Five Georgetown Law Faculty Members Honored with Named Professorships
January 16, 2025

The honorees gathered with Dean William M. Treanor before the ceremony. L-R: Professors Brian Galle, Stephen I. Vladeck and Urska Velikonja; Dean William M. Treanor; Professors Kristelia García and Maria Glover.
The Georgetown Law community gathered on Jan. 15 to celebrate the achievements of five faculty members who were awarded named professorships.
Dean William M. Treanor, the Paul Regis Dean Leadership Chair, welcomed each honoree to the stage to present a medal and read a citation highlighting their scholarship and other accomplishments. The ceremony was the final installation Treanor will preside over as dean, having announced last year that he will step down from his position in June and become a full-time faculty member.
“These celebrations are always a highlight for me and serve as yet another reminder of how extraordinary our faculty and community truly are,” said Treanor, who has overseen the creation of 54 named professorships during his 15-year tenure.
The Law Center’s newest named professors are:
Kristelia García, Leo George Professor of Communications, Entertainment, and New Media

Prof. Kristelia García with Dean Treanor
“For her renowned scholarship on intellectual property law, examining the issues at the intersection of copyright law and economics, for which we got a sense of the excitement of her work at her presentation at last year’s faculty retreat that included the viral TikTok of the Fleetwood Mac “cranberry juice” video; for her tremendous contributions to her field, including her participation in congressional hearings on topics like artificial intelligence and testifying last year at a hearing on AI and IP at the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet; and for her deep and genuine engagement with the intellectual community at the Law Center; I am honored to name Kristelia García the Leo George Professor of Communications, Entertainment, and New Media,” Treanor said.
Established by the late Leo George, L’63, a leader in the telecommunications industry and dedicated alumnus and reunion volunteer, and a collection of alumni in communications, entertainment and new media, these professorships commemorate innovation and leadership in technology, business and law as they relate to everyday American lives. García is the professorship’s inaugural appointee.
Urska Velikonja, J. Crilley Kelly and Terry Curtin Kelly Professor of Business Law

Prof. Urska Velikonja with Dean Treanor
“For her renowned scholarship on business law and securities regulation; for her groundbreaking work that reframed the academic conversation and administrative policy related to securities enforcement which the faculty were treated to a fascinating presentation on when she lectured at the 2023 faculty retreat on “How the SEC Embraced Compensation”; for her dedicated service to our community as a principled leader and gifted educator and administrator, including her service as associate dean for academic affairs; I am honored to name Urska Velikonja the J. Crilley Kelly and Terry Curtin Kelly Professor of Business Law,” Treanor said.
This professorship was established by the late J. Crilley Kelly, L’73, in memory of his wife, Terry Curtin Kelly. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly had wide-ranging careers in business: Among other roles, Mrs. Kelly served as an executive at Federated Investors and Mr. Kelly served as senior counsel of U.S. Steel and secretary of the U.S. Steel and Carnegie Pension Fund.
Maria Glover, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of International Economic Law

Prof. Maria Glover with Dean Treanor
“For her innovative scholarship at the intersection of civil procedure and civil justice, complex litigation and private litigation and dispute resolution; for her breakthrough work on the complex national opioid litigation, where she spearheaded a first-of-its-kind Opioid Litigation Summit, forming the basis of state legislation for the distribution of opioid settlements, calibrated to the exigencies of the epidemic in a diverse range of communities; and for her role as a dedicated mentor and teacher to students, and trusted colleague and community member; I am honored to name Maria Glover the Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law,” Treanor said.
The Carmack Waterhouse professorships were established through a bequest from the estate of Carmack Waterhouse, L’35, and his wife Mary. Waterhouse was a longtime patent attorney with the Atomic Energy Commission.
Brian Galle, L’06, Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Tax Policy

Prof. Brian Galle with Dean Treanor
“For the many contributions he’s made in the fields of taxation, nonprofit organizations, behavioral law and economics, federalism and public finance economics; for his dedicated service and advocacy in the fields of tax and nonprofit law, including his previous service as federal prosecutor in the Criminal Appeals and Tax Enforcement Policy Section in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice; and for his tireless service to our community, leadership in his field and commitment to his students and approaching all of his work with his signature wit and engaging spirit; I am honored to name Brian Galle the Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Tax Policy,” Treanor said.
The Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professorships were established through a historic bequest from the estate of Agnes Neill Williams, L’54, one of Georgetown Law’s first women graduates and a lifelong supporter of the Law Center and the University. There will eventually be a total of 20 Agnes Neill Williams Sesquicentennial Professorships on the Georgetown Law faculty.
Stephen I. Vladeck, Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts

Prof. Stephen I. Vladeck with Dean Treanor
“For his distinguished career as a nationally recognized expert on the Supreme Court, national security law and military justice, including authoring award-winning and New York Times bestselling book, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic; for his many contributions and service to the legal profession, including having argued three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and over a dozen before lower federal civilian and military courts; and for his insights into the Supreme Court and his exceptional scholarship elucidating the inner workings of One First Street for everyone from constitutional scholars to the social media users around the world; I am honored to name Stephen I. Vladeck the Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts,” Treanor said.