Jamelle C. Sharpe
Jamelle C. Sharpe | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | New York University (BA), Yale Law School (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Legal academic, law professor, dean |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | Dean of University of Illinois College of Law; author of Administrative Law: A Lifecycle Approach |
Jamelle C. Sharpe is a distinguished legal academic with expertise in administrative law and currently serves as the 14th Dean of the University of Illinois College of Law. His scholarly work explores the allocation of policymaking powers between administrative bodies and the judiciary, constraints on congressional delegation, and the involvement of federal courts within the administrative framework. He is the author of the widely adopted casebook Administrative Law: A Lifecycle Approach.
Early life and education
Sharpe graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from New York University, where he gained membership in Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to attending law school, he spent three years working as an analyst in Morgan Stanley's Investment Banking Division in New York City. He earned his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, where he held the position of managing editor for the Yale Journal of International Law.
Career
Following his graduation from Yale, Sharpe practiced as a litigation associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP between 2003 and 2005. Subsequently, he clerked for Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from 2005 to 2006. He then transitioned into academia as a Bigelow Teaching Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School from 2006 through 2008.
Sharpe became a faculty member at the University of Illinois College of Law in 2008, where he has taught courses including Administrative Law, Federal Courts, and Immigration Law. Between 2013 and 2016, he held the role of Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, contributing to curricular development and institutional policies. He was selected as a CIC Academic Leadership Program fellow for the 2015–2016 cycle and was appointed Provost Fellow at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2017.
As recipient of the Guy Raymond Jones Faculty Scholar title, Sharpe assumed the deanship in August 2023. In this capacity, he leads efforts related to academic programming, faculty advancement, and student achievement.
Scholarship
A prominent scholar within administrative law, Sharpe’s publications have appeared extensively in legal journals. His 2018 article “Delegation and Its Discontents” was honored with the Carroll P. Hurd Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship. Additionally, his casebook Administrative Law: A Lifecycle Approach (Aspen Casebook Series) earned the Wayne R. LaFave Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship in 2022.
Personal life
Sharpe is married to Nicola Faith Sharpe, who is a Professor of Law at the University of Illinois College of Law. Her expertise lies in business law, with research concentrating on corporate governance, ethical practices, and decision-making processes within boards.