Before joining the faculty at the
University of Michigan Law School in 1964, White practiced law with
Latham & Watkins in
Los Angeles. From 1978 until 1981, White served as the associate dean of the University of Michigan Law School. White has published nearly 20 books on contract and bankruptcy law, and he has published nearly 70 academic articles in numerous legal journals, including the
Michigan Law Review, the
Cornell Law Review, the
Yale Law Journal, and the
Cardozo Law Review. White received the L. Hart Wright Award for Excellence in Teaching for 2001–2002 and the Homer Kripke Achievement Award, given by the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. White took a three-year hiatus from the University of Michigan Law School in 2012; however, he returned in 2015. White has been a visiting professor at
Harvard Law School,
Columbia Law School,
Cornell Law School,
University of South Carolina School of Law, Tel Aviv University Law School,
University of Toledo College of Law, and
Wayne State University Law School. White is a Reporter and member of the Drafting Committee for Implementation of the UN Convention on Independent Guarantees and Stand-by Letters of Credit. He is a member of the Permanent Editorial Board for the
Uniform Commercial Code. White also served as a fighter pilot in the
United States Air Force. == Personal life ==