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  • U. of I. scholars collecting, analyzing constitutions from around world

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Thomas Jefferson believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years. Instead, the U.S. Constitution, which Jefferson did not help to write (he was in Paris serving as U.S. minister to France when the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia), has prevailed since 1789.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Can employers legally require employees to vaccinate against COVID-19?

    In most cases, an employer could require an employee to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. While that might seem like a violation of an employee’s personal freedom, “No one has a legally enforceable right to a specific job,” says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of Lauren R. Aronson, an associate clinical professor of law and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the U. of I. College of Law.

    Can Biden pass comprehensive immigration reform?

    One of the Biden administration’s first acts was to send Congress the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, a long-promised immigration reform bill. But any legislative action on comprehensive immigration reform will face significant headwinds in the Senate, says Lauren R. Aronson, an associate clinical professor of law and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Are President Biden's vaccine mandates lawful?

    The expansive new set of vaccination requirements issued by the Biden administration affecting the federal workforce will likely be upheld by the courts, but the mandate emanating from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is on shakier legal ground, says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Laws about pregnant women and substance abuse questioned

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In Wisconsin, an expectant woman can be taken into custody if police believe her abuse of alcohol may harm her unborn child. In South Dakota, pregnant alcohol and drug users can be committed to treatment centers for up to nine months.

  • Lauren R. Aronson, a clinical professor and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

    How significant is the Biden administration’s new immigration executive order?

    The new executive order from the Biden administration aimed at protecting the undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens from deportation will benefit upwards of half a million unauthorized immigrants, meaning it’s more focused on family unity than the “mass amnesty” some critics have portrayed it as, says Lauren R. Aronson, a clinical professor and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor of labor and employment relations

    What protections do no-show workers have during a pandemic?

    The U.S. government can take measures to ensure that essential workers such as health care workers report to their jobs, but forced labor isn’t allowed under the Constitution, says U. of I. labor expert Michael LeRoy.

  • There is a "highly significant relationship" between law students' math skills and the substance of their legal analysis, according to research from Arden Rowell, a professor of law and the Richard W. and Marie L. Corman Scholar at Illinois.

    Research: Poor math skills affect legal decision-making

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The stereotype of lawyers being bad with numbers may persist, but new research by two University of Illinois legal scholars suggests that law students are surprisingly good at math, although those with low levels of numeracy analyze some legal questions differently.

  • Lauren R. Aronson, a clinical professor and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

    Does new Illinois law allow non-citizens to become law enforcement officers?

    A new Illinois law that expands the eligibility for law enforcement jobs to non-U.S. citizens such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program participants is mostly aspirational since DACA recipients aren’t legally allowed to possess firearms, says Lauren R. Aronson, a clinical professor and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

  • Photo of Taisa Markus, an expert in securities law, cross-border capital markets and corporate finance transactions.

    How effective have economic sanctions been against Russia?

    Sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus may only have meaningful consequences in the longer term, says Taisa Markus, an expert in securities law.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois

    Can birthright citizenship be taken away?

    In adopting the 14th Amendment, Congress unambiguously intended that the children of immigrant workers would have birthright citizenship in the U.S., said University of Illinois labor and employment relations professor Michael LeRoy, an expert on immigration and employment law.

  • Parental liability laws misguided and simplistic, legal scholar says

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Durwood Pickle was shocked to find that the Recording Industry Association of America had sued him because his grandchildren had used his computer to illegally download music during visits to his Texas home.

  • Photo of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign law professor Robert M. Lawless, a leading consumer credit and bankruptcy expert.

    What effect will COVID-19 have on consumer bankruptcies?

    Most households struggle financially for two to five years before filing for bankruptcy, making a pandemic-related surge in consumer bankruptcy filings unlikely, said University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign law professor Robert M. Lawless, a leading consumer credit and bankruptcy expert.

  • Professor Kevin Leicht

    What does the tax reform bill mean for the middle class?

    The current tax bill fits with a 30-year trend that doesn’t favor income from work, says sociologist Kevin Leicht

  • College of Law dean Vikram Amar

    How should universities handle controversial speech?

    The proper way to register dissent with speech one finds offensive doesn’t involve blockades or threatening violence. It’s more speech, says lllinois law dean Vikram Amar

  • Psychology professor Andrea Miller found that judges’ rulings are sometimes influenced by their own ideas about proper male and female gender roles.

    Study: Judges as susceptible to gender bias as laypeople – and sometimes more so

    A new study of trial court judges suggests these arbiters of the law sometimes let their personal ideas about gender roles influence their decision-making.

  • Photo of Jamelle Sharpe, the 14th dean of the U. of I. College of Law

    Sharpe named dean of U. of I. College of Law

    Jamelle Sharpe has been named the 14th dean of the College of Law, pending approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees.

  • Food displays, food colors affect how much people eat, researcher concludes

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Variety may be the spice of life - and a key contributor to an expanding waistline.

  • Photo of Robin Fretwell Wilson

    What's the significance of the Respect for Marriage Act?

