College of Law establishes Jurist in Residence program and welcomes inaugural guest Judge Thomas Kirsch

Judge Thomas Kirsch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently completed a multi-day visit at the College of Law, as the inaugural Jurist in Residence. The newly launched program aims to deepen the College’s connections to the bench, inspire students to pursue judicial clerkships, and provide them with the opportunity […]

Francis Boyle, long-time College of Law faculty member, passes away

Professor Francis Boyle passed away on Thursday, January 30, 2025. Professor Boyle, an internationally recognized scholar of human rights and international law, was a member of the College of Law faculty for 47 years and touched the lives of generations of students, not to mention his colleagues. Over his career, Professor Boyle represented national and […]

Finkin honored for his contributions to the fields of labor law and higher education law

After a 36-year career at the University of Illinois College of Law, Swanlund Endowed Chair and Professor Matthew Finkin officially retired and was granted emeritus status in the fall of 2024. A prolific and highly respected labor law scholar, Finkin has been honored at several significant events in recent months.  In June, a session on […]

Illinois LawCast: Understanding the TikTok ban with Lena Shapiro

The Supreme Court unanimously agreed the law banning TikTok from the United States was constitutional and should go into effect as written; however, on January 20th, President Donald Trump instructed the Attorney General not to enforce the law for 75 days. So, what is going on and what is the legal basis for any of […]

Illinois LawCast: Get to know Bill Watson and Sara Gerke

In this episode, our newest faculty members, Bill Watson and Sara Gerke, sit down to discuss their path to Illinois Law, their specialties, and how they are enjoying their time at the College of Law thus far. Listen online.Listen on Apple Podcasts.Listen on Spotify Podcasts.Listen on Amazon Music.Listen on Pandora. If you have comments or […]

Lawless publishes new article on overindebtedness

Research on overindebtedness and household incomes represents “low-hanging fruit,” according to Professor Robert Lawless. In a new article published in the Annual Review of Law and Social Science, he and his co-authors review current literature about who files bankruptcy, what causes bankruptcy, what happens in bankruptcy court, and what happens after cases conclude. They also […]

Kaplan recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award

Professor Richard Kaplan is the recipient of the 2025 AALS Aging and Law Section’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors his distinguished career of teaching, service, and scholarship in aging and the law. A letter from the AALS Aging and Law Section explained his selection, noting “dedicated service to the profession, to your students, to […]

SSRN features Q&A with Gerke

Professor Sara Gerke was recently featured on the SSRN blog, discussing her extensive research. As part of their “Meet the Author” series, Gerke participated in a question and answer session covering her research on the ethical and legal challenges of artificial intelligence and big data for health care and health law in the United States […]