Abbey Stemler is an Associate Professor and Weimer Faculty Fellow in the Department of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. She is a leading scholar on the regulation of the sharing economy and platform-based businesses and has published widely, including in top law journals such as the Iowa Law Review, Emory Law Journal, and Harvard Journal on Legislation. She is frequently sought out for her expertise by lawmakers, intergovernmental organizations, and media outlets.
Her research explores the spaces where law has yet to catch up with technology. In particular, her aim is to expose the evolving realities of Internet-based "innovations" and find ways to effectively regulate them without hindering their beneficial uses. As she sees it, many modern firms inhabit a world that operates under alien physics—where free is often costly and “smart” is not always wise. In her research, she employs tools and insights from economics, behavioral science, regulatory theory, and rhetoric to understand how society can better protect consumers, privacy, and democracy.
Professor Stemler is nationally recognized for her scholarship, teaching, and service and is the recipient of multiple awards including the Academy of Legal Studies in Business’s Outstanding Early Career Achievement Award, Indiana University’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, and the Jerry S. Cohen Award for Antitrust Scholarship. She is also a practicing attorney, entrepreneur, and founding member and chair of Indiana University's Queer Philanthropy Circle, the first circle of its kind to crowdfund and support queer students, faculty, and alumni in higher education.