William is a Julian Aresty Endowed Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Sociology, and Criminology, as well as the Director of the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. During his tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, he directed the leading business ethics research center in the United States. He additionally served as chair, undergraduate chair, and graduate chair of the Department of Criminology and has published more than 100 scholarly articles and books on a wide range of subjects, including works on corporate criminal law and compliance, moral development, psychology and law, and criminology.

William is a founding editor of the book series Advances in Criminological Theory, and co-editor of the Handbook of Psychology and Law. His current research interests focus on translating theories of corporate criminal law into practice, and the need for evidence based GRC and compliance programs. Over the past three decades Prof. Laufer has worked with the World Bank, the Center for Strategic International Studies, the Center for Political Accountability, the United Nations, and a host of NGOs, IFIs, and international consulting firms.