Office of Academic Administration and Student Affairs:
News & announcements from Asst. Dean Stephen D. Sowle  Archives for 2000-2001 academic year

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Announcements are listed in reverse chronological order.

2000 SUMMER SESSION

Weeks of  July 30 and August 6, 2001

Update for 8/3/01:  The list of initial reading assignments for Fall 2001, along with other information, is linked to this page.

Joke of the Week.  Question:  Why do they put bells on cows?  Answer:  Because their horns don't work.


Weeks of  July 16 and July 23, 2001

Joke of the Week.  Question:  Why do they put bells on cows?  Answer:  Because their horns don't work.


Weeks of  July 2 and July 9, 2001

Chicago-Kent Law Review: New Members.  I’m happy to report that the students listed below have been invited to join the Chicago-Kent Law Review based on their academic performance.  I hope you will take the opportunity to congratulate the students you know.
 
Marek Badyna Matthew S. Miller
William A. Beckman Ari D. Mintzer
Patricia Boye-Williams Daniel R. Paulsen
Jason R. Braswell Seth M. Rosenberg
M. Renee Burek Michael S. Shapiro
Lauren A. Cohen Linnea Stack
Ryan A. Horning Cindy S. Stuyvesant
Svetlana Kelmanson Adwait S. Talathi
Allison Kirk Michael P. Tomlinson
David R. Lidow Jennifer L. Warta
Suzanne L. Lindbergh Sofia M. Zneimer

CALI Winners: Spring 2001.  The CALI Excellence for the Future Award, sponsored by the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction, is given to the student or students who receive the highest grade in each section of each course. The CALI Award winners for most Spring 2001 courses are linked to this page. Additional recipients will be added to the list as we receive them.  A revised list will also be published in the first issue of the Record at the beginning of the Fall semester.

Fall Course Cancellation.  Prof. Neal's Air Pollution Law & Policy seminar (672-071, Mondays 4:00 - 5:50 pm.) has been canceled due to lack of adequate enrollment.

Joke of the Week.  Question:  Why did the dentist and the manicurist get a divorce?  Answer:  They kept fighting tooth and nail.


Weeks of  June 18 and June 25, 2001

Joke of the Week.  Question: What did the fish say when he hit the concrete wall?  Answer:  Dam!


Weeks of  June 4 and June 11, 2001

Fall 2001 Schedule Changes.
Cancellations.  The following courses have been canceled due to low enrollment:

Electricity & Public Utilities seminar (605-071)
Litigation Technology (254-071)
State Constitutional Law (287-001)
Additional Section of Remedies.  We have added an evening section of Remedies to the Fall schedule; details appear below.  You may register for the course using the online registration system (go to the Law School’s Intranet page and click on the link entitled “Web Registration System”).
Remedies (3 credits)
Course no.: 280-051
Instructor: Kenneth L. Gillis
Days/Times:  Mondays/Wednesdays, 7:35 - 9:00 p.m.
Exam: Friday, 12/14/01, 6:00 p.m.
Joke of the Week.  Did you hear about the mystic and the hot dog vendor?  The mystic said, "make me one with everything."

Weeks of  May 21 and May 28, 2001

Summer Session 2001.
Academic Calendar:  The academic calendar for the summer session is linked to this page.

Initial Reading Assignments:  Initial reading assignments for many summer session courses are linked to this page. If an assignment is not listed for a particular course, that means we did not receive an initial assignment from that instructor.

Fall 2001: Additional Section of Remedies.  We have added an evening section of Remedies to the Fall schedule; details appear below.  You may register for the course using the online registration system (go to the Law School’s Intranet page and click on the link entitled “Web Registration System”).

Remedies (3 credits)
Course no.: 280-051
Instructor: Kenneth L. Gillis
Days/Times:  Mondays/Wednesdays, 7:35 - 9:00 p.m.
Exam: Friday, 12/14/01, 6:00 p.m.
Joke of the Week.  When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

SPRING 2001 SEMESTER
Week of May 14, 2001

Summer 2001 Initial Reading Assignments.  If you are enrolled in a summer session class, you should periodically check the second floor bulletin board for initial reading assignments. The summer session is short, and many instructors expect students to have read the assignments for the first night of class.

