April 17, 2025

Professor Lietzan wins Women’s Justice Award

Professor Erika Lietzan, the William H. Pittman and Timothy J. Heinsz Professor of Law at Mizzou Law, was honored this month with a 2025 Women’s Justice Award in the Public Service category. The Women’s Justice Awards are presented by Missouri Lawyers Media. They recognize women across Missouri who have demonstrated leadership, integrity, service, sacrifice and accomplishment in improving the quality of justice and exemplifying the highest ideals of the legal profession. The awards reach out to women in various segments of the legal community, including the bar, the bench, public office, business, academia, nonprofits and the state…

April 16, 2025

Professor Renee Henson publishes blog on AI in the classroom

Professor Henson published a guest blog for the Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) website, discussing the integration of artificial intelligence into classroom instruction. “While AI is not without its concerns, it is a powerful tool that can enrich legal education and the practice of law. Rather than replacing analytical work, AI should be used to enhance students’ skills and understanding. A well-rounded attorney must not only comprehend AI’s capabilities but also recognize its limitations. As AI continues to evolve, so must our approach to legal education. By integrating AI tools like Toby, we are not just keeping up…

April 3, 2025

Professors Wechsler, Rana present at United Nations event

Professors Rachel Wechsler and Shruti Rana presented at a parallel event panel at the UN Commission on the Status of Women NGO CSW Forum on March 20, 2025. Professor Rana presented her recent work on women in the U.S. judiciary through an international and comparative lens and Professor Wechsler presented her recent work on human trafficking victims who are prosecuted for criminal conduct related to their victimization. 

April 1, 2025

Professor Gamage testifies on wealth tax reforms before the Washington State Senate

Professor David Gamage, one of the most cited tax scholars in the world, testified this week before the Washington State Senate on proposed wealth tax reforms. “Senate Bill 5797 represents a sound policy direction for Washington State. Taxing extraordinary wealth is not only feasible but is also a necessary tool for achieving a fairer tax system and securing sustainable revenue for vital public investments like education,” Gamage said in his testimony. “The arguments against such taxes based on taxpayer flight are empirically weak and largely ignore the effectiveness of modern design features in addressing avoidance and administrative challenges.

March 12, 2025

$1 million gift to support students in study abroad and public interest programs

As a part of the 2025 Mizzou Giving Day, Professor Emeritus Rodney Uphoff has given a generous gift of $1 million to Mizzou Law to provide important financial support to law students pursuing transformative educational and public service experiences. Professor Uphoff’s gift will create an endowment which will fund student participation in the South Africa study abroad program, offering scholarship support to law school students to help make this invaluable global learning opportunity possible. The Uphoff Scholarship program ensures that students with a passion for legal studies and international experiences can benefit from this unique opportunity.

March 11, 2025

Professor Renee Henson Presents at MU Data Science Week

Professor Renee Henson presented that the MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics’ Data Science Week. Of her time presenting, Professor Henson said: “This experience reinforced the importance of collaboration between lawyers and AI developers. It is essential for data scientists to understand the legal and ethical implications of their tools, just as it is crucial for both legal academics researching these issues and practicing lawyers to have a solid grasp of the underlying technology.”…

March 6, 2025

Indiana and UCONN professor to present at Mizzou Law tax colloquium

On Wednesday, March 12th, Goldburn Maynard (Indiana University Kelley School of Business, but moving to the University of Connecticut School of Law) will present his draft paper – “Penalizing Precarity”– at the Mizzou Law Tax Policy Colloquium, from 2:00 to 3:15 pm Central Time. The Mizzou Law Tax Policy Colloquium is convened by Professor David Gamage of Mizzou Law. Most sessions will be open to guest participants via zoom, from 2:00 to 3:15 pm Central Time. This session will be open to guest participants via zoom. Anyone who would like to join as a guest participant should e-mail Professor Gamage directly at…

March 6, 2025

Professor Shruti Rana publishes article in international journal

Assistant Provost and Professor Shruti Rana recently had new article, “Reconceiving Engagement with International Law and Institutions in a Populist Era,”accepted for publication in the Melbourne Journal of International Law, Australia’s premier generalist international law journal, forthcoming 2025. Professor Rana co-authored this piece with co-investigators on an Australian Research Council-funded grant project, entitled “Reconceiving Engagement with International Law in a Populist Era,” (https://law.anu.edu.au/reconceiving-engagement-international-law-populist-era; www.reilpop.net). The project seeks to address the fundamental problem of how to re-conceive engagement by states with the international legal order, in the face of sustained populist movements. The article proposes to develop a…

March 5, 2025

Professor Emeritus Esbeck published blog post on church autonomy

Carl Esbeck, the R.B. Price Professor Emeritus of Law, recently published a blog post on the Federalist Society’s website, “Huntsman v. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Church Autonomy is “a Threshold Structural Bar that Must be Reckoned With.” To read the full post, visit: https://fedsoc.org/commentary/fedsoc-blog/huntsman-v-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-church-autonomy-is-a-threshold-structural-bar-that-must-be-reckoned-with…

Feb. 28, 2025

Professor Renee Henson Speaks on AI panel for ADR

Professor Renee Henson served on a panel with Mizzou Law 1L student Naveen Rau regarding the evolving role of artificial intelligence in alternative dispute resolution. During the presentation, the panel explored key concepts, including: The difference between rule-based algorithms (structured, deterministic models) and machine learning algorithms (adaptive, probabilistic systems.) The power and limitations of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and legal-specific AI tools such as Lexis AI and Westlaw AI. Ethical and confidentiality concerns in legal practice, including discussing ABA Formal Opinion 512. The potential for AI use in dispute resolution—how it can enhance preparation, strategy, and negotiation…