Professor Makdisi earned degrees from Harvard College (B.A. magna cum laude, 1971), University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., 1974), and Harvard Law School (S.J.D., 1985). After serving on the faculty at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law for ten years, he served as dean at The University of Tulsa College of Law (1991-1994), Loyola University New Orleans School of Law (1996-1999), and St. Thomas University School of Law (1999-2003). He is currently on the faculty at St. Thomas and teaches primarily in the area of Property Law.

His publications include ESTATES IN LAND AND FUTURE INTERESTS (6th ed. with D. Bogart, 2014), INSIDE PROPERTY LAW (with D. BOGART, 2009), INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF LAW (3d ed. with M. Makdisi, 2009), FLORIDA PROPERTY LAW II (2007), FLORIDA PROPERTY LAW I (2006), and ISLAMIC PROPERTY LAW (2005), as well as various articles and treatise chapters on property law.