Fall 2001 Initial Reading Assignments and Course Books.  Reading assignments for the first week of the Fall semester will be posted on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu/) no later than Friday, August 3. If you will not have Internet access in August, please notify us that you would like a paper copy mailed to you by sending me an e-mail (SSOWLE) with the address where you can be reached over the summer; or fill out the bottom portion of a form that will be available at my office and outside the third floor cafeteria. Assignments not received by August 3 will be posted on the second-floor bulletin board as they are received. 

You may ask the bookstore to hold your Fall course books for you when they arrive, or for an extra fee you may request that the books be mailed to you over the summer.  If you would like to take advantage of either of these options, stop by the bookstore before you leave, or call the bookstore at 312/906-5605.  In addition, you may order your course books over the web by clicking on the bookstore link on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu).

Joke of the Week.  A guy goes into a bookstore and asks the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"  She replies, "If I told you that, it would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"


Week of May 7, 2001

Spring 2001 Exam Schedule. The final exam schedule for the current semester is linked to this page. Room assignments for exams will be posted in the main lobby and on the second-floor bulletin board. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Chris Matheny (312/906-5271), Boo Choi (312/906-5286), or me (312/906-5282) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach either of us, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Please read Section VII of the Student Handbook, which contains the rules governming exams, exam conflicts, make-up exams, missed exams, and related issues.

Fall 2001 Registration: Changes to Final Schedule.  The Registration Bulletin for Fall 2001, including the final Schedule of Classes, is available outside the third floor cafeteria; an online version is linked to this page. Initial registration is now concluded. To learn what classes you have been admitted to, you must check the registration web site. You may do this by gong to the same site as the one used for initial registration (i.e., go to the Intranet page and click on “Web Registration System”). Registering for a class during the initial registration period is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the class – you must check the web site to learn what classes you have been admitted to.

Corrections:

Business Organizations: The exam for the day section of Business Organizations will be on Wednesday, December 12, at 1:15 (not 8:30).  The time appears correctly on the exam grid accompanying the final schedule, but is listed incorrectly on the schedule itself.

Estates & Trusts: The final schedule correctly lists Estates and Trusts as meeting on Mondays & Wednesdays, 10:40-12:40.  The course grid for the Day courses, however, lists both the correct days and times, and incorrect days and times (Tues./Thurs. 1:55-3:45).  There will only be the one section, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Summer 2001 Initial Reading Assignments.  If you are enrolled in a summer session class, you should periodically check the second floor bulletin board for initial reading assignments. The summer session is short, and many instructors expect students to have read the assignments for the first night of class.

Fall 2001 Initial Reading Assignments and Course Books.  Reading assignments for the first week of the Fall semester will be posted on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu/) no later than Friday, August 3. If you will not have Internet access in August, please notify us that you would like a paper copy mailed to you by sending me an e-mail (SSOWLE) with the address where you can be reached over the summer; or fill out the bottom portion of a form that will be available at my office and outside the third floor cafeteria. Assignments not received by August 3 will be posted on the second-floor bulletin board as they are received. 

You may ask the bookstore to hold your Fall course books for you when they arrive, or for an extra fee you may request that the books be mailed to you over the summer.  If you would like to take advantage of either of these options, stop by the bookstore before you leave, or call the bookstore at 312/906-5605.  In addition, you may order your course books over the web by clicking on the bookstore link on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu).

Joke of the Week.  Questions: How many Zen masters does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Two -- one to change it, and one not to change it.


Week of April 30, 2001

Academic Calendar Reminder.  The class schedule for the last week of the semester is as follows:

Monday, April 30:  Monday classes meet (King Birthday make-up)
Tuesday, May 1:  Wednesday classes meet (Professionalism Day make-up)
Wednesday, May 2:  Friday classes meet (Good Friday make-up)
The last day of classes is Wednesday, May 2.

