Not every problem involving duty and self-interest is a conflict of interest. When a faculty member reviews a former student's grant application, when a dean serves on an award committee while writing a recommendation letter for a nominee, or when a researcher considers a consulting opportunity - these situations require careful analysis, not automatic assumptions.
Most universities have thoughtful conflict policies grounded in legal principles and institutional values. The challenge isn't the quality of these policies, but the inherent difficulty of applying abstract frameworks to specific, real-world situations. Principles like "avoid situations where personal interests may influence judgment" are sound guidance, but translating them into action requires specialized knowledge.
We built this app on Professor Lionel Smith's legal framework because it provides the analytical structure that distinguishes what is often conflated. We identify five distinct categories - Conflict of Interest, Conflict of Duty-and-Duty, Bias, Misuse of Power and Unauthorized Profit. Each requires a different management approach. This precision matters, since disclosure might resolve a potential conflict, while misuse of power requires immediate cessation and unauthorized profit demands disgorgement.
By combining our rigorous taxonomy with your institution's specific policies, we've created a tool that helps you analyze specific situations with the clarity they deserve. You get instant, policy-aware guidance that respects both legal nuance and practical reality.
Act with the assurance that your decisions rest on sound legal principles and institutional policy.
Professor Lionel D. Smith, Esq.
Professor Lionel D. Smith is a scholar of comparative law whose career has focused on fiduciary obligations and the loyal exercise of power. His work across Oxford, Cambridge, and McGill has examined how legal systems manage situations where individuals hold power on behalf of others: trustees, directors, public officials, and university administrators. His 2023 book The Law of Loyalty synthesizes decades of research into a systematic framework that distinguishes categories often conflated in practice. As a governance expert, Smith has developed the analytical tools to navigate complex situations where institutional interests, personal interests, and legal obligations intersect. Smith's scholarship provides the analytical foundation for Conflict Query, ensuring that the app's guidance reflects established legal principles rather than algorithmic guesswork.