News 22 - College of Law

Lawless discusses dismissal of bankruptcy watchdog

Tara Twomey’s tenure as executive director of the U.S. Trustee Program was recently terminated by the Trump administration, drawing criticism from Professor Robert Lawless. In a blog for Credit Slips, Lawless writes that “Under Twomey’s leadership the US Trustee Program did dozens of things that make the system work just a little bit better for the people who need it,” and Bloomberg quoted him as saying the move was “a short-sighted and likely illegal decision.” In a follow-up blog, Lawless also responded to criticism of Twomey and defended her qualifications to work at the Department of Justice.

Read Lawless’s original blog post and follow-up post.

Read Bloomberg’s coverage of the issue.

Amar and Mazzone defend birthright citizenship clause

Ionic column at the Smith Memorial Hall.

Writing at Justia Verdict, Professors Vikram Amar and Jason Mazzone describe the Fourteenth Amendment as perhaps the most important piece of law enacted anywhere in the world over the last two centuries. In their defense of the birthright citizenship clause, the authors suggest that criticisms of the clause in support of President Trump’s executive order seeking to end the practice are doing “absolute violence to the words of the Clause.”

Read the full article at Justia Verdict.

Aronson does interview on immigrant directives

The sun rises over the Illini Union. The Illini Union, which was dedicated in 1941, serves students and the campus in many ways, including housing the Illini Union Hotel, a credit union, a convenience store, information services, CITES (Campus IT) instructional facility, quick-service restaurants, a bowling alley and arcade, student performance spaces, and office space for Registered Student Organizations, student government, Student Legal Services, Student Tenant Union, LGBT Resource Center, and Union administration.

Speaking to the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Professor Lauren Aronson, who serves as director of the Immigration Law Clinic, shared her thoughts on recent directives from the Trump administration regarding undocumented immigrants and explains how they may impact Illinois law. “I have deep concerns over the current immigration climate. While immigrants are the primary target, they warned that the federal government’s overreach could eventually extend to other groups, not just immigrants,” she explained.

Read her full Q&A online.

Heald speaks at University of Glasgow

Professor Paul Heald delivered a lecture on Recent Empirical Research in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Glasgow on March 17. Part of their CREATe series of public lectures, Professor Heald discussed successes and failures in recent research projects and highlighted advances in methodology made by various researchers in empirical approaches to copyright, patent, trademark, and trade secret law that have proliferated over the last decade.

Wilson co-edits new volume on family law

Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson has co-edited a new book, International Survey of Family Law 2024, covering topics including marriage equality, gender equality, LGBT rights, and abortion regulations around the U.S., among other topics. This edition continues the celebration of the International Society of Family Law’s (ISFL) fiftieth anniversary. It is published by Intersentia.

Learn more about this book.

ESPN quotes LeRoy on college athlete contracts

A federal judge is nearing a decision on an antitrust settlement between the NCAA and college athletes, and contracts signed by athletes might actually strengthen their case for collective bargaining rights. In an article examining the arguments of both sides, ESPN quoted Professor Michael LeRoy, who said, “It’s employment on its face. There’s no masking it.”

Illinois LawCast: Highlighting the Anderson Center

This episode is all about advocacy and what that means for law students and lawyers. We turn the spotlight on the Kimball R. and Karen Gatsis Anderson Center for Advocacy and Professionalism and learn about the classes and competitions they offer to help Illinois Law students become the best advocates possible. Guests include Professor Tony Ghiotto, director of the Anderson Center, and third-year students Yev Kozak and Nicole Marcinkus.

Listen online.
Listen on Apple Podcasts.
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Listen on Pandora.

If you have comments or suggestions for the podcast, please contact podcast@law.illinois.edu.

Miguel Zaldivar (LLM ’88), Hogan Lovells CEO, to deliver 2025 Convocation address

The University of Illinois College of Law is pleased to announce that Miguel Zaldivar (LLM ’88) will deliver the convocation address to the Class of 2025. The College of Law Convocation Ceremony will take place Saturday, May 17, at 4:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Miguel Zaldivar is a partner and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Hogan Lovells, responsible for the firm’s overall global direction and strategic leadership. He became CEO in July 2020 and is one of only a handful of Latino leaders of any major global law firm.

