Rakesh "Raj" Kumar Bhala (born Toronto 1962 of Indian and Celtic heritage) is author, lawyer and professor, prominent in the fields of International trade law, Islamic Law (Sharia), and law and literature. He is a professor at the University of Kansas School of Law where he is the first University Distinguished Professor (UDP) at Kansas Law. His inaugural UDP lecture, delivered in September 2025, was entitled Deceitful Destruction of International Trade Law: America First and Xenophobic Autarky, and covered by media.
Previously, Bhala was the inaugural Leo S. Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law, and served as the university’s Associate Dean for International and Comparative Law (2011–2017). He is the author of leading textbooks in international trade law, among others, and of a periodic column on international law, titled “On Point,” published by BloombergQuint (India) (which in May 2022 was re-branded BQ Prime) from January 2017 through October 2022. In June 2020, Ingram’s Magazine named him as one of “50 Kansans You Should Know.” He is a member of the U.S. State Department Speaker Program, and a Fulbright Specialist in international trade law and law and literature.
On international trade, Bhala has appeared on Legal Talk Network, and On with Kara Swisher. He has been quoted by media in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Turkey, and the U.S.
On law and literature, Bhala was the Featured Scholar for the Humanities Kansas Big Idea Series on “East to Midwest: Asian American Perspectives in Kansas,” presenting on “From International Trade to Shakespeare’s Stage: Asian American Angles on Law and Literature.
Education Bhala is a 1980 graduate of University School of Milwaukee. Bhala then received his A.B. degree in economics (summa cum laude) at Duke University in 1984, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
While a Marshall Scholar (1984–86) in the United Kingdom, Bhala earned a master's degree (MSc) in economics from the London School of Economics in 1985 and another master's degree (MSc) in management (industrial relations) from Oxford University the year after, with a thesis on internal labor markets.
Bhala obtained a J.D. degree (cum laude) from Harvard Law School in 1989, where as a third-year student he published his first book, Perspectives on Risk-Based Capital.
Legal career Upon graduation from Harvard Law School, Bhala practiced as an attorney with the legal department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1989–93), specializing in three areas: payment systems, foreign exchange, and enforcement. The New York Fed twice (November 1990 and December 1992) awarded him its President's Award for Excellence, in part for his work as a United States delegate to the United Nations Convention on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in drafting the 1992 Model Law on International Credit Transfers, for which he also received a Letter of Commendation from the U.S. State Department (September 1991). Subsequently, he wrote books in each of these three areas. Bhala was a Senior Advisor to Dentons US LLP, where he specialized in international trade law and related matters. He has served as an International Legal Consultant for The Al Ammari Law Firm, in association with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
He held his first academic post (1993–98) at the Marshal-Wythe School of Law at William & Mary. At his second post (1998–2003) at the George Washington Law School in Washington, D.C., Bhala held the Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professorship.
Bhala joined the University of Kansas School of law faculty in 2003, where he teaches courses in international trade law, advanced international trade law, Islamic law, and law and literature. For his teaching and advising there, he received the Kemper Teaching Award (2008), George and Eleanor Woodyard International Educator Award (2011), and Moreau Award (2012 and 2015) Bhala also served as an instructor at the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he taught Islamic Law to U.S. Special Operations Forces. He has been a visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (2014), University of Michigan Law School (1999), and Duke University School of Law (1996). Outside the United States, he has taught courses at the Heidelberg Centre for Latin America (Santiago, Chile, 2012), World Trade Institute (Berne, Switzerland, 2003 and 2004), La Trobe University (Melbourne, Australia, 2003), Tel Aviv University (2019), University of Auckland (2003, 2017, and 2019), University of London (1997), and been a Research Fellow at the University of Hong Kong (2009) and Visiting Scholar at the Bank of Japan (Tokyo, 1999), and lectured widely in India (2004, 2012, and 2014).Miller, Kate (2014-04-15), "KU Law Partners with Indian Law Schools." University Daily Kansan. http://kansan.com/news/2014/04/15/ku-law-partners-with-indian-law-schools/ Sharp, Emily (2014-04-10), "KU Law Partners with Top Indian Law Schools." KU Today. http://www.news.ku.edu/ku-law-partners-indias-top-law-schools Bhala negotiated Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for the University of Kansas School of Law with foreign law faculties in India.Emily Sharp, April 10, 2014, "KU Partners with India's Top Law Schools," KU Today, http://news.ku.edu/ku-law-partners-indias-top-law-schools In March 2014, CNBC TV-18 in India interviewed Bhala for his views on Indo-U.S. trade disputes. Following resolution of the dispute over public stockpiling of food for security, the London-based Oval Observer Foundation interviewed him about Indian trade policy and the future of free trade agreements (FTAs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In January 2014, Bhala