    The bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act requires states to recognize same-sex marriages while balancing the interests of religious groups, says Robin Fretwell Wilson, the director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs and the Mildred Van Voorhis Jones Chair in Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Journalism professor Benjamin Holden wants to balance First Amendment rights with the need to protect students from cyberbullies.

    Professor makes legal case for schools to challenge cyberbullies

    Schools have a limited ability to challenge cyberbullies, but an Illinois professor has made a legal study on how to change that.

  • Ill veterans who had radiation exposure now caught in bureaucratic web

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Veterans suffering from cancers linked to exposure to radiation from atomic test explosions encounter a complex and error-ridden process that routinely denies them disability benefits, a University of Illinois scholar says.

  • PTI Director Michael Schlosser presents to police recruits at the Police Training Institute.

    Wrongful conviction course now required for all police recruits in Illinois

    Starting in 2023, all police recruits in the state of Illinois must take a Wrongful Conviction Awareness and Avoidance course as part of their training. This course was first developed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Police Training Institute director Michael Schlosser with leaders of the Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield.

    The course impresses upon new recruits the importance of carefully gathering and analyzing evidence in investigations and not jumping to conclusions about potential suspects. It offers real-world examples of the harm that accrues from wrongful convictions, including a presentation from an exoneree.

  • Professor Eboni Zamani-Gallaher

    Is affirmative action in college admissions under threat?

    An Illinois expert on affirmative action in higher education talks about the Justice Department’s plans to investigate possible racial discrimination in college and university admissions policies

  • An upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case will be a major test of the First Amendment rights of K-12 public school students as well as the authority of school administrators to discipline students for cyberbullying, according to Benjamin Holden, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign journalism professor and media law scholar who studies free speech issues.

    Expert: Public school speech case is potential watershed moment for cyberbullying

    An upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case will be a major test of the First Amendment rights of K-12 public school students as well as the authority of school administrators to discipline students for cyberbullying, according to Benjamin Holden, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign journalism professor and media law scholar who studies free speech issues.

  • Photo of Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law at Illinois who studies the ethical and policy implications of advanced biotechnologies

    Should the government implement a vaccine passport system?

    Vaccine passports strike the right balance between letting life go on for the vaccinated while still being realistic about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, said Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law at Illinois and bioethics expert.

  • Photo of social work professor Ted Cross

    Study examines impact of DNA evidence in sexual assault prosecutions

    DNA evidence has a dramatic relationship with sexual assault prosecutions and convictions, says a new study of one city's data co-written by U. of I. senior research specialist and social work professor Ted Cross.

  • Emeritus professor of business and legal policy John Kindt

    Four years later, what effect has expanded video gambling had on Illinois?

    Giveaways to gambling interests in Illinois have robbed state coffers of billions of dollars, says John W. Kindt, an emeritus professor of business and legal policy at the University of Illinois.

  • Photo of University of Illinois law professor and education law expert Margareth Etienne

    Scholar: TV show 'The Wire' accurately depicted how public schools help vulnerable students

    A new paper from University of Illinois law professor and education law expert Margareth Etienne explores the fictional portrayal of popular educational policy reforms favored by academics in the fourth season of “The Wire,” the critically acclaimed TV show on HBO from 2002-08, and reviews what the show got right and wrong in its depiction of how a large, urban public school functions in a community.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Do labor laws need to be modernized with rise of gig economy?

    The Protecting the Right to Organize Act would be the most significant revision of U.S. labor law since 1947, says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law and labor relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Would court ruling mean college athletes are employees?

    A ruling in favor of college athletes in Johnson v. NCAA could potentially herald the most consequential change in college athletics since the NCAA was formed in 1906, says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Law professor Christine Hurt discusses sports betting and its potentially costly implications.

    Why don't they just legalize my office Super Bowl pool?

    A Minute With™... law professor Christine Hurt

  • Photo of Patrick Keenan, an expert in human rights law and international criminal law.

    What will result from the war crimes arrest warrants for two top Russian officials?

    The International Criminal Court’s recent issuance of arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin effectively means any country cooperating with Russia is now cooperating with an accused war criminal, says Illinois law professor Patrick Keenan, an expert in human rights law and international criminal law.

  • Photo of Richard L. Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on U.S. tax policy and the Guy Raymond Jones Chair in Law at Illinois.

    Would changes to capital gains taxes spur the economy?

    Indexing capital gains to inflation could be a simple fix to stimulate a teetering economy, but several significant implementation hurdles remain, said Richard L. Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on U.S. tax policy and the Guy Raymond Jones Chair in Law at Illinois.

  • Study: Police more likely than others to say they are blind to racial differences

    A new study reveals that police recruits and experienced officers are more likely than others to subscribe to colorblind racial beliefs – the notion that they – and people in general – see no differences among people from different racial groups and treat everyone the same.

  • Schools must regularly collect data about the educational needs of students with disabilities to write meaningful Individualized Educational Plans for them every year, University of Illinois special education professor James Shriner said.

    What quality of education are schools required to provide to students with disabilities?

