UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF LAW

504 EAST PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS 61820

Telephone: (217) 333-0930

Fax: (217) 244-1478

 

ABA Approved Since 1923

 

The University of Illinois College of Law was founded in 1897 and has a long, proud history. Today the College stands at the forefront of legal research and education, with a reputation for excellence in scholarship and teaching.

 

Each entering class of roughly 200 students is divided into three sections. Students take classes and study together in these smaller sections ‑‑ an arrangement that is conducive to building cooperation and learning from one another. The first‑year curriculum concentrates on basic legal areas, with classes in contracts, torts, property, criminal law and procedure, constitutional law, civil procedure, legal research and writing, and introduction to advocacy. A unique feature of the first‑year curriculum is the second‑semester course Statutory Interpretation. Students are permitted to elect one of several sections of this course, each focusing on a different statutory scheme. Statutes covered have included the federal Bankruptcy Code, the Copyright Act, federal welfare law statutes, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In each section, students are given an in‑depth introduction to the role of statutes in our legal system and the various techniques for statutory interpretation.

 

Classes in the second and third years are almost entirely elective; only the course in professional responsibility is required. There is also an advanced writing requirement. Most classes after the first year have fewer than thirty students, allowing for more discussion and interaction. The curriculum is broad, offering courses ranging from Law & Regulation of Cyberspace to Modern Environmental Theory to International Trade. There are a number of practical skills courses, including Negotiations, Problems in Estate Planning, and an extensive Trial Advocacy program. The College also has in‑house clinics that serve the needs of low‑income clients as well as an international human rights clinic that works with groups in Africa. Students can also receive credit for clinical experience by working in one of the many legal services offices in the area. Illinois also offers a number of joint degree programs, allowing students to specialize and integrate their law school courses with other disciplines.

 

Illinois students are especially active. The student body size of approximately 650 fosters camaraderie and support among the students. Although law school is a competitive enterprise, Illinois students seek opportunities to work together and learn from one another. The small size of the College also allows students to become actively involved in the College's more than thirty extracurricular organizations, combining professional training, recreation, and opportunities for making friends. Students bring many speakers to the law school, and co‑sponsor many events and activities throughout the year. Illinois students also have a strong commitment to public service; many of the student organizations participate in weekly and annual community service activities, and the Public Interest Law Foundation started a national work‑a‑day program where law students across the country volunteer for public‑service projects on the same day. More than 10,000 students from 100 law schools have participated.

 

Students also write for the University of Illinois Law Review, the Elder Law Journal, the Journal of Law, Technology & Policy, and the Recent Developments Section of the Illinois Bar Journal. They conduct and participate in competitions such as Frederick Green Moot Court, Jessup (International) Moot Court, Frederick Douglass Moot Court, the ABA Client Counseling Competition, and the ABA Negotiations Competition. They participate in law school governance through the Student Bar Association and by serving as student members of faculty committees, including the curriculum committee, the admissions and scholarship committee, the placement and clerkship committee, and the international studies committee.

 

The faculty at Illinois have an exceptional record of achievement in both scholarship and teaching. The Ultimate Guide to Top Law Schools recently awarded Illinois faculty an "A" for both quality of teaching and faculty accessibility. Illinois was one of only a few schools to achieve distinction in both categories. In addition to the faculty providing outstanding classroom instruction, faculty and students at Illinois have an unusually high degree of interaction; students talk with professors in their offices, in the law school's Pavilion, at coffee houses, and at a variety of social events. This interaction contributes to the overall sense of community and camaraderie at the College. While accessible, Illinois faculty also have a strong record of scholarship. Many of the leading case books and treatises have been authored by Illinois faculty, and often students in Illinois classes use a nationally acclaimed text written by their professor.

 

The College of Law is located on the University of Illinois campus at Urbana‑Champaign, twin cities with a population of 100,000. This charming university community is endowed with the cultural resources of a metropolitan city, but retains the safety and affordability of classic Midwestern living. In addition to its heralded reputation as one of the nation's top research universities, the campus boasts eleven Nobel laureates and eighteen Pulitzer Prize winners among its alumni. Faculty have received nine Nobels, two Pulitzers, and numerous other esteemed awards in numerous disciplines. Three campus international studies centers are ranked in the top five by the U.S. Department of Education; the University Library is the largest public university collection in the world; and one of the country's premier virtual environment laboratories is located on the campus at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Nearby is the University's Allerton Park, a National Natural Landmark featuring flood‑plain forests, formal flower gardens, and an outstanding collection of statuary from Asia and Europe.