Spring 2001 Exam Schedule. The final exam schedule for the current semester is linked to this page. Room assignments for exams will be posted in the main lobby and on the second-floor bulletin board at a later time. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Chris Matheny (312/906-5271), Boo Choi (312/906-5286), or me (312/906-5282) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach either of us, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Please read Section VII of the Student Handbook, which contains the rules governming exams, exam conflicts, make-up exams, missed exams, and related issues.

Fall 2001 Class Schedule and Registration.  The Registration Bulletin for Fall 2001, including the final Schedule of Classes, is available outside the third floor cafeteria; an online version is linked to this page. To register, go to the Law School’s Intranet page and click on the link entitled “Web Registration System.” You can use any computer with Internet access, either inside or outside the Law School. Registration will be conducted on Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1. You may register at any time on those days. After the end of the registration period, the registration requests will be processed according to each student’s registration priority. In other words, registration will not be conducted on a first-come, first served basis; as long as you register during the designated period, you will have an equal chance of being admitted to a class as other students with your registration priority group.

To learn what classes you have been admitted to, you must check the registration web site on or after Thursday, May 3. You may do this by gong to the same site as the one used for initial registration (i.e., go to the Intranet page and click on “Web Registration System”). Registering for a class during the initial registration period is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the class – you must check the web site on or after Thursday, May 3 to learn what classes you have been admitted to.

Correction:  The exam for the day section of Business Organizations will be on Wednesday, December 12, at 1:15 (not 8:30).  The time appears correctly on the exam grid accompanying the final schedule, but is listed incorrectly on the schedule itself.

Melanie Maron '01 Receives ISBA Public Service Award.  Melanie Maron, a member of the class of 2001 and President of Kent Justice Foundation, will receive the Law Student Division Public Service Award from the Illinois State Bar Association. This award is given annually to an Illinois law student whose activities enhance professional responsibility and provide service to the public. The award is based on extracurricular and service-related activities during law school.  Melanie has been active in public service throughout her three years at Kent and has provided invaluable guidance to fellow students interested in public interest and government work.

Joke of the Week.  A guy goes into a restaurant for a Christmas breakfast while visiting his hometown for the holidays. After looking over the menu, he tells the waiter, "I'll have the Eggs Benedict." When his order comes, it's served on a large, shiny hubcap. The customer asks, "What's with the hubcap?" The waiter replies, "Oh, there's no plate like chrome for the hollandaise!"


Week of April 23, 2001

Academic Calendar Reminder.  The class schedule for the last week of the semester is as follows:

Monday, April 30:  Monday classes meet (King Birthday make-up)
Tuesday, May 1:  Wednesday classes meet (Professionalism Day make-up)
Wednesday, May 2:  Friday classes meet (Good Friday make-up)
The last day of classes is Wednesday, May 2.

Spring 2001 Exam Schedule. The final exam schedule for the current semester is linked to this page. Room assignments for exams will be posted in the main lobby and on the second-floor bulletin board at a later time. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Chris Matheny (312/906-5271) or me (312/906-5282) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach either of us, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Please read Section VII of the Student Handbook, which contains the rules governming exams, exam conflicts, make-up exams, missed exams, and related issues.

Fall 2001 Class Schedule and Registration.  The preliminary schedule of classes for Fall 2001 is available outside the third floor cafeteria; an online version is linked to this page. The Registration Bulletin and final class schedule will be distributed on Thursday and will also be available on the law school's Intranet page

To register, go to the Law School’s Intranet page and click on the link entitled “Web Registration System.”  You can use any computer with Internet access, either inside or outside the Law School. Registration will be conducted on Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1. You may register at any time on those days. After the end of the registration period, the registration requests will be processed according to each student’s registration priority. In other words, registration will not be conducted on a first-come, first served basis; as long as you register during the designated period, you will have an equal chance of being admitted to a class as other students with your registration priority group.

To learn what classes you have been admitted to, you must check the registration web site on or after Thursday, May 3. You may do this by gong to the same site as the one used for initial registration (i.e., go to the Intranet page and click on “Web Registration System”). Registering for a class during the initial registration period is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the class – you must check the web site on or after Thursday, May 3 to learn what classes you have been admitted to.

