Professor's article on death, taxes and zombies praised by 'New York Times'


Adam Chodorow, associate dean for Innovative Ventures at the College of Law, has written an article titled, “Death and Taxes and Zombies,” that is garnering national attention.

According to a July 7 essay in The New York Times, Chodorow has “performed a valuable scholarly service by embarking on a playful examination of serious tax-code issues from a refreshing perspective.”

However, as John Schwartz, the Times’ national legal correspondent, notes, it seems likely that the editors of the Iowa Law Review, where the article will be published, also looked at the topic and said “Zombies! Cool!”

Schwartz, an admitted zombie fan, interviewed Chodorow for the essay: “The important question, he (Chodorow) said in a tone that struck me as un-deadpan, is determining whether zombies should be considered truly deceased or partly alive. That distinction is crucial financially…”

In the essay titled, “Estate Planning for Savvy Zombies,” Schwartz continues, “If we relax the assumption that death is, in fact, permanent, Professor Chodorow said, it turns out that there are a lot of traps for the unwary and planning opportunities for the well-advised.”

To read the essay, click here.

To read Chodorow’s article, click here.