Karen Sandrik

Karen Sandrik joined the Marquette University Law faculty in summer 2025 from the Willamette University School of Law, where she was most recently the Maynard & Bertha Wilson Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty. Prior to her arrival at Marquette last summer, Professor Sandrik served as a U.S. Global Fulbright Scholar at Comenius University Bratislava in Slovakia. She continues her relationship and collaboration with Comenius University as an affiliated research fellow. 

At Marquette Law School, Professor Sandrik has taught or will teach a variety of courses, including Contracts, Business Associations, Patent, Deals, and Negotiations. She brings experience in simulation-based learning through courses she previously designed and taught at Willamette Law including Deals and Intellectual Property Law & Practice.

Professor Sandrik’s research focuses on the intersection of patent and commercial law, which often means she is writing about research collaborations and licensing. Her research has appeared in numerous journals including the Texas A&M Law Review, Michigan Technology Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, and the SMU Law Review.

Prior to entering academia, Professor Sandrik practiced as an associate in the intellectual property group at Troutman Pepper Locke (formerly Troutman Sanders), where she was a member of the Patent Litigation Team and Franchise & Distribution Team.

Professor Sandrik brings a unique combination of legal expertise and athletic achievement to Marquette Law School. As a former member of the U-23 U.S. National Soccer Team, she offers perspectives that may particularly interest students drawn to Marquette Law’s sports law program. Her classroom approach reflects her sporting background—energetic, strategic, and always in motion—creating an environment where students benefit from both her legal knowledge and her dynamic teaching methods.