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.
