Renee Henson

University of Missouri School of Law

Professor Renee Henson joined the University of Missouri School of Law in July 2023 as a Visiting Assistant Professor, bringing a distinguished legal career and expertise in business and commercial litigation. Before her academic appointment, Professor Henson practiced at Stinson LLP, where she handled complex cases in products liability, patent, copyright, and trademark litigation. While at Stinson, Professor Henson also routinely worked as the lead e-discovery attorney in cases involving data collection management, analysis, and production. Her exceptional performance earned her recognition as a Top Verdict and Settlement Winner by Missouri Lawyer’s Media in 2023 and a spot on the Lawyers of Color “Hot List” in 2022.

Professor Henson’s scholarship addresses the intersection of artificial intelligence and tort law. Her forthcoming article in the Georgia State University Law Review proposes a government-backed insurance paradigm for AI technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and healthcare risk management models. The article draws parallels between current government insurance for nuclear energy and Professor Henson’s proposed model for an AI insurance schema. Another article, soon to be published in the Missouri Law Review, examines the European Union’s AI Act as a potential model for U.S. regulation considering the increasing legislative focus on regulating AI. Her analysis focuses on how to balance innovation in AI technology while mitigating potential risks. The Temple Law Review recently published an article by Professor Henson where she uses her expertise in products liability to advocate for applying strict liability to the development of AI as an “abnormally dangerous activity.”

A sought-after speaker, Professor Henson frequently presents on AI’s impact on legal practice and ethics. She has presented to the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, among others. In addition, she has presented at conferences and symposia hosted by the Oklahoma University College of Law, the University of Missouri School of Law, and the University of North Dakota Law School. Professor Henson also serves on the Missouri Supreme Court’s Committee on Jury Instructions and Charges – Civil, where she contributes her expertise to the state’s legal system.

Professor Henson graduated magna cum laude with distinction from Columbia College and earned her J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Business, Entrepreneurship & Tax Law Review. In 2024, she received the Faculty Award from the University of Missouri School of Law’s Black Law Students Association for her dedication to supporting students from diverse backgrounds.