I will hold meetings with first-year students this Thursday, April 26 at 3:30 p.m. (Day Division students) and 5:15 p.m. (Evening Division students) in the Auditorium to discuss course selection for the Fall and suggestions for planning your legal education. If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please feel free to contact me by e-mail, phone, or by stopping by my office. Upper-level students with comments on the preliminary schedule should also feel free to contact me.

Additional CALI Award Winners.  Congratulations to the following students, who received the highest grades in the Fall 2000 courses indicated.

Family Law (Prof. Greene): Stephanie Crawford and Sandi Leigh Hovis Yatvin
Trial Advocacy 1 (Prof. Martin): Heidi Hennig Rowe
Joke of the Week.  Question:  What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft?  Answer: A-flat minor.
Week of April 16, 2001

Fall 2001 Schedule and Registration--UPDATE.  The preliminary schedule of classes for the Fall semester will be available outside the third floor cafeteria and on the law school's Intranet page later this week (rather than the week of April 9).  The registration bulletin and final schedule should be available next week.

Joke of the Week.  Question: Why did the dog cross the road twice?  Answer: He was trying to fetch a boomerang.


Week of April 9, 2001

Academic Calendar Reminder.  All law school classes are canceled on Friday, April 13, for Good Friday.

Summer 2001 Registration.  The Registration Bulletin, including the schedule of classes, is available outside the third floor cafeteria and on the law school's Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu/).  Registration will take place through the web registration system (also available through the Intranet page) on April 10 and April 11. You may register at any time on those days. You can use any computer with Internet access, either inside or outside the Law School. After the end of the registration period, the registration requests will be processed according to each student’s registration priority.  In other words, registration will not be conducted on a first-come, first served basis; as long as you register during the designated period, you will have an equal chance of being admitted to a class as other students with your registration priority group. 

To learn what classes you have been admitted into, you must check the registration web site on or after Monday, April 16. You may do this by gong to the same site as the one used for initial registration. Registering for a class during the initial registration period is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the class – you must check the web site on or after Monday, April 16 to learn what classes you have been admitted to.

Fall 2001 Preliminary Schedule.  The preliminary schedule of classes for the Fall semester will be available outside the third floor cafeteria and on the law school's Intranet page late in the week of April 9.

Additional CALI Winner.  Mark Brosius received the CALI Award in Professor Martin's Copyright Law class in the Fall.

Trial Team Update.  Chicago-Kent Trial Team members Michelle Gehrman, Edward Lim, Annette O'Connor, and Peggy Rhiew advanced to the quarterfinals last month in the Regional Competition of the American Trial Lawyers Association Student Trial Advocacy Competition.  They missed further advancement by just one point.

London Consortium Program.  Chicago-Kent offers a semester of legal study in London each Spring semester as part of a consortium with seven other schools.  If you are interested in the London Law Consortium for Spring 2002, there will be an information session on Wednesday, April 11, 3:00-4:00, in Rm. 580.  Professor David Rudstein and Jeana Kim, a former student in the program, will discuss their experiences in the program and will answer questions.  A schedule of classes, course listings, and faculty biographies will be avaialble. Refreshments will be served.

Teaching Evaluations.  Teaching evaluations will be distributed during the week of April 16 to elicit students' opinions regarding the quality of teaching at the Law School. Instructors will review the responses to improve the quality of their instruction and courses. The evaluations are also considered as one important factor in tenure, promotion, and compensation decisions for full-time faculty and are used as a factor in determining the effectiveness of part-time instructors. Evaluations are anonymous and will not be available to professors until after the grades for the courses are recorded. 

Joke of the Week. Question:  What do you get when you cross a judge with poison ivy? Answer:  Rash decisions.


Week of April 2, 2001

Summer 2001 Registration.  The Summer 2001 Schedule of Classes and Registration Bulletin will be distributed outside the third floor cafeteria on Tuesday, April 3.  It will also be posted on the law school Intranet page.  Summer session registration will take place on Tuesday, April 10 and Wednesday, April 11, via the online registration system.

