College of Law is ranked 5th nationally in the fall 2023 Gavel Trial Advocacy Rankings

The University of Illinois College of Law has been ranked 5th in the nation in the Gavel Trial Advocacy Rankings, the only law school in the state of Illinois to make the top ten.  The Gavel Rankings are the only empirical/quantitative ranking assessment of trial team programs. Per the Gavel Rankings website, these rankings “identify […]

Murphy op-ed: Israel, Hamas, and Narratives of Atrocity

Professor Colleen Murphy has co-authored an op-ed titled “Israel, Hamas, and the Narratives of Atrocity.” The piece was published on October 25 for the Daily Nous. An excerpt follows: “Ending and preventing atrocity requires exposing and contesting the narratives that explain, rationalize, and defend the indefensible, enabling human beings to countenance and inflict suffering indifferent […]

Wilson discusses her Tolerance Means Dialogues initiative with Deseret News

In advance of a recent event in the Tolerance Means Dialogues discussion series that she co-founded, Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson sat down with Deseret News to discuss the importance of fostering open dialogue on tough issues, especially on college campuses. An influential family law scholar, Wilson was instrumental in the passage of the Utah Compromise […]

Bloomberg quotes Brubaker on roll-ups

Lenders to bankrupt firms are increasingly insisting upon controversial contract clauses known as roll-ups, which boosts investments by moving existing debt to the front of the repayment line. This kind of contract structure prioritizes existing debt repayment, potentially limiting the resources available for lower-ranking creditors. Despite their controversial nature, bankrupt firms and judges overseeing them […]

Lawless critical of judge shopping in Wall Street Journal article on WeWork bankruptcy

WeWork’s recent Chapter 11 filing in New Jersey is the seventh large bankruptcy filing in the state since the previous November, as corporations increasingly choose the state as the destination to restructure their debt. New Jersey’s share of large bankruptcies nationwide has risen to 5%, partly due to the stability provided by consistent judges in […]

Thomas presents documentary film at National Employment Lawyers’ Association meeting

Professor Suja Thomas presented her documentary film at the National Employment Lawyers’ Association (NELA) annual meeting on October 7. The theme of the 2023 NELA meeting was “Defeating Summary Judgment in the Face of Evolving Defense Tactics.” She also presented a panel called “Cutting Edge Issues in Summary Judgment,” where she and her co-presenter discussed […]

Lawless and Brubaker sign letter urging abolition of Texas bankruptcy court panel

A dozen academics, including Professors Ralph Brubaker and Robert Lawless, are urging the United States Bankruptcy Court to abolish the two-judge panel on a south Texas bankruptcy court that has earned a reputation as a key venue for large bankruptcy cases. The letter from the legal scholars to Chief Judge Eduardo V. Rodriguez comes as […]

Lawless speaks to Philadelphia Inquirer about bankruptcy protection and student loans

When student loan payments resumed in October, an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer proposed a solution to help debtors: Restore bankruptcy rights to student loans. To make his case, the author of the piece spoke to bankruptcy expert Professor Robert Lawless about the history of bankruptcy protection for student loans. Lawless explained that although federal […]

American Bankruptcy Institute publishes article from 3L Alec Klimowicz

Congratulations to 3L Alec Klimowicz, who recently published an article, “Creditor Matrices Are Trending Toward Immediate Concealment,” in the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal. The journal is ABI’s monthly professional magazine that is distributed to thousands of members. Klimowicz’s article explores the recent trend of judges being asked to conceal debtor information included in the creditor […]