Faculty & Scholarship

The rich intellectual environment at University of Wisconsin Law School is driven by a faculty of renowned legal scholars and innovative thinkers. They are the thought provokers. The idea generators. The pathbreakers who ask tough questions.

This stellar scholarly tradition makes UW Law the vibrant institution it is today.

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Profiling the Attorney Turned MLB Commissioner

The latest episode of the Wisconsin Law In Action podcast could have you thinking spring! Elizabeth Manriquez, head of Reference & Scholarly Support at the University of Wisconsin Law School Library, discusses her newest book chapter about Bowie Kent Kuhn, the Major League Baseball Commissioner from 1969 to 1984 and licensed attorney. In “Attorneys in the Baseball Hall of Fame” from Mcfarland Publishing, Manriquez examines the arc of Kuhn’s career from an attorney who worked on sports cases to his ascendance to the Major League Baseball commissioner. The Wisconsin Law in Action podcast explores a variety of legal topics and new developments in the field by interviewing UW Law faculty and staff. Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts.

Justice Goodwin Liu To Deliver Fairchild Lecture

Goodwin Liu, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court since 2011, will deliver the Thomas E. Fairchild Lecture at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Law School. Justice Liu’s primary areas of expertise are constitutional law, education law and policy, and diversity in the legal profession. The title of his lecture is "The Future of DEI: Reform or Retreat?" This lectureship was established in 1988 as a tribute to Judge Fairchild, a 1937 UW Law School graduate. He served in many roles, including Wisconsin attorney general, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, before his death in 2007. Learn more about the esteemed speakers who have contributed to this series in our digital repository.

Howard Erlanger, Six-Time Teacher of the Year, Officially Retires

Emeritus Voss-Bascom Professor of Law Howard Erlanger '81 was celebrated by students, faculty and staff Dec. 2, 2025, his last day doing something he has loved: teaching. A six-time Teacher of the Year Award winner at UW Law, Erlanger has taught Trusts and Estates to thousands of students. He has been teaching at the university since 1971 and continued to do so even after he "retired" in 2013. Read more about him in a special Gargoyle story from 2009. Check out a video of his farewell on Instagram.

Taking a ‘Second Look’ at Excessive Prison Sentences

As a young attorney working for the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Kate Finley found it striking when a Congolese militia leader who was found guilty of conscripting child soldiers was sentenced to just 14 years in prison. “I thought, ‘Wow, you can be convicted of the most serious crimes — war crimes, crimes against humanity — and do less time than you would for a drug distribution case in America,’” said Finley, now a clinical associate professor and director of the Frank J. Remington Center at University of Wisconsin Law School. She joined the Law School in 2019 and felt an immediate connection to the Remington Center’s mission. At any given time, the center’s clinics work on approximately 100 cases. Finley directs the Second Look Clinic, which helps clients who are serving excessive prison sentences. Learn more about Finley and the research inspired by her clinic’s work.

Emma Shakeshaft: Meet Our New Hastie Fellow

Our newest William H. Hastie Fellow, Emma Shakeshaft ’12, embodies the Law-in-Action tradition. Shakeshaft, formerly a senior staff attorney and researcher at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin, is a triple Badger. “She combines stellar academic credentials with years of practical, on-the-ground experience practicing law,” said Dean Dan Tokaji. The fellowship has provided aspiring scholars with an outstanding opportunity to prepare for a career in law teaching since 1973. It honors civil rights advocate William H. Hastie (1904-1976) and was established through the leadership of legendary UW Law School Professor Jim Jones (1924-2014). Learn more about Shakeshaft, this fellowship, past fellows and our 50th anniversary celebration of the program.

Read Our 2025 Brochure

Profiling the Attorney Turned MLB Commissioner

Justice Goodwin Liu To Deliver Fairchild Lecture

Howard Erlanger, Six-Time Teacher of the Year, Officially Retires

Taking a ‘Second Look’ at Excessive Prison Sentences

Emma Shakeshaft: Meet Our New Hastie Fellow

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William H. Hastie Fellowship

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Minnesota ICE Shooting: UW Law Experts Explain Legal Issues

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Faculty & Scholarship

Read Our 2025 Brochure

Profiling the Attorney Turned MLB Commissioner

Justice Goodwin Liu To Deliver Fairchild Lecture

Howard Erlanger, Six-Time Teacher of the Year, Officially Retires

Taking a ‘Second Look’ at Excessive Prison Sentences

Emma Shakeshaft: Meet Our New Hastie Fellow

Faculty News

A Thriving Community

Research Centers & Initiatives

Clinics & Experiential Learning (PDF)

William H. Hastie Fellowship

Visiting Scholars Program

Scholarship Repository

View Faculty & Staff Directory

Minnesota ICE Shooting: UW Law Experts Explain Legal Issues

View Public Calendar

Law in Action

Bluesky

podcasts Podcasts

newspaper Activities & Scholarship