“Infringement by label” is when a court treats drug labels as if they were patent claims, assessing whether their text merely “contains” a patented method of use, and it is also the subject of the latest scholarly research from Professor Jacob Sherkow. Writing in the Stanford Law Review, Sherkow explains how infringement by label threatens the ability of generic drugs to enter the market and how this creates a lack of clarity in the about patent infringement.
“The weight of society’s expectations of working moms on a normal day is crushing,” Professor Lauren Aronson writes in a new editorial published by Ms. Magazine. “With the added obligation that moms ensure our families experience a quintessential holiday season, this weight feels insurmountable.” From her role as an immigration lawyer as well as a mother of two, Aronson examines the obligations and expectations of mothers during the holiday season and concludes that every mom truly deserves a day off.
Association of American Law Schools’ (AALS) Section on Jurisprudence has selected Professor Bill Watson as the 2026 recipient of its Future Promise Award. The award is given annually to recognize the research accomplishments of junior scholars working in the area of jurisprudence whose work reflects future promise in both philosophy and law. Watson was be honored at the AALS annual meeting in early January. The College of Law offers its sincere congratulations to Professor Watson for this honor.
In terms of impact, the biggest case before the United States Supreme Court in its current term is Trump v. Barbara, Professor Jason Mazzone predicted in the News-Gazette. The case, which will consider the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order denying birthright citizenship to individuals born in the United States, is “plainly unconstitutional,” he states. “I expect that when the court rules in Trump v. Barbara, it will issue a strongly originalist decision that deploys constitutional text, structure and history to reject the president’s attempt to evade the plain words of the Fourteenth Amendment. That will be a fitting outcome in the year in which we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” he concludes.
Professor Sara Gerke has been selected to participate in the Spring 2026 cohort of the NSF CAREER Club. This campus initiative helps equip faculty with knowledge, resources, and writing support necessary to develop a competitive proposal for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Program (CAREER). As a participant, Gerke will be provided access to information sessions, training and consultation, structured writing groups, peer feedback, reviews by experienced research development staff, and a supportive environment throughout the proposal process, from conception to submission, all at no cost.
Writing in The George Washington Law Review, Professor Suja Thomas contrasts the ways in which employment cases are adjudicated in United Kingdom and the United States. Though the United States modeled its system on that of the United Kingdom, “the U.K. has more heavily circumscribed the right to a jury trial in both criminal and civil cases,” she writes. One main difference, Thomas concludes, is that the U.S. is more prone to dismissal of employment discrimination cases, whereas U.K. is wary of such outcomes.
Working with an interdisciplinary team of nuclear engineers, Professor Arden Rowell coauthored a public comment submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in response to its proposed “Sunset Rule.” The rule had proposed “sunsetting” ten regulatory rules addressing nuclear safety.
The comment addressed foundational administrative law issues, including statutory authority, the agency’s current mission, and the requirements of reasoned decision-making under the Administrative Procedure Act. Following the close of the public comment period, the NRC partially withdrew the proposed rule.
The episode highlights the importance of expert participation in the administrative process. It also reflects the College of Law’s strong engagement with national policy questions at the intersection of law, technology, and public governance.
A 2014 College of Law graduate, Lisa Kpor currently serves as Litigation Counsel for United Airlines, where she provides guidance numerous matters related to disputes and litigation.
Born and raised in Virginia, Lisa knew from a young age that she wanted to be a lawyer, and chose Illinois Law for its reputation, diversity, and connection to the Chicago legal world. After graduating, Lisa worked as a Litigation and Entertainment Associate at Holland & Knight in Chicago for nearly nine years. Her experience there included a broad array of corporate legal matters as well as the opportunity to represent Grammy Award-winning musicians, best-selling authors, Academy Award-nominated filmmakers, and others in matters such as contract negotiations.
Lisa has received several awards for her contributions to the legal profession, as well as for her service work. Mentoring, in particular, is a passion for Lisa, and in addition to her robust practice she maintains a number of mentees through organizations like the Posse Foundation.