was one of over 80 Distinguished Professors in Kansas to sign a letter calling for suspension and ultimate repeal of the social media policy adopted the previous month by the state's Board of Regents."Dear Kansas Board of Regents" (2014-12-01), Lawrence Journal-World, page A4; Nick DeSantis (2014-10-01), "Kansas Regents Are Urged to Suspend Social-Media Policy During Review," The Chronicle of Higher Education, http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/kansas-regents-are-urged-to-suspend-social-media-policy-during-review/71257 The letter was published simultaneously in The Lawrence Journal World, The Manhattan Mercury, and The Topeka Capital Journal.Phil Nel, Nine Kinds of Pie, http://www.philnel.com/2014/01/12/ksukudp/ (containing the letter as published in the Lawrence Journal World, Manhattan Mercury, and Topeka Capital Journal) The Policy attracted nationwide condemnation, including from the American Association of University Professors, (AAUP)"AAUP Statement on the Kansas Board of Regents Social Media Policy" (2013-20-12), http://www.aaup.org/file/KansasStatement.pdf and jointly from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAP).Letter to Fred Logan, Chair, Kansas Board of Regents (2013-12-20), from Will Creeley Director of Legal and Public Advocacy, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Joan Bertin, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Censorship, Doug Bonney, Chief Counsel and Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Kansas, http://thefire.org/public/pdfs/19221a653d03dee41443cb18befe9c73.pdf?direct; Susan Kruth (2014-01-02), "Kansas Board of Regents to Review Controversial Social Media Policy," FIRE – Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, http://thefire.org/article/16622.html Bhala also expressed his concern about the scope of the Policy on television.Craig Andres (2014-10-01), "Free Speech Battle Heats Up," KSN TV Channel 3 (NBC News, Wichita), http://www.ksn.com/news/local/free-speech-battle-heats-up In April 2014, along with 80 other Distinguished Professors from across Kansas, he signed a petition in favor of a revised Policy. The revision was published widely, and widely supported, but, the Regents essentially rejected it, retaining the controversial elements concerning speech that undermines harmony at, or efficient operation of, a university.Llopis-Jepsin, Celia, "Faculty Remain Skeptical of Regents Social Media Policy." Topeka Capital-Journal. http://cjonline.com/news/2014-04-19/faculty-remain-skeptical-regents-social-media-policyAssociated Press (2014-04017), "Kansas Regents Stick with Social Media Policy for Universities." Kansas City Star. http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/17/4966783/kansas-regents-stick-with-social.htmlShelly, Barbara (2014-04-17), "Kansas Regents Double Down on Repressive Social Media Policy." Kansas City Star. http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/17/4966691/kansas-regents-double-down-on.html
In October 2014, Bhala appeared on the TV comedy show, The Not So Late Show. In December 2014, he commented in a TV interview that the release of the U.S. Senate report on enhanced interrogation techniques (torture) by the CIA showed not only a disconnect between the myth and reality of American support for human rights, but also (ultimately) the strength of America and its commitment to the rule of law. In a New Zealand radio interview, Bhala spoke about the meaning of "enhanced interrogation techniques", and the lack of any justification for torture.http://www.95bfm.co.nz/assets/sm/219198/3/raj.mp3
In December 2015, Bhala was one of 70 University of Kansas Distinguished Professors to sign a letter of protest against a change in state law allowing the carrying of concealed weapons on campus.http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/dec/07/ku-chancellor-distinguished-professors-state-oppos/, KU Chancellor, Distinguished Professors State Opposition to Guns on Campus, Lawrence Journal World, Dec. 7, 2015; http://www.kansan.com/news/ku-distinguished-professors-endorse-kansas-state-professors-position-on-restricting/article_0a0548fe-9d20-11e5-bac2-bb8e64957771.html, 68 KU Distinguished Professors Endorse Kansas State Professors' Position on Restricting Concealed Weapons on Campus, University Daily Kansan, Dec. 7, 2015. In April, 2016, he was one of 64 Distinguished Professors to sign a second such letter. Bhala, along with his wife, Dr. Kara Tan Bhala, were featured by journalist Arun Venugopal in a May 2017 National Public Radio (NPR) New York (WNYC, 93.3 FM) broadcast, "Whose Kansas is it Anyway?," explaining the negative effects of the concealed carry law. In January 2021, they were featured in Venugopal's follow up NPR New York broadcast, "The (Un)making of a Model Minority."
Bhala was selected by the New Zealand Legal Research Foundation (LRF) as its 2017 Visiting Scholar.
International trade law, Islamic law, and Law and Literature contributions In international trade law, Bhala's Stare Decisis Trilogy was the first to highlight that, in practice, the doctrine of precedent operates in multilateral trade adjudication.Corus Staal BV v. United States DOC, 259 F.Supp. 2d 1253 (CIT 2003); "The Myth About Stare Decisis and International Trade Law (Part One of a Trilogy)", 1999, American University International Law Review, 14, 845-956; "The Precedent Setters: De Facto Stare Decisis in WTO Adjudication (Part Two of a Trilogy)", 1999, Florida State University Journal of Transnational Law and Policy, 9, 1-151. "The Power of the Past: Towards De Jure Stare Decisis in WTO Adjudication (Part Three of a Trilogy)", 2001, George Washington International Law Review, 33, 873-978 (symposium on "Global Trade Issues in the New Millennium")