Business Law News 2 - College of Law

Winship invested as Edwin M. Adams Professor of Law

Amy Santos, Verity Winship, and Jamelle Sharpe gather for a photo prior to Professor Winship's investiture ceremony

On February 10, 2026, Verity Winship was invested as the Edwin M. Adams Professor of Law in a ceremony honoring her commitment to scholarship, teaching, and public engagement.

An expert in business law and complex litigation, Professor Winship has been a vital part of the College of Law since 2010, twice earning the Carroll P. Hurd Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship as well as serving as Interim Dean of the College of Law and the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. She has also served as fellow in the Academic Leadership Program in the Big Ten Academic Alliance and chaired the Securities Regulation section of the American Association of Law Schools during her time at Illinois. Her full bio is available on her faculty profile page.

Professor Winship’s endowed position was made possible through a generous gift from the late Edwin M. Adams, a well-known lawyer and actor, who earned his law degree at Illinois in 1939. Joined by her family, Winship was honored with speeches from Dr. Amy Santos, associate provost for faculty development and professor in the Department of Special Education, as well as Dean Jamelle Sharpe.

Watch the ceremony on our YouTube channel.

Verity Winship speaks at a podium during her investiture ceremony.

Amy Santos and Jamelle Sharpe talk and laugh together in a classroom

Brubaker and Lawless add commentary to ABI post on Texas Two-Step bankruptcies

Professors Ralph Brubaker and Robert Lawless were both featured in the commentary featured on the American Bankruptcy Institute’s blog, Rochelle’s Daily Wire. Their commentary discussed the most recent decision in the ongoing controversy over the propriety and legitimacy of so-called “Texas Two-Step” mass-tort bankruptcies. The decision, from the Fourth Circuit, continues to stoke opinion and Lawless writes that it sets up “a Supreme Court decision in the coming years.”

Read their commentary in Rochelle’s Daily Wire.

Lawless joins Ballard Spahr Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast to discuss consumer debt and bankruptcy through the lens of his latest book

Professor Bob Lawless and co-authors Pamela Foohey and Deborah Thorne recently joined the well-regarded Ballard Spahr podcast Consumer Finance Monitor to discuss their book “Debt’s Grip: Risk and Consumer Bankruptcy.”

In the episode, they discuss why people actually file for bankruptcy, the role of debt collection and litigation, potential policy reforms, and much more.

Listen to the episode.

Lawless discusses bankruptcy, the student debt crisis, and more on The UIUC Talkshow

An audio recording studio with microphone and chair

Leading bankruptcy law expert and professor Bob Lawless recently sat down with the students behind the independent, student-run production The UIUC Talkshow. Lawless discussed the student debt crisis, the history of bankruptcy law, and some proposed solutions.

View the full conversation on youtube.com.

Lawless and co-authors discuss their book “Debt’s Grip: Risk and Consumer Bankruptcy” in 2-part series with Law360

Professor Robert Lawless, along with co-authors Pamela Foohey and Deborah Thorne, recently sat down with Law360 for an in-depth interview on their book “Debt’s Grip: Risk and Consumer Bankruptcy.” The book is the latest to come out of the Consumer Bankruptcy Project, a long-term interdisciplinary research project on consumer bankruptcies in the U.S. that began in 1981. The authors discussed what they were hoping to learn (and what surprised them), how the data on who is filing for bankruptcy has changed over time, and what they want lawmakers to take away from the book.

Read Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview.

Brubaker featured on Harvard Bankruptcy Roundtable

Professor Brubaker speaks during a live podcast recording at the College of Law

A new paper from Professor Ralph Brubaker, “Assessing the Legitimacy of the ‘Texas Two-Step’ Mass-Tort Bankruptcy,” was recently featured on the Harvard Law School Bankruptcy Roundtable. Brubaker’s article analyzes the “Texas Two-Step” maneuver as courts grapple with legal challenges to the fundamental legitimacy of it. The paper was also listed on SSRN’s Top Downloads for Bankruptcy, Reorganization & Creditors eJournal and for Law & Society: Private Law-Financial Law eJournal.

Read the article online.

Lawsky speaks on tax panel at Pittsburgh School of Law

Fall view of Illini Union from north of Green Street.

On October 17, Professor Sarah Lawsky was part of a panel discussion at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law covering “AI in Tax Law: Tax Administration &
Educating the Next Generation.” She was one of eight panelists from academia, industry, government sharing expertise on the role of artificial intelligence in tax administration, legal practice, and tax law education.

Lawsky publishes article in Yale Journal on Regulation

In the most recent issue of the Yale Journal on Regulation, Professor Sarah Lawsky has published a note as part of the symposium on Joshua D. Blank and Leigh Osofsky’s “Automated Agencies: The Transformation of Government Guidance.” In her article, she concludes, “Automated guidance thus might exacerbate the access to justice gap. Unlike publications, automated guidance may fool people into thinking that they have received individualized guidance, when they actually have not.”

Read her full note online.

Lawless discusses new book with WBGL

Speaking about his new book, “Debt’s Grip,” Professor Robert Lawless sat down with WBGL’s Community Matters program. He discussed the research that went into the work, how bankruptcy affects the lives of everyday Americans, and common misconceptions about the bankruptcy process. He concluded with advice for how to support those going through financial hardships.

Listen to the program on Soundcloud.

Kaplan presents forthcoming paper at George Mason

Professor Kaplan teaches in front of a blackboard

Professor Richard Kaplan recently presented his paper, entitled “The Law and Economics of Financing Long-Term Care: An Unrecognized Impediment to Wealth Transmission,” at a symposium on The Law and Economics of Wealth Management and Transmission sponsored by the George Mason University Law School. The paper will be published in the George Mason Law Review.