 

The University of Illinois College of Law continues, 100 years after it was founded, to offer an outstanding legal education in all aspects.

 

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Dean:

Heidi M. Hurd (217) 333‑9857

Admissions:

Grant Keener (217) 244‑6415

Financial Aid:

Paul Pless (217) 244‑6415

Library:

Janis Johnston (217) 333‑2914

Placement:

Lois Casaleggi (217) 333‑2961

Alumni Affairs:

Jeff Coates (217) 244‑6435

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FULL TIME FACULTY

 

HEIDI M. HURD, (Dean/David C. Baum Prof. of Law & Prof. of Philosophy/Co‑Dir. of the Univ. of Illinois College of Law Programl), Education: Queen's University, Departments Philosophy & History (B.A., 1982); Dalhousie University, Department of Philosophy (M.A., 1984); University of Southern California Law Center (J.D., 1988); University of Southern California, School of Philosophy (Ph.D., 1992). COURSES: Criminal Law, Evidence, Jurisprudence, Torts.

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AMITAI AVIRAM, (Associate Professor of Law), born Haifa, Israel, December, 3, 1973; admitted to bar, 1996, Israel; 2001, New York. Education: Tel‑Aviv University School of Law (LL.B., 1995); University of Chicago Law School (LL.M., 2000; J.S.D., 2003). COURSES: Business Associations, Antitrust, Unincorporated Business Entities, Corporations. Email: aaviram@law.uiuc.edu

 

FRANCIS A. BOYLE, (Professor of Law), born Chicago, Illinois, March 25, 1950; admitted to bar, 1977, Massachusetts. Education: University of Chicago (A.B., 1971); Harvard (A.M., 1978; J.D. (magna cum laude), 1976; Ph.D., 1983). COURSES: International, Jurisprudence, Criminal, Constitutional, Human Rights, Latinos. Email: fboyle@law.uiuc.edu

 

RALPH BRUBAKER, (Associate Dean, Professor of Law and Corman Scholar), born Marion, Indiana, October 31, 1962; admitted to bar, 1990, Ohio. Education: University of Illinois (B.S., 1985; M.B.A., 1989; J.D., 1989). COURSES: Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Procedure, Contracts, Business Associations, Corporate Finance, Civil Procedure. Email: rbrubake@law.uiuc.edu

 

JOHN DAVID COLOMBO, (Albert E. Jenner Jr. Professor of Law), born Herrin, Illinois, April 30, 1956; admitted to bar, 1982, Georgia. Education: University of Illinois (B.A., 1978; J.D., 1981). COURSES: Tax, Tax‑Exempt Organizations. Email: jcolombo@law.uiuc.edu

 

WILLIAM JAMES DAVEY, (Guy Raymond Jones Chair), born Albion, Michigan, April 25, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, Michigan; 1979, New York. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., 1971; J.D., 1974). COURSES: International Trade Law, International Business Transactions, EU Law. Email: wdavey@law.uiuc.edu

 

MARGARETH ETIENNE, (Associate Professor), admitted to bar, 1995, New York; 1996, Georgia; 2001 U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Yale University (A.B., 1991); Yale Law School (J.D., 1995). COURSES: Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Children and the Law. Email: metienne@law.uiuc.edu

 

LEE ANNE FRITZLER FENNELL, (Associate Professor), born Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1966; admitted to bar, 1990, California; 1991, District of Columbia; 1998, Virginia. Education: Baylor University (B.B.A., 1987); University of Virginia (M.F.A., 1998); Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 1990). COURSES: Property, Land Use, Statutory Interpretation, Social Welfare Law, Behavioral Law, Economics.

 

MATTHEW WILLIAM FINKIN, (Albert J. Harno and Edward W. Cleary Chair), born New York, New York, April 7, 1943; admitted to bar, 1968, New York. Education: Ohio Wesleyan (B.A., 1963); New York University (LL.B., 1967); Yale (LL.M., 1973). COURSES: Labor Law.

 

ERIC T. FREYFOGLE, (Max L. Rowe Professor of Law), born Decatur, Illinois, January 21, 1952; admitted to bar, 1976, District of Columbia; 1980, Indiana. Education: Lehigh University (B.A., 1973); University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1976). COURSES: Property, Environmental Law, Natural Resources.