Trial Team Achievement.  Continuing their impressive showings in earlier competitions, members of the Chicago-Kent Trial Team advanced to the quarterfinals in the National Trial Advocacy Competition on March 22.  Two Chicago-Kent teams competed in the tournament, which was hosted by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers in Dallas, Texas.  Both teams advanced to the national competition by winning the regional competition.  The Chicago-Kent team of Darby Carley and Tracy Ekl and the team of Bethany Schols, Alissa Pazmino, and Dorislee Jackson were two of 26 teams that advanced from the regional competitions.  The team of Bethany Schols, Alissa Pazmino, and Dorislee Jackson advanced to the quarterfinal round, placing in the top eight in the country.  The team of Michael Shinsky, Jason Moyer, Jaime Voigt, and Jeff Gartner also competed in the American Trial Lawyers Association's Student Trial Advocacy Competition in New Orleans, Louisiana. The team was one of 25 teams out of the original 208 teams in the competition, which advanced to the national competition by winning their regional competition earlier this March.

Joke of the Week. If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving probably isn't for you.


Week of March 26, 2001

Fall 2000 CALI Award Winners.  The CALI Excellence for the Future Award, sponsored by the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction, is given to the student or students who receive the highest grade in each section of each course. The CALI Award winners for most Fall 2000 courses are linked to this page. If a section or a course is not listed, that means we have not yet received the name of the award recipient from the instructor; they will be published in a later issue of the Record.

Joke of the Week.  Question:  How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer:  That's an interesting question. What do you think?


Week of March 19, 2001

Joke of the Week.  Question: What is the capital of Arkansas? Answer:  A.


Week of March 12, 2001

Academic Calendar Reminder.  Spring Break runs from Saturday, March 10, 12:00 noon to Sunday, March 18. Classes resume on Monday, March 19.

Another Trial Team Victory.  A team of Chicago-Kent students won the Chicago Regional ATLA Competition last weekend, earning them a berth in the National ATLA Competition later this month in New Orleans.  The ATLA Competition is sponsored by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.  The members of the winning team are Jeff Gardner, Jaime Voigt, Jason Moyer, and Michael Shinsky. On their way to victory, they defeated teams from the University of Illinois and, in the finals, the John Marshall Law School. Another Chicago-Kent team, composed of Annette O'Connor, Peggy Rhiew, Ed Lim, and Michelle Gehrman, made it as far as the semi-final round of the regionals.  This success follows the victory of Chicago-Kent Trial Team members last month in the regional competition of the National Trial Competition.

Joke of the Week.  Question: Why is 6 afraid of 7? Answer: Because 7  8  9.


Week of March 5, 2001

Academic Calendar Reminder.  Spring Break runs from Saturday, March 10, 12:00 noon to Sunday, March 18. Classes resume on Monday, March 19.

Class Ranks/GPA Cut-offs.  The GPA cut-offs as of the end of the Fall 2000 semester are linked to this page.

Joke of the Week.  Question:  How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?  Answer:  One, but only if the light bulb really wants to change.


Week of February 26, 2001

Fall 2000 Grade Distributions.  The grade distributions for Fall 2000 courses are linked to this page.

Joke of the Week.  A dumb guy goes to the library and checks out a book titled "How to Hug."  Only after he gets home does he realize that he checked out volume 6 of the encyclopedia.


Week of February 19, 2001

Academic Calendar for 2001-2002.  The Academic Calendar for 2001-2002 is linked to this page.

Trial Team Victory.  Two teams of Chicago-Kent students swept through a 25-team field last weekend to win the 26th Annual National Trial Competition Midwest Regional Championship. The Chicago-Kent teams went undefeated, winning 8 trials and taking 23 of 24 judges. The two teams also ranked first and second in total points for the three-day competition.  The two teams will now advance to the National Finals in Dallas, Texas, in March.

