Category: Faculty News

June 25, 2025
Professor Wechsler quoted in Boston Globe
Professor Rachel Wechsler was recently quoted in a Boston Globe article discussing a case of homicide: Rachel Wechsler, an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law who studies gender-based violence, said victims of violent crime often report low levels of satisfaction with the criminal justice system. Incidents like officers failing to arrest Boyette before he allegedly committed murder risk further damage to that relationship, she said.“It certainly can affect the opinion of the competency of people in the system,” Wechsler said. “It sounds like from the report that there…

June 23, 2025
Professor Rana publishes symposium essay on judicial representation
Professor and Assistant Provost Shruti Rana has published an invited symposium essay, Comparative Lessons for Enhancing Representation in the U.S. Judiciary—And Countering Democratic Decline, in Vol. 16 of ConLawNow. The essay argues that efforts to enhance judicial representation and parity in the United States could benefit from further drawing upon and building on international principles and comparative examples from other nations and international fora, and discusses how efforts to ensure greater representation and parity in U.S. Courts could enhance the rule of law and counter democratic decline during periods of intensifying contestation and erosion. This essay is based…

June 13, 2025
Professor Rana publishes article on international law and the rise of populism
Professor and Assistant Provost Shruti Rana has published an article, “International Law and the Rise of Populism,” in the Virginia Journal of International Law, co-authored with her colleagues on a current Australian Research Council grant examining how states interact with and challenge the international legal order. The article challenges the view that populism is merely a reaction against law, arguing instead that it emerges from tensions within liberal constitutional democracy itself. It reveals how shifts in international legal thought have contributed to the rise of populism by clashing with competing visions of political authority and legal normativity. Rana and her…

June 12, 2025
Professor Vacca quoted in Bloomberg Law
Professor Ryan Vacca was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article about the Federal Circuit taking the Trump tariff case en banc without a prior panel decision. “They have the authority to do this, but petitions for initial hearing en banc are super rare, and a court doing it sua sponte is even more rare,” Vacca said. Read the full story here: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/trump-tariff-dispute-gets-rare-review-by-full-federal-circuit…

June 11, 2025
Professor Jayne Woods presents on AI
Professor Jayne Woods presented “Using AI to Prepare for Moot Court” at the AI & Legal Skills: Innovation, Impact, and Integrity Virtual Conference hosted by the Legal Writing Institute and the University of Wisconsin Law School in early June.

June 9, 2025
Professor Oliveri publishes essay on sexual harassment in housing
Professor Rigel Oliveri recently published an essay, “Legal and Policy Responses to Sexual Harassment in Housing,” in the Connecticut Law Review. Her piece was part of a symposium put on by the Connecticut Law Review on the subject of Fair Housing in the 21st Century. To read the full essay, visit here.

June 5, 2025
Professor Renee Henson presents at conference on AI
In late May, Professor Renee Henson presented at the Conference on AI, Insurance Law, and Regulation at UConn School of Law. Professor Henson participated on a panel, “How can and should insurance influence the law of AI and AI itself.”

June 4, 2025
Professor Sperino teaches at Federal Judicial Center conference
Professor Sandra Sperino served as a faculty member for the Federal Judicial Center’s 2025 National Conference for Appellate Staff Attorneys in Phoenix on June 3. Professor Sperino discussed new issues in federal discrimination law, including emerging circuit splits about what counts as a negative action that will lead to liability and the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act.

June 3, 2025
Professor Henson and her twin sister featured in Missouri Bar Journal
Professor Renee Henson was featured along with her twin, Naomi Buie, in the latest issue of the Journal of the Missouri Bar. Both Professor Henson and Buie are lawyers who have practiced in the Kansas City area. To read the full story, visit here.

June 3, 2025
Professor Myers presents on AI across the country
Throughout the spring, Professor Gary Myers has presented at several conferences and training programs on legal issues surrounding artificial intelligence. March 2025 – Texas Court of Appeals, Ft. Worth – Annual Training/CLE Program — Spoke on “How to Regulate Artificial Intelligence” at the invitation of Chief Justice Bonnie Sudderth May 2025 – Arizona State Law School (ASU) GETS Conference – Spoke on “How AI Can Make Government More Efficient & Responsive” – 4th consecutive year presenting at this prestigious technology conference May 2025 — Law and Society Annual Conference – Spoke on “Deploying Mindfulness in Difficult Times: Law…