 

THOMAS B. GINSBURG, (Professor of Law and Political Science), born Berkeley, California, February 22, 1967; admitted to bar, 1997, California. Education: Berkeley (B.A., 1989; Ph.D., 1999); Boalt Hall (J.D., 1997). COURSES: Torts, Comparative Law, International Law, Administrative Law. Email: tginsbur@law.uiuc.edu

 

CHRISTINE HURT, (Associate Professor of Law), born Lubbock, Texas, December, 26, 1968; admitted to bar, 1993, Georgia; 1994, Texas. Education: Texas Tech University (B.A., 1990); University of Texas Law School (J.D., 1993). COURSES: Corporations, Mergers and Acquisitions, Torts, Corporate Finance. Email: achurt@law.uiuc.edu

 

DAVID A. HYMAN, (Professor of Law & Medicine), born Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1961; admitted to bar, 1989, Illinois; 1996, District of Columbia. Education: University of Chicago (B.A., 1983; J.D., 1989; M.D., 1991). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Health Care Regulation, Insurance.

 

RICHARD LEE KAPLAN, (Peer and Sarah Pedersen Professor of Law), born Indianapolis, Indiana, October 28, 1948; admitted to bar, 1976, Texas. Education: Indiana University (B.S., 1970); Yale University (J.D., 1976). COURSES: Federal Income Taxation, Tax Policy, Elder Law. Email: rkaplan@law.uiuc.edu

 

PATRICK J. KEENAN, (Assistant Professor of Law), born 1967; admitted to bar, 1995, New York; 1996, Georgia (inactive). Education: Tufts University (B.A., 1989); Yale Law School (J.D., 1995). COURSES: Human Rights Law. Email: pjkeenan@law.uiuc.edu

 

JAY P. KESAN, (Professor), admitted to bar, 1997, Virginia; 1998, District of Columbia. Education: University of Texas (M.S., 1986; Ph.D., 1989); Georgetown University (J.D., 1996). COURSES: Patent Law, Internet Law, Intellectual Property, Law and Economics, Property. Email: kesan@uiuc.edu

 

ROBERT LAWLESS, (Professor of Law), born Peoria, Illinois, April 5, 1964; admitted to bar, 1989, Illinois; 1990 District of Columbia. Education: University of Illinois (B.S., 1986); University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., 1989). COURSES: Bankruptcy, Corporations, Corporate Finance, Securites Regulations. Email: rlawless@law.uiuc.edu

 

ANDREW D. LEIPOLD, (Professor of Law), born Plattsburgh, New York, February, 15, 1960; admitted to bar, 1987, Pennsylvania; 1994, Illinois. Education: Boston University (B.S., 1982); University of Virginia (J.D., 1985). COURSES: Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Supreme Court. Email: aleipold@law.uiuc.edu

 

PETER B. MAGGS, (Clifford M. and Bette A. Carney Chair in Law), born Durham, North Carolina, July 24, 1938; admitted to bar, 1962, District of Columbia. Education: Harvard College (A.B., 1957); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1961). COURSES: Contracts, Intellectual Property, Statutory Interpretation, Russian Law. Email: p‑maggs@uiuc.edu

 

RICHARD H. MCADAMS, (Guy Raymond Jones Professor of Law), Email: rmcadams@law.uiuc.edu

 

DAVID D. MEYER, (Professor), born Grinnell, Iowa, November 4, 1961; admitted to bar, 1992, Michigan; 1995, Illinois. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., 1984; J.D., 1990). COURSES: Family Law, Constitutional Law.

 

MICHAEL S. MOORE, (Walgreen University Chair), born Portland, Oregon, July 31, 1943; admitted to bar, 1969, California. Education: University of Oregon (A.B., 1964); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1967); Harvard Law School (S.J.D., 1978). COURSES: Torts, Con Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, Jurisprudence. Email: micmoore@law.uiuc.edu

 

ANDREW P. MORRISS, (H. Ross and Helen Workman Professor of Law and Professor of Business), born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 16, 1960; admitted to bar, 1985, Texas. Education: Princeton University (A.B., 1981); University of Texas (J.D., 1984); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D., 1994). COURSES: Employment Law, Law & Economics, Administrative Law, Property, International Economic Integration. Email: morriss@law.uiuc.edu

 

JAMES E. PFANDER, (Prentice Marshall Professor of Law), born Columbia, Missouri, September 21, 1956; admitted to bar, 1983, District of Columbia; 1989, Illinois. Education: University of Missouri (B.A., 1978); University of Virginia (J.D., 1982). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Conflicts of Law, Federal Courts. Email: jpfander@law.uiuc.edu

 

LAURIE REYNOLDS, (Professor of Law), born Mt. Kisco, New York, September 3, 1950; admitted to bar, 1980, Illinois. Education: Georgetown University (B.S., 1972); University of Illinois (M.A., 1974; J.D., 1980). COURSES: Property, Land Use, State and Local Government, Federal Indian Law. Email: lreynold@law.uiuc.edu