The team of Darby Carley and Tracy Ekl defeated teams from Northwestern, Loyola, John Marshall, and Marquette University.  The team of Alissa Pazmino, Dorislee Jackson, and Bethany Schols defeated Notre Dame (last year's national champion), Indiana University at Indianapolis, Indiana University, and Loyola.

Joke of the Week.  A mushroom walks into a bar.  The bartender says, "we don't serve mushrooms here."  The mushroom replies, "what's the problem?  I'm a fun guy."


Week of February 12, 2001

Courses Subject to Mandatory Curve for Elective Courses.  A list of Spring 2001 elective courses with at least 25 students enrolled, and thus subject to the mandatory curve for elective courses, is linked to this page.

Joke of the Week.  A guy goes to his doctor complaining of a stomach ache that won't go away.  The doctor gives him a thong and tells him to chew it every day for twenty minutes until the thong is completely eaten.  A couple of weeks later, the patient shows up at his doctor's office again.  "Did you eat the thong?," asks the doctor.  The patient replies, "yes, the thong is gone, but the malady lingers on."


Week of February 5, 2001

Academic Calendar Reminder.   All law school classes are canceled on Wednesday, February 7, 2001, for Law as a Profession Day.  Second-year students are required to attend the program.

Joke of the Week.  A guy calls his doctor and says, "Doc, I broke my arm in two places!  What should I do?"  The doctor replies, "Well, I certainly wouldn't go back to either of those places."


Week of January 29, 2001

No entries this week.


Week of January 22, 2001

Joke of the Week.  A psychiatrist's secretary walks into his office and says, "There's a guy in the waiting room asking to see you.  He claims he's invisible."  The psychiatrist responds, "Tell him I can't see him."


Week of January 15, 2001

Welcome Back!  Congratulations to all first-year students on completing your first semester of law school, and to upper-level students for making it one semester closer to graduation. I hope everyone had a restful holiday break and that your Spring semester is productive and interesting.

Spring 2001 Initial Reading Assignments.  Initial assignments for many Spring 2001 courses are linked to this page. Additional assignments submitted to my office after December 21 are posted on the second-floor bulletin board (I also e-mailed copies of these assignments to students listed as enrolled in the courses in question).

Spring 2001 Classroom Assignments. Classroom assignments for Spring courses are posted in the front lobby.

Spring 2001 Schedule Changes.  A list of additions and other changes to the Spring schedule is linked to this page.

Spring 2001 Trial Advocacy Section Assignments.  Assignments for the Spring 2001 sections of Trial Advocacy 1 and Trial Advocacy 2 are linked to this page.

Spring 2001 Final Exams.  The final exam schedule for the Spring semester is linked to this page.
The Student Handbook requires that you take your finals at the times scheduled, even if you have two exams in a row, or one at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:30 a.m. the next morning.  Absent extraordinary circumstances, the only exception is if you have three exams scheduled consecutively (which rarely happens) or two exams scheduled at the same time.  If you believe you have an exam conflict or other circumstance justifying the rescheduling of an exam (see Student Handbook sections 7.2 and 7.3), please contact Boo Choi, the Assistant Director of Student Services.

Bar Registration for First-Year Students. First-year students who plan to take the Illinois Bar Examination after graduation should register with the Illinois bar examiners.  Registration packets are available in the Registrar's office. There is only one packet available per student, so we recommend that you make copies of the forms before completing them. The registration materials must be postmarked by March 1, 2001.  Although you are not required to register as a first-year student, the advantage of doing so is that you will avoid paying a late fee of $250 imposed on those who register at any point after March 1 of their first year.  If you are uncertain whether you intend to practice in Illinois, you may want to consider waiting to register and paying the late fee should you eventually decide to take the Illinois bar exam.

The application form is very comprehensive and requires you to provide a significant amount of background information, some of which may be difficult to remember or obtain.  I suggest that, if you do plan to register by the March deadline, you pick up an application as soon as they are available and begin working on it. If you have any questions about the application materials, you may call the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 217/522-5917.

One of the forms in the registration packet is a “Certificate of the Dean of Law School – Proof of Commencement of Legal Study.”  We send a Certificate to the Illinois bar examiners for every student who began at Chicago-Kent last Fall, so you can discard this form. 

