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Photo of Richard L. Cupp, J.D.

Richard L. Cupp, J.D.
John W. Wade Professor of Law

Office: School of Law (SOL)
E-mail: richard.cupp@pepperdine.edu

  • J.D., University of California, Davis, 1987
  • B.A., Pepperdine University, 1983, magna cum laude

SSRN Author Page

Richard L. Cupp, Jr. serves as John W. Wade Professor of Law at Pepperdine Law School. He is widely recognized as a leading scholar and commentator in the fields of torts and products liability law. Professor Cupp has authored more than 20 significant scholarly articles and numerous shorter articles. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and he has served as chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Torts and Compensation Systems.

In addition to his work in torts and products liability, Professor Cupp writes and speaks extensively about the legal and moral status of animals. He has advised many organizations on these subjects, including the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Science, Technology and Law, the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Neuroscience, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Animal Health Institute, and the American Animal Hospital Association. He has also been awarded research grants from the National Association of Biomedical Research.

Professor Cupp served as an associate dean at Pepperdine Law School from 2002-2008 (associate dean for academics, 2002-05; associate dean for research, 2005-08). His work in both of these roles entailed a strong focus on strategic planning and implementation for the law school, including quality enhancement, financial resources planning, and strategic academic planning. His work as an associate dean also entailed coordinating Pepperdine Law School's successful application for membership in Order of the Coif, which was granted in 2008.

As a law student Professor Cupp served as editor-in-chief of the UC Davis Law Review. He teaches torts, products liability, remedies, and animal law.

Selected Works:
  • Moving Beyond Animal Rights: A Legal/Contractualist Critique, 46 SAN DIEGO L. REV. 27 (2009).
  • Paint by Numbers, L.A. DAILY JOURNAL, July 14, 2008, at 6A.
  • Emotional Distress and Loss of a Pet, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, Apr. 27, 2007.
  • A Dubious Grail: Seeking Tort Law Expansion and Limited Personhood as Stepping Stones Toward Abolishing Animals' Property Status, 60 SMU L. REV. 3 (2007).
  • Christopher L. Frost, Successor Liability for Defective Products: A Redesign Ongoing, 72 BROOK. L. REV. 1173 (2007).
  • Believing in Products Liability: Reflections on Daubert, Doctrinal Evolution, and David Owen's PRODUCTS LIABILITY LAW, 40 U.C. DAVIS L. REV. 511 (2006).
  • Asbestos Litigation and Bankruptcy: A Case Study for Ad Hoc Public Policy Limitations on Joint and Several Liability, 31 PEPP. L. REV. 203 (2003).
  • Proximate Cause, the Proposed Basic Principles Restatement, and Products Liability, 53 SO. CAROLINA L. REV. 1085 (2002).
  • Danielle Polage, The Rhetoric of Strict Products Liability Versus Negligence: An Empirical Analysis, 77 N.Y.U. L. REV. 874 (2002).
  • Amber E. Dean, Veterinarians in the Doghouse: Are Pet Suits Economically Viable?, THE BRIEF, Spring 2002, at 43.
  • Richard L. Cupp, Jr., Paint Plaintiffs as Pirates, NAT'L L.J., Aug. 20, 2001, at A24.
  • Product Design Safety and Tort Law: the Impact of Increasing Cohesion in Civil Liability Standards, INJ. CONTROL & SAFETY PROMOTION, Mar. 2001, at 37.
  • State Medical Reimbursement Lawsuits After Tobacco: Is the Domino Effect for Lead Paint Manufacturers and Others Fair Game?, 27 PEPP. L. REV. 685 (2000).