    Special education professor James Shriner on a case recently heard by the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the educational benefits that public schools are required to provide to students with disabilities.

  • Photo of University of Illinois professor Michael LeRoy

    Paper: Historical roots of birthright citizenship traced to demand for workers

    Birthright citizenship has served pragmatic economic purposes by giving the U.S. a competitive labor advantage, said Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • Professor Michael Leroy

    How do employers combat a resurgent white supremacy movement?

    Labor and employment relations professor Michael LeRoy discusses his research about confronting a resurgent white supremacy movement.

  • Photo of Robin Kar, a University of Illinois legal scholar and internationally recognized expert in contract law.

    Paper: 'Pseudo-contract' creeps into digital terms and conditions

    The boilerplate text that nobody reads when signing up for an online service has very tenuous legal footing, said Robin B. Kar, a University of Illinois legal scholar and internationally recognized expert in contract law.

  • Photo of Vikram Amar, the dean of the University of Illinois College of Law and the Iwan Foundation Professor of Law.

    Is the independent state legislature theory constitutionally valid?

    The debate surrounding the independent state legislature theory, which is at the heart of the U.S. Supreme Court Moore v. Harper case, is ultimately a lopsided one that, under a principled originalist approach, should result in the court rejecting the theory, says Vikram Amar, the dean of the University of Illinois College of Law and a constitutional law scholar and expert on this theory.

  • A photo of, from left, Jennifer Robbennolt, the associate dean for research at the College of Law and co-director of the Program on Law, Behavior, and Social Science; Colleen Murphy, the director of the Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program at Illinois; and Lesley Wexler, a professor of law.

    Scholars: In #MeToo movement, lessons of restorative and transitional justice important

    A new paper from a team of U. of I. legal scholars explores restorative and transitional justice in the #MeToo movement.

  • Photo of Richard L. Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on tax policy and retirement issues, and the Guy Raymond Jones Chair in Law at Illinois.

    Should the age for required minimum distributions from retirement accounts be raised?

    Changes to the age for required minimum distributions from retirement accounts could be made after the 2018 mid-term elections, said Richard L. Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on tax policy and retirement issues, and the Guy Raymond Jones Chair in Law at Illinois.

  • Photo of University of Illinois law professor Jacob S. Sherkow

    Do-it-yourself COVID-19 vaccines fraught with public health problems

    “Citizen scientists” developing homemade COVID-19 vaccines may believe they’re inoculating themselves against the ongoing pandemic, but the practice of self-experimentation with do-it-yourself medical innovations is fraught with legal, ethical and public health issues, says a new paper co-written by University of Illinois law professor Jacob S. Sherkow.

  • image of professor john kindt

    Has fantasy sports crossed the line to become another form of online gambling?

    A Minute With...™ John Kindt, expert on business and legal policy

  • Professor Richard Kaplan

    Who wins and loses in proposed tax reform?

    Richard Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on U.S. tax policy, discusses the Republican tax overhaul plan now before Congress

  • Photo of Robin Fretwell Wilson, the Roger and Stephany Joslin Professor of Law and the director of the Program in Family Law and Policy at the University of Illinois College of Law.

    Why laws restricting bathroom access to transgender people won't work

    A Minute With...™ Robin Fretwell Wilson, director of the Program in Family Law and Policy

  • Photo of Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

    How will upcoming Supreme Court case, teacher strikes affect organized labor?

    A pending U.S. Supreme Court case could lead to the most significant changes in labor relations since the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, says Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • Photo of Benjamin Holden, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign journalism professor and media law scholar who studies free speech issues.

    What are the implications of the recent Supreme Court public school speech case?

    The Supreme Court affirmed that while public schools have an extra duty to protect unpopular opinions and minority speech rights, school officials still have the power to discipline students for bad behavior, says a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign media law scholar who studies free speech issues.

  • Lena Shapiro, a clinical assistant professor of law and the inaugural director of the College of Law’s First Amendment Clinic

    What are the legal, practical bounds of free speech on college campuses?

    One of the problems with “speech codes” on university campuses is their selective enforcement. Consequently, there have been calls for the reform of speech and harassment policies at universities nationwide to balance students’ right to freedom of expression with the right to learn free from discriminatory harassment, says Lena Shapiro, a clinical assistant professor of law and the inaugural director of the College of Law’s First Amendment Clinic.

  • Photo of Robin B. Kar, a University of Illinois professor of law and of philosophy

    Paper: Constitution’s equal protection clause inadequate shield against discrimination

    The Supreme Court's interpretation of the equal protection clause fails to acknowledge how many ordinary beliefs in race regularly function in prejudicial ways, says a paper co-written by Robin B. Kar, a University of Illinois professor of law and of philosophy.

  • Photo of Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law at Illinois who studies the ethical and policy implications of advanced biotechnologies

    Paper: Valuable antibody patents vulnerable to overly broad doctrinal shift in patent law

    A new paper co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign legal scholar Jacob S. Sherkow advocates for a middle ground in patent claims involving antibodies, the backbone of modern bioscience.