All information you disclose on the bar registration application should be consistent with answers to questions on your Application for Admission to the law school.  Please note, however, that the bar registration application asks for a considerable amount of information that you were not asked to provide on our Application for Admission.  You only need to be concerned about the consistency of your answers for questions asked on both forms.  You can amend your Application for Admission, if necessary, by addressing a letter to me setting forth the details of the omission or misrepresentation and the reason for it. 

First-year students who think they may practice in another state should contact the bar examiners office in that state as soon as possible to determine their registration requirements.  Booklets with the addresses and phone numbers of state bar examiners offices are available for you to consult in the Registrar’s office and in my office. 

July 2001 Illinois Bar Application.  The July 2001 Illinois bar applications are available in the Registrar’s office.  There is only one packet available per student, so we recommend that you make copies of the forms before completing them. The registration materials must be postmarked by Feburary 1, 2001Please note:  Even if you registered with the bar examiners as a first-year student, you must still file a final application by February 1.  If you did not register during your first year, you will need a separate application packet, which contains both the registration application and the final application. Please be sure that you ask for the correct application packet. If you have any questions about the application materials, you may call the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 217/522-5917.

The law school sends a “Certificate of Dean of Law School Proof of Legal Education” to the Illinois bar examiners for every student who graduates in May, so you may discard the one included in the application materials.  If you did not file a registration application during your first year of law school, you may also ignore the “Certificate of the Dean of Law School – Proof of Commencement of Legal Study” in the application materials, so long as you began your legal studies at Chicago-Kent. We sent a Certificate for every student who began at Chicago-Kent to the Illinois bar examiners, and they will have your Certificate in their files. 

All information you disclose on the bar application should be consistent with answers to questions on your Application for Admission to the law school.  Please note, however, that the bar application asks for a considerable amount of information that you were not asked to provide on our  Application for Admission.  You only need to be concerned about the consistency of your answers for questions asked on both forms.  You can amend your Application for Admission, if necessary, by addressing a letter to me setting forth the details of the omission or misrepresentation and the reason for it.

Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE).  The MPRE is required for admission to the bars of most jurisdictions, including Illinois.  The exam is administered in March, August, and November each year. You may take the exam after you have completed the equivalent of two full academic years of law school, i.e., after you have completed two-thirds of the academic requirements for the J.D. degree. Applications for the next exam, on March 9, 2001, are available in the Registrar's office.  The deadline for applying for the March 10 exam is January 30, 2001 (the late deadline is February 15).

Joke of the Week.  Question:  How can you get four suits for a dollar?  Answer:  Buy a deck of cards!


FALL 2000 SEMESTER

Week of December 11, 2000

Good Luck and Happy Holidays.  I wish all of you the best of luck on your exams, and a joyous holiday season.

Spring 2001 Registration -- Updates.

Business Organizations:  The time of the exam for Professor Brown's evening section of Business Organizations was listed incorrectly in the final schedule.  It will be at 6:00 p.m. (not 8:30) on Tuesday, May 8, 2001.

Electricity and Public Utilities Seminar.  This environmental seminar has been added to the Spring schedule. The course number is 605-071. It will be taught by Professor Cohen, and will meet on Tuesdays, 6:00 - 7:50 p.m. Two credit hours. A course description is linked to this page.

International Trade:  I inadvertently omitted this course, which we added to the final schedule, from the list of "Changes to the Preliminary Schedule" at the end of the Registration Bulletin.  The course will be taught by a visiting professor over seven weeks in March and April.  Because it will be taught for only seven weeks, the course will meet six hours a week as opposed to the normal three hours a week.  See the day division part of the final schedule for the days and times.

Legal Drafting & Research for the Intellectual Property Lawyer:  This legal writing section has been added to the Spring schedule. The course number is 457-053. It will be taught by Professor Weiss, and will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays, 7:35 - 9:00 p.m. Patent Law is a prerequisite. Three credit hours.

