On March 13, 2026, Patrick Keenan was invested as the Albert J. Harno Professor of Law in a ceremony at the College of Law Building. In remarks shared at the ceremony, Dean Jamelle Sharpe quoted Professor Andy Leipold in designating Keenan as a pillar of the law school community: “Pat is a highly regarded voice in international human rights law; his careful, thoughtful scholarship has enhanced our international reputation, his teaching is terrific—just ask the students—and he has been a wonderful colleague, someone who is supportive and fair to all.”
Professor Keenan joined the University of Illinois College of Law faculty in 2001. He is an expert in human rights and international law, and he holds campus appointments not only at the College of Law but also at the Center for Global Studies, Center for African Studies, and the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies. He has published articles and book chapters on a variety of issues, including the U.S. drone program, human trafficking and tourism, and international criminal law and conflict minerals, and he is the co-author of “The International Criminal Court in a Nutshell.” His work has appeared in leading law reviews, and he has been quoted in numerous prominent media outlets. Professor Keenan’s scholarship has also been cited in the United States Supreme Court and other federal courts. Prior to his time in academia, Professor Keenan defended indigent criminal defendants facing the death penalty in Georgia and Alabama at trial, on appeal, and in habeas proceedings as an attorney with the Southern Center for Human Rights. His full bio is available on his faculty profile page.
Professor Keenan’s endowed position was made possible through the thoughtful planning and a generous estate donation of Albert E. Jenner, Jr. ’30 in honor of Dean Harno. Dean Albert J. Harno served as a Professor of Law at the University of Illinois from 1921-1957 and was the dean of the College from 1922-1957, overseeing the College’s move from Altgeld Hall to the current College of Law building in 1955. At the campus level, he served as University Provost from 1931-1944. Dean Harno was also one of the leading scholars in the field of criminal law, producing a critical chapter entitled “The Supreme Court, In Felony Cases” in the 1929 Illinois Crime Survey, along with bringing forth the texts, “Sentencing and Parole in Illinois” and “Cases and Materials on Criminal Law and Procedure.”
