Dr. Bill Watson

Biography

Professor Bill Watson teaches at the College of Law, focusing on the intersection of public law philosophy with an emphasis on constitutional and statutory interpretation. His work critically engages with precedential reasoning and the nature of law, and he has published in prominent law reviews and peer-reviewed journals, such as the Northwestern University Law Review and Boston University Law Review. Currently, his research projects explore originalism in constitutional interpretation and the implications of legal positivism. A JD graduate from the University of Chicago Law School, he also holds a PhD in Philosophy from Cornell University, where he served as the Book Review & Essays Editor for the University of Chicago Law Review. Prior to his appointment at the University of Illinois, he was a Climenko Fellow and Lecturer at Harvard Law School. Moreover, Professor Watson has experience clerking for Judge Jay Bybee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and practicing complex commercial litigation at Kirkland & Ellis.

Research Interests

Experience