In our conversation, we discussed her background and her journey to law school, her memories of her time at Illinois, and how she has came to her current position with United Airlines. We also dove into her passion for mentoring, and why giving back is such an important part of her practice and her life. Finally, we discussed her newest method of giving back, the Monday Mentoring Moment Newsletter, which she recently launched to help share her wisdom with more individuals.
If you are interested in subscribing to her newsletter, you can find it on LinkedIn.
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Very few individuals can claim honors like those Dave Downey earned: the basketball court at Canton High School was recently renamed in his honor; he still holds the single-game scoring record at the University of Illinois, and State Farm Center has a “Club 53” commemorating his 53-point performance; and in his professional career, he was named Mass Mutual Man of the Year twice before turning 40 years old. Downey passed away at age 84 on December 27, 2025, but his life and legacy live on.
Among the many outstanding facts about his life, Downey may be the only person who chose to attend law school rather than play in the NBA. He never played a game for the San Francisco Warriors, who drafted him in 1963, but he did graduate from the College of Law in 1966, and his law degree remained a point of pride throughout his life according to his wife, Jane Hays ’79.
“Dave was truly one of a kind,” Hays said. “He was proud of his law degree from Illinois, and forever grateful for the education, friendship, patience, and forbearance of his professors and classmates.”
Coming from humble beginnings did not stop Downey from dreaming big. He made it to college on a basketball scholarship and worked part time to help make ends meet. He kept his job selling insurance as a law student, but despite employment was unable to pay for the needs of his growing family and buy all the books he needed. Though this frustrated some professors, his prodigious memory and the aid of study groups helped earn admittance to the Illinois bar.
Downey chose not to pursue a legal career, opting instead to continue with Mass Mutual and using his degree to advocate for the insurance industry in Washington, D.C., and helping organize the Advanced Association of Life Underwriters.
“He told people, self-effacingly, that he didn’t think of himself as a ‘real lawyer,’” Hays said. “Nevertheless, he knew his law degree and bar admission were vitally important to his successful career in advanced life insurance.”
Outside of professional life, Downey was committed to serving the community. He served on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the University of Illinois Foundation Board, the University of Illinois Athletic Board, and the Illinois Board of Higher Education, among other endeavors. He and Hays have also provided generous philanthropic support to almost every academic unit on campus, most recently endowing the Phyllis M. Wise Endowed Professor in Medicine and Innovation at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
For his professional and philanthropic efforts, Downey received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Law in 1984. His blazer may not hang in the rafters of the Law Building the way his jersey hangs in State Farm Center, but he will not be forgotten. The College of Law sends its condolences to all of Downey’s family and friends.
Learning the law isn’t solely the province of graduate students. The University of Illinois offers undergraduates the chance to enroll in the Legal Studies minor for those interested in pursuing a JD after graduating or those who would just like to broaden their understanding of the law within their field. The Legal Studies minor is a novel program because of its tracks, where students can choose to focus on law & politics, law & cultures, or law & economics of food security and sustainability. In this episode, Professors Jennie Pahre, director of undergraduate studies, and Meghan Brinson, associate director of undergraduate studies and academic advisor for undergraduate studies, share their expertise on the Legal Studies minor, why they enjoy working with undergrads, and ideas for the future of the program.
Professor Jennifer Pahre joined the College of Law in 2001. She oversaw the Legal Externship Program for 15 years before became the director of undergraduate studies. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and JD degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. Professor Pahre is admitted to the state bars of California, Michigan, and Illinois and has practiced law in all three states as well as several district courts. She served on the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association and she has served as the president of the East Central Illinois Women Attorneys Association.
Professor Meghan Brinson earned her JD at University of North Carolina School of Law, and holds a Master of Arts in English Studies from Georgetown University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. She has experience teaching undergraduate composition, business writing, and creative writing, including as a Piper International Writing Fellow at the National University of Singapore and with Park University’s program on Marine Corp Air Station Cherry Point. Professor Brinson is a poet and nonfiction essayist with three published chapbooks and several journal publications.
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