What is really being debated when individuals debate legal interpretation? This is the central question in a new paper written by Professor Bill Watson published in the latest issue of the Boston University Law Review. The “meta-interpretive” question “is key to making progress,” according to Watson. “We should be wary of monolithic interpretive theories that purport to apply across the board,” he concludes.
In October, the Illinois Legislature passed the Bivens Act, which provides new state-level protections for individuals interacting with Illinois courts, hospitals, schools, and child-care centers during civil immigration enforcement activities. Writing at Justia Verdict, Professors Jason Mazzone and Vikram Amar praise the law as “an important and innovative law in keeping with the proudest tradition of federalism”; however, they note that some aspects of the Act are unlikely to survive federal constitutional challenges. In their article, they explain why the law is good and why some parts are destined to be struck down.
In addition to her JD from the University of North Carolina, Meghan Brinson also holds an MFA in creative writing from Arizona State University, which made her an ideal guest for the Cornered podcast’s episode on literature and the law. Speaking on the show, produced by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Brinson discussed her background, her law and literature course, and how she combines her interests for the benefit of her students.
Professor Jacob Sherkow has co-authored a new paper with Laura Valtere (University of Copenhagen – CeBIL) and Timo Minssen (University of Copenhagen – CeBIL) titled “Intellectual Property, New Genomic Technologies And Plant Innovation: Clearing Innovation Pathways.” The abstract follows:
New genomic technologies (NGTs), such as genome editing-the modification of DNA in living cells-promises to revolutionize agriculture. Beyond simply yielding new, commercially viable crop varieties, NGTs also hold out promise of using novel crops as a “biosolution”-methods to improve sustainability practices by reducing pesticide usage, improving drought tolerance, increasing yield, and minimizing food and fertilizer waste. At the same time, the complex global system of intellectual property (IP) protection for crops has largely been unchanged for decades. There is accordingly some concern that the current crop IP system will not bring the promise of agricultural biosolutions to fruition. This Article reviews NGTs as biosolution and explores how they fit into the current international IP system for crops. Against this backdrop, this Article also reviews several current proposals to crop IP regime, before tentatively suggesting recommendations for rebalancing the incentive structures in crop IP.
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.
Professor Jennifer Pahre recently published “A Comparison of Inadequate Doctrines: The Canadian “honour of the Crown” and the U.S. Federal Trust Responsibility” in the Texas A&M Journal of Property Law. The paper, written as a result of a grant from the Indigenous Politics Program at the American Political Science Association, compares key policies of the U.S. and Canada towards their Indigenous populations.
Although it was ultimately not included in the recently approved Chicago area transit bailout measure, Professor Jason Mazzone told the Cook County Record in late October that the proposed “billionaire’s tax” would face a stiff uphill battle in court.
“The sponsors of the (legislation), which would impose a tax on unrealized gains on assets owned by state residents with net assets exceeding $1 billion in value, contend that the proposed new tax is not a tax on personal property but on income,” Mazzone wrote in an email answer to questions from The Record.
“The Illinois courts will be very skeptical of this claim for the simple reason that a gain on paper, without any money ever being exchanged, does not obviously count as income within the ordinary meaning of the word or in the world of financial management or taxation,” Mazzone said.
“An increase in wealth is quite different from an increase in income. The state constitution distinguishes between the two. Courts will be inclined to keep the line between them sharp.”
Professor Richard Ross was recently a featured guest on the Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness podcast. He and fellow guest Professor Steven Wilf (UConn) discussed the creation of the legal concept of the people with the right to overthrow their government. The podcast is created by the Amerikazentrum research center in Germany, highlighting the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
On November 11, 2025, Jacob S. Sherkow was invested as the Richard W. and Marie L. Corman Professor of Law in a ceremony honoring his commitment to scholarship, teaching, and public engagement. In remarks shared at the ceremony, Dean Jamelle Sharpe said, “Professor Sherkow’s achievements—and the real-world impact of his work—represent the very best of what makes the University of Illinois one of the world’s finest research institutions.”
Professor Sherkow joined the University of Illinois in 2020, where he holds appointments in the College of Law, the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the European Union Center, and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. His research focuses on intellectual property, regulation, and bioethics of advanced biotechnologies. He is a leading expert on IP protection for genome-editing technologies, such as CRISPR. Jake is the author of over 75 articles published in both scientific journals and traditional law reviews, including Science, Nature, JAMA, the Yale Law Journal, and the Stanford Law Review. His scholarship has been cited by various federal courts, including the Supreme Court, and he has been extensively quoted in popular media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. His full bio is available on his faculty profile page.
Professor Sherkow’s endowed position was established by Richard W. Corman (‘40) and Marie L. Corman in 1984. Mr. Corman was a special agent of the FBI for 23 years before practicing in Virginia, where he became a member of the judiciary and also served in the Virginia General Assembly. Joined by his family, Sherkow was honored with speeches from Dr. Amy Santos, associate provost for faculty development and professor in the Department of Special Education, as well as Professor Colleen Murphy, associate dean for academic affairs.
Watch the investiture ceremony on our YouTube channel.
In early November, Professor Michael LeRoy was part of a group that filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on behalf of women athletes in the case of NCAA v. House. LeRoy and his co-authors argue that a recent settlement in federal district court, which awards more than 90% of damages to male athletes, violates federal rules and goes against precedent. “This ruling created a structural conflict that harmed women athletes in the settlement agreement, approved on June 6, 2025, and dismissed evidence that clearly demonstrated why certification of the classes was wrong. Published studies, showing large gender disparities in NIL pay, provide data that the lack of representation for women athletes in this litigation perpetuates historical NIL disparities, and other inequities, for NCAA women athletes,” LeRoy said.