Bill Watson

Bill Watson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, where he holds the Richard W. & Marie L. Corman Scholar position. He joined the Illinois Law faculty in 2024 after serving as a Climenko Fellow and Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. His academic work bridges public law and philosophy, with particular expertise in constitutional and statutory interpretation.

Professor Watson's research focuses on the intersection of law and philosophy, with particular emphasis on constitutional interpretation, precedential reasoning, and the nature of law. His scholarship addresses fundamental questions about how courts should interpret legal texts and how legal systems maintain coherence over time. He has published extensively in top law reviews and peer-reviewed journals on topics including originalism, legal positivism, and the Supreme Court's treatment of precedent. His recent work has examined how the Roberts Court has 'obstructed precedent' - a concept he defines as when a court fails to cooperate with its prior self in building a coherent body of law.

Watson's scholarly contributions have appeared in prestigious venues including the Northwestern University Law Review, Boston University Law Review, Law and Philosophy, and Legal Theory. His research demonstrates a consistent engagement with both doctrinal legal analysis and philosophical inquiry, making significant contributions to understanding how legal systems function as normative practices.

Professor Watson has received recognition for his scholarship through his appointment as the Richard W. & Marie L. Corman Scholar at Illinois Law. His work has generated discussion in academic circles, as evidenced by mentions in blog posts and social media.

Before joining academia, Professor Watson clerked for Judge Jay Bybee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and practiced complex commercial litigation with Kirkland & Ellis. His practical legal experience informs his scholarly work on judicial decision-making and legal interpretation.