Kyle Rozema

Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law whose empirical research focuses on the legal profession, legal institutions, occupational and professional regulation, courts, and law schools.

Occupational Licensing Rules Need Evidence on Quality, Access, and Costs

Kyle Rozema framed occupational licensing as a trade-off between public protection and restricted access to work and services, and the panelists applied that test across law, medicine, economics, apprenticeships, screening, and discipline. Jason Hicks, Alicia Plemmons, and Yun Taek Oh largely defended licensing where it plausibly controls quality, but argued that many existing requirements — from portability barriers and recurring exams to opaque character reviews and public discipline — need narrower justification, better evidence, and more transparent design.

Hoover InstitutionJul 9, 202619 min read