary (Quid Pro Books, 2011).
Contact: [email protected]
Very Short Bio
N. Stephan Kinsella (LL.M., King’s College London; JD, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, LSU; BSEE and MSEE, LSU) is a libertarian writer and registered patent attorney in Houston. He has spoken, lectured and published widely on various areas of libertarian legal theory and on legal topics such as intellectual property law and international law. His publications include Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Papinian Press, 2023), Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008), The Universal Principles of Liberty (2025), and International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s Guide (Oxford, 2020).
Contact: [email protected]
Super Short Bio
Stephan Kinsella is a libertarian writer and patent attorney in Houston. His publications include Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Papinian Press, 2023), Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008), and International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s Guide (Oxford, 2020).
Bio for Speech and Podcast Introductions
Stephan Kinsella is an intellectual property attorney and libertarian writer in Houston. He is the author of numerous publications including International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution (Oxford, 2020), Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2001), Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Papinian Press, 2023), and The Universal Principles of Liberty (2025).
Alternate Longer Bio
N. Stephan Kinsella is a libertarian writer and patent attorney in Houston. He was previously General Counsel for Applied Optoelectronics, Inc., a partner with Duane Morris, and adjunct law professor at South Texas College of Law. He received an LL.M. (international business law) from King’s College London and London School of Economics-University of London, a JD from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU, and BSEE and MSEE degrees from LSU, and is licensed to practice before the Texas, Louisiana (inactive), and Pennsylvania (inactive) bars, and is registered to practice before the US Patent & Trademark Office.
A leading libertarian legal theorist, he is Founder and Director of the Center of the Study of Innovative Freedom and was the Founder and Executive Editor of Libertarian Papers. He has spoken, lectured and published widely on both legal topics, including intellectual property law and international law, and also on various areas of libertarian legal theory. His numerous publications include Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Papinian Press, 2023), The Universal Principles of Liberty (2025), Against Intellectual Property (Mises Institute, 2008), A Life in Liberty: Liber Amicorum in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (co-editor, with Jörg Guido Hülsmann, Papinian Press, 2024), Property, Freedom, and Society: Essays in Honor of Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Mises Institute, 2009), and Copy This Book: The Case for Abolishing Intellectual Property (Papinian Press, forthcoming).
Stephan’s legal publications include International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner’s Guide (2d ed., Oxford University Press, 2020); Online Contract Formation (Oceana, 2004); Trademark Practice and Forms (Oxford University Press, 2001–2011; West/Thomson Reuters 2011–2013); World Online Business Law (Oxford University Press, 2003–2011); Digest of Commercial Laws of the World (Oxford University Press, 1998-2013); Protecting Foreign Investment Under International Law: Legal Aspects of Political Risk (Oceana Publications, 1997); Louisiana Civil Law Dictionary (Quid Pro Books, 2011), and several others.
Contact: [email protected]
