Law, Innovation, and the Future of the Impact Economy

Deborah Burand is the faculty director of the Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship at the NYU School of Law. She also teaches in NYU Law’s Paris program where she leads an experiential course that introduces law students to the legal and business issues that can arise in launching and managing impact investment funds. During her nearly two decades of working in academia, she founded the first international transactions clinics established by law schools in the United States – at NYU Law (in 2015) and the University of Michigan Law School (in 2008). The Council on Foreign Relations named Prof. Burand a Higher Education Ambassador Fellow – 2024-2025. She also was awarded a Distinguished Teaching Award in 2024 by NYU School of Law. In 2021, she and former NYU Wagner colleague, ret. Professor Scott Taitel, were recognized by the Financial Times for “excellence in sustainable finance education for innovation and creativity in teaching materials.” Earlier in her career, the Council on Foreign Relations awarded her an International Affairs Fellowship. During her fellowship, she worked in the legal departments of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Deborah also has worked in the private sector (global law firm), public sector (as the general counsel of the US Government’s development finance institution, a senior attorney at the US Federal Reserve Board, and a senior attorney/adviser at the US Treasury Department), and nonprofit sector (senior management roles in conservation and microfinance organizations).