IIT Chicago-Kent announces first Ralph Brill Endowed Chair

Professor Adrian James Walters of England's Nottingham Trent University has been named IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's first Ralph Brill Endowed Chair. Professor Walters will be installed as chair holder September 13 at 4 p.m. in ceremonies at the law school, 565 West Adams Street (between Clinton and Jefferson streets) in Chicago.

A member of the law school faculty at Nottingham Trent University since 1994, Professor Walters' scholarly and teaching interests lie in the fields of bankruptcy and corporate law. In 2007, he founded the Nottingham Trent University Insolvency and Corporate Law Research Group, which focuses on corporate liquidation, corporate rescue, personal insolvency, cross-border insolvency and comparative insolvency. His current research focuses on emerging trends in judicial management of transnational bankruptcies.

Professor Walters earned a B.A. with honors from the University of Cambridge. He received his graduate diploma in Law (with commendation) and Law Society Finals (with honors) from Nottingham Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University).

"It is an incredible honor to be appointed to Chicago-Kent's first endowed chair, and I am very excited to have become part of this great law school community," said Professor Walters.

The Ralph Brill Endowed Chair is IIT Chicago-Kent's first endowed chair. The chair honors Professor Ralph L. Brill, who has served on the faculty since 1961. At IIT Chicago-Kent, Professor Brill established the law school's comprehensive legal research and writing program. In addition, he has taught courses in torts, products liability, constitutional law, agency and partnership, commercial law, statutes, damages, social legislation, property and advanced torts to more than 8,500 students. Professor Brill has been honored by numerous organizations for his service to the legal profession. In the first phase of fund raising, more than 400 Chicago-Kent alumni and friends contributed more than $1.5 million to fund the chair.

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. IIT Chicago-Kent was the first law school in the nation to require its students to take five semesters of legal writing courses before they graduate. The law school's emphasis on effective analytical, research, and communications skills has served as a model for other institutions.