Under Miguel’s leadership, Hogan Lovells has achieved record financial results. In 2025, the firm achieved nearly US$3 billion in global revenue, charting steady growth year-on-year. In recent years, Hogan Lovells has also strengthened its investments in top-tier legal talent, sector leadership, and critical advancements in AI.

As a practicing lawyer, Miguel is widely recognized as a leading lawyer in complex international cross-border transactions and has facilitated multi-billion dollar investments and transactions totaling in excess of US$75 billion across the world. Successful negotiation and execution of deals in highly-regulated markets continues to be a core practice for the firm and a key driver of growth

Miguel taught the “Project Development and Finance in Latin America” course at the University of Miami School of Law from 2003 to 2010, was a professor of law at Universidad Católica in Venezuela from 1991 to 1993 and has been a frequent lecturer at legal seminars.

Miguel is committed to the firm’s philanthropic activities, including leading on the firm’s work with not-for-profit charity Santa Marta Group, which is focused on eradicating human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Under Miguel’s leadership, Hogan Lovells also joined forced with the international charity WaterAid in a three-year partnership to support water, sanitation, and hygiene projects across the world.

He is passionate about collaboration, actively listening to clients’ needs, and mentoring lawyers to build enduring relationships. Pro bono work, community engagement, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture where all lawyers can thrive are among Miguel’s top priorities. He has championed efforts to support the development and advancement of the firm’s lawyers from all backgrounds.

Before becoming CEO, he served as Regional Chief Executive for the Asia, Pacific Middle East region. He had been a member of the Global Board of Directors, served as Co-leader of the Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects practice area and co-founded Hogan Lovells’ Latin American Practice.

Miguel earned his LLM at the University of Illinois College of Law and his JD at University of Miami School of Law.

For more information about Convocation for the Class of 2025, please visit our website.

Let’s Kill All the Lawyers: The Friday Night Massacre of Judge Advocates General

An American flag flies over Memorial Stadium.

In a co-authored blog post for Justia Verdict, Professors Lesley Wexler and Tony Ghiotto explore the significance of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s firing of Judge Advocates General in late February. Were these firings truly unprecedented? What consequences may arise from these firings, whether within military legal practice or how the military fights wars and complies with international law? Do they contribute to an ongoing existential threat to democracy and defense?

Read the full post at verdict.justia.com.

American Health Law Association Names Julia Sun Inaugural Student Writing Competition Winner

The American Health Law Association (AHLA) is pleased to announce Julia Sun, a second-year law student at the University of Illinois College of Law, as the recipient of its inaugural Student Writing Competition Award. This new recognition program celebrates emerging talent and fresh perspectives in health law scholarship.

The Student Writing Competition represents AHLA’s commitment to fostering excellence in health law education and supporting the next generation of health care legal professionals. The award includes a $500 prize and featured publication of the winning paper on AHLA’s digital platforms.

“Julia’s work exemplifies the innovative thinking and rigorous analysis we aim to cultivate within the health law community,” says Asha B. Scielzo, AHLA President. “Her unique background in human biology and regulatory affairs brings valuable interdisciplinary insights to complex health care legal challenges.”

Sun brings distinctive expertise to health law through her previous experience in pharmaceutical and medical device industry regulatory matters. Her winning paper was selected through a blind review process by a distinguished panel of AHLA member judges, who evaluated submissions based on their analysis of timely health law, policy, and compliance issues.

A graduate of UC San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in human biology, Sun’s research interests focus on the intersection of law, science, and innovation, particularly in navigating complex regulatory frameworks within the health care sector. She is currently pursuing her J.D. at the University of Illinois College of Law, Class of 2026.

The competition, which drew submissions from ABA-accredited law schools nationwide, required professor nominations and evaluated papers based on their examination of current health law issues, analytical depth, and balanced presentation of legal and policy considerations.

AHLA will feature Sun’s winning paper on its website and promote her scholarship through its social media channels, providing visibility to her work among the Association’s 12,000 members representing the entire spectrum of the health care industry.

For more information about the AHLA Student Writing Competition and future opportunities, please contact awards@americanhealthlaw.org.