The Law School Record: Spring 2026 | University of Chicago Law School

The University of Chicago
Law School Record

Spring 2026

An Advocate for the Most Vulnerable

Children’s law expert Emily Buss has redesigned courtroom protocols, facilitated dialogue between law students and incarcerated youth, shaped national legal standards, and now—she is clearing a way for future public interest lawyers.

When Emily Buss joined the Law School, she brought a decade of experience advocating for children’s rights in Baltimore and Philadelphia’s child welfare systems. Her years on the frontlines...

Climate in the Balance

Law School faculty are shaping environmental law and policy, from state utility commissions to global carbon markets.

When most people picture the front lines of climate action, they might imagine high-stakes negotiations on the sidelines of Conference of the Parties (COP) summits, or policy fights on Capitol Hill...

Thomas Cole, '75, poses with his book published last year.

Asked & Answered: Thomas Cole, ’75

Author of 'Doing Meritocracy Right: How Business Leaders Can Turn an American Aspiration into Reality (and Why They Should)'

In his new book published last fall by the University of Chicago Press, Thomas Cole, '75, offers timely and practical advice for business leaders on making the promise of meritocracy a reality. Cole...

Message From the Dean

Taken together, the stories in this issue offer a snapshot of a law school deeply invested in the life of ideas—and in the people who carry those ideas forward.

View Full Message

Tony Casey walking out of the Law School.

The Path to Legal Academia

In our cover story, eight UChicago Law alumni reflect on their paths to academia—and offer advice for aspiring scholars.

Faculty News

Samuel L. Bray, '05, Appointed Walter Mander Research Scholar Eric Posner to Present 2026 Ryerson Lecture on AI and the Future of Law Alison Siegler Delivers Inaugural Endowed Chair Lecture Three Law School Faculty Members Awarded Named Professorships

A man in a grey polo shirt addresses a room of students.

Inside the Law School’s AI Lab

UChicago Law students reflect on their experience merging law and tech to bridge a justice gap

Marley McAliley, ’27, a former public relations professional at Google, didn’t imagine when she pivoted to law school that she’d be writing PR pitches for a tech product as part of one of her classes...

Law School Launches Public Interest Leadership Program

The initiative aims to strengthen support for students pursuing public interest and public service careers

The Law School recently launched the Public Interest Leadership Program, a new initiative designed to deepen institutional support for students pursuing public interest and public service careers...

A woman sits in front of law-themed board games.

Beyond the Casebooks

From children's books to board games, the D'Angelo Law Library's recreational collections offer unique ways to educate and entertain.

Textbooks and legal guides line the shelves of the D’Angelo Law Library. But tucked among them are surprises: illustrated tales of pirates, board games inspired by landmark cases, even a book devoted...

Vatsala Kumar, ’23, Awarded Prestigious Skadden Fellowship

She will lead a data-driven project at the MacArthur Justice Center aimed at strengthening implementation of the nation’s first law eliminating cash bond

Vatsala Kumar, ’23, has been awarded a Skadden Fellowship to work with the MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) on enforcing and advancing the impact of Illinois’s Pretrial Fairness Act—the first law in the...

More Alumni News

In Memoriam Recent Books by Alumni

Alumni Spotlights

Mel Schwartz

Class of 1975

Laura Fox

Class of 1987

Liisa Thomas

Class of 1996

Jake Phillips

Class of 2003

Natalie Shapero

Class of 2011

Development News

Constitutional Law Institute Receives $1M Gift from Debra A. Cafaro, ’82

The gift will support the Institute’s research, fund a new program, and expand its annual conference

The Law School recently received a significant gift to advance the study of constitutional law from Debra A. Cafaro, ’82, chairman and chief executive officer of Ventas, a leading S&P 500 company and...

Giving Back: Sean Carney, ’90, and Mimi Gilligan JD/MBA, ’91

When Sean Carney, ’90, and Mimi Gilligan JD/MBA, ’91, arrived at the Law School in the late 1980s, they came from different places with different ambitions. Carney grew up in Western Canada in a...