Professor Bill Watson has published a new paper, “The Plain-Meaning Fallacy,” with the Boston College Law Review. The abstract follows: The leading justifications for originalism all commit the same fallacy: the plain-meaning fallacy. There are compelling reasons to enforce the Constitution’s plain—as in indisputable—original meaning. But there is little to no reason to enforce the […]
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 […]
What is really being debated when individuals debate legal interpretation? This is the central question in a new paper written by Professor Bill Watson published in the latest issue of the Boston University Law Review. The “meta-interpretive” question “is key to making progress,” according to Watson. “We should be wary of monolithic interpretive theories that […]
The annual Comparative Law Work in Progress Workshop took place at the University of Illinois College of Law from May 1-3, 2025. Hosted by Professors Jacqueline E. Ross (Illinois), Kim Lane Scheppele (Princeton), and Jacques DeLisle (UPenn), the workshop was co-sponsored by the American Society of Comparative Law, the Illinois Program in Criminal Law, and […]
The argument that law is a moral practice is, appropriately, the topic of the book Law Is a Moral Practice, and Professor Bill Watson examines that premise in his new review article. Published in the Washington University Jurisprudence Review, the article, titled “In What Sense Is Law a Moral Practice?,” concludes the argument is unsuccessful […]
In this episode, our newest faculty members, Bill Watson and Sara Gerke, sit down to discuss their path to Illinois Law, their specialties, and how they are enjoying their time at the College of Law thus far. Listen online.Listen on Apple Podcasts.Listen on Spotify Podcasts.Listen on Amazon Music.Listen on Pandora. If you have comments or […]
“Over the last few years, the Roberts Court has repeatedly obstructed precedent,” Professor Bill Watson states in his new article, “Obstructing Precedent,” published in the Northwestern University Law Review. Obstructing precedent, he explains, is when a court does not cooperate with its prior self in building a coherent body of law; however, while it is […]
The University of Illinois College of Law is thrilled to welcome five new faculty members to our roster this fall. Sara Gerke joins Illinois as an Associate Professor of Law and Richard W. & Marie L. Corman Scholar. Her research focuses on the ethical and legal challenges of artificial intelligence and big data for health […]