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 […]

Illinois LawCast: Acting locally and globally with Abass Sesay

This episode features Abass Sesay, an LLM student from Sierra Leone and founder of the nonprofit, Campaign for Social Justice and Human Rights. We discussed his work promoting climate change action, youth empowerment, and justice, as well as attending the United Nations’ Summit of the Future in and IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings. Listen […]

Illinois LawCast: Veterans Legal Clinic with Yulanda Curtis and Luke Hemmerla

Founder and director of the Veterans Legal Clinic, Yulanda Curtis, joins the podcast to discuss her passion for providing civil legal services to the veteran community. In the second half of this episode, 3L student Luke Hemmerla, a current member of the Missouri Army National Guard, joins to discuss his work as a clinician and […]

Illinois LawCast: Inclusive Excellence with Jolynn Caroline

In this episode we speak with Jolynn Caroline, who was recently named the College of Law’s senior director for inclusive excellence, career planning and professional development. We discussed her lifelong connections to the University of Illinois, her work in the careers office at the College of Law, and her goals working in inclusive excellence. Listen […]

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