 

LARRY E. RIBSTEIN, (Mildred Van Voorhis Jones Chair), born Chicago, April 23, 1946; admitted to bar, 1972, Illinois. Education: John Hopkins University (B.A., 1968); University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 1972). COURSES: Business Associations, Securities Regulation, Unincorporated Business Entities. Email: ribstein@law.uiuc.edu

 

JENNIFER ROBBENNOLT, (Professor of Law and Psychology), admitted to bar, 1996, Nebraska. Education: Williamette University (B.S., 1991); University of Nebraska (M.A., 1995; Ph.D., 1998); University of Nebraska College of Law (J.D., 1996). COURSES: Torts, Alternative Dispute Resolution. Email: jrobbenn@law.uiuc.edu

 

JACQUELINE E. ROSS, (Associate Professor of Law), born Berlin, Germany, 1963; admitted to bar, 1989, Illinois. Education: University of Chicago (B.A., 1984; J.D., 1989). COURSES: Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, Evidence, Civil Procedure. Email: JackieRoss762108@aol.com

 

RICHARD J. ROSS, (Professor of Law and History), born New York, New York, 1963; admitted to bar, 1989, Connecticut. Education: Yale University (B.A., 1984; J.D., 1989; Ph.D., 1998). COURSES: American Legal and Constitutional History, The Legal Cultures of Early America, 1600‑1760, The Rule of Law, Research Seminar in America Legal History, Trusts and Estates, Property I and II. Email: Rross10688@aol.com

 

BRUCE P. SMITH, (Associate Professor of Law), born Montreal, Canada, June 7, 1964; admitted to bar, 1994, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania; 1995, District of Columbia. Education: Williams College (B.A., 1986); University of Cambridge (B.A., 1988; M.A., 1992); Yale Law School (J.D., 1992); Yale University (Ph.D., 1996). COURSES: Legal History, Internet Law, Property. Email: smithb@law.uiuc.edu

 

LAWRENCE SOLUM, (John E. Cribbet Professor of Law), born August 30, 1954. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 1981); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1984). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Intellectual Property. Email: lsolum@law.uiuc.edu

 

CHARLES JORDAN TABB, (Alice Curtis Campbell Professor of Law), born Dallas, Texas, November 1, 1955; admitted to bar, 1980, Texas. Education: Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1977); University of Virginia (J.D., 1980). COURSES: Bankruptcy, Commercial Law, Contracts. Email: ctabb@law.uiuc.edu

 

NINA W. TARR, (Professor of Law), born Boston, Massachusetts, December 15, 1952; admitted to bar, 1979, Minnesota; 1987, Illinois. Education: Southern Illinois University (B.S., 1973); Washington University (M.A., 1975); Iowa (J.D., 1979). COURSES: Clinic Director, Evidence, Professional Responsibility. Email: NTARR@LAW.UIUC.EDU

 

CHARLES T. TERRY, (Professor), born Washington, D.C.; admitted to bar, 1981, California. Education: Stanford University (B.A., 1967); Southwestern (J.D., 1981); New York University (LL.M. 1982). COURSES: Federal Income Tax, Business Planning, Taxation and Finance. Email: cterry4@law.uiuc.edu

 

THOMAS SHAHAN ULEN, (Swanlund Professor of Law), born Lebanon, Indiana, November 4, 1946. Education: Dartmouth College (B.A., 1968); University of Oxford (B.Phil., 1972); Stanford University (Ph.D., 1979). COURSES: Law and Economics, Regulation, Quantitative Methods. Email: tulen@law.uiuc.edu

 

VIRGINIA MARIE VERMILLION, (Assistant Dean for Academic Administration), born Urbana, Illinois; admitted to bar, 1986, Illinois; 1988, District of Columbia. Education: University of Illinois (B.S.W., 1982; J.D., 1986). Email: vvermill@law.uiuc.edu

 

CYNTHIA ANN WILLIAMS, (Professor of Law), born Rochester, New York, October 25, 1955; admitted to bar, 1990, New York. Education: University of Virginia; University of California at Berkeley (B.A., 1981); New York University (J.D., 1989). COURSES: Securities Regulation, Business Organizations, Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Responsibility.

 

EKOW YANKAH, (Assistant Professor), born August 14, 1975; admitted to bar, 2002, New York. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., 1997); Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 2000); Oxford University (B.C.L., 2001). COURSES: Torts, Jurisprudence, Criminal Procedure. Email: eyankah@law.uiuc.edu