Products Liability: This course was listed on the preliminary schedule as being offered Mondays, 4:00 - 5:50 p.m.  We then moved it to Thursdays, 4:00 - 5:50 p.m.  The new day is listed correctly on the evening division part of the final schedule, but is not listed correctly on the day division part of the schedule.

Social Security.  This course has been added to the Spring schedule. The course number is 388-071. It will be taught by Professor Martin in distance learning format, and thus there will be no scheduled class time. Three credit hours. A course description is linked to this page.

Spring 2001 Initial Reading Assignments.  Reading assignments for the first week of the Spring semester will be posted on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu) no later than Thursday, December 21. If you will not have Internet access over the holiday break, please notify us that you would like a paper copy mailed to you by sending me an e-mail (SSOWLE) with the address where you can be reached over break; or fill out the bottom portion of a form that is available at my office and outside the third floor cafeteria. Assignments not received by December 21 will be posted on the second-floor bulletin board as they are received.

Purchasing Books for Spring 2001 Semester.  You may ask the bookstore to hold your Spring course books for you when they arrive, or for an extra fee you may request that the books be mailed to you over break. If you would like to take advantage of either of these options, stop by the bookstore before you leave, or call the bookstore at 312/906-5605. In addition, you may order your course books over the web by clicking on the bookstore link on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu).

Fall Final Exams.  Final exams for the Fall semester run from Thursday, December 7 through Tuesday, December 19. The final exam schedule is linked to this page. Room assignments for exams will be posted in the main lobby and on the second-floor bulletin board. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Chris Matheny (312/906-5271) or me (312/906-5130) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach either of us, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Please read Section VII of the Student Handbook, which contains the rules governing exams, exam conflicts, make-up exams, missed exams, and related issues; and review Article II of the Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Exams on Computer.  If you have signed up to take one or more of your exams on computer (either a lab computer or your own laptop), please read the announcement linked to this page.  A list of room assignments is provided on the Registrar's page.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams.  Many professors make their old exams available for students to review.  Exams dating from 1992 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.  Exams after 1992 were scanned into the online eLOISe system, which is temporarily unavailable due to the recent network conversion.  While the eLOISe system is down, copies of post-1992 exams are available in the Document Center on the 9th floor of the Library.

Joke of the Week.  Doctor:  What's wrong with your brother?  Boy: He thinks he's a chicken.  Doctor: Really? How long has he thought this?  Boy: About three years. Doctor: Three years! Why didn't you bring him in sooner? Boy: We would have, but we needed the eggs.


Week of December 4, 2000

Spring 2001 Registration.  The Spring 2001 Registration Bulletin and final schedule are avaialble outside the third floor cafeteria and on the Law School's Intranet site (http://www.kentlaw.edu). Spring registration, which will take place exclusively online, runs from Friday, December 1, at 9:00 a.m. through Monday, December 4, at 9:00 p.m. You may register at any time during that period. After the end of the registration period, the registration requests will be processed according to each student’s registration priority. In other words, registration will not be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis; as long as you register during the designated period, you will have an equal chance of being admitted to a class as other students within your registration priority group.

Spring 2001 Initial Reading Assignments.  Reading assignments for the first week of the Spring semester will be posted on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu) no later than Thursday, December 21. If you will not have Internet access over the holiday break, please notify us that you would like a paper copy mailed to you by sending me an e-mail (SSOWLE) with the address where you can be reached over break; or fill out the bottom portion of a form that is available at my office and outside the third floor cafeteria. Assignments not received by December 21 will be posted on the second-floor bulletin board as they are received.

Purchasing Books for Spring 2001 Semester.  You may ask the bookstore to hold your Spring course books for you when they arrive, or for an extra fee you may request that the books be mailed to you over break. If you would like to take advantage of either of these options, stop by the bookstore before you leave, or call the bookstore at 312/906-5605. In addition, you may order your course books over the web by clicking on the bookstore link on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu).

Fall Final Exams.  Final exams for the Fall semester run from Thursday, December 7 through Tuesday, December 19. The final exam schedule is linked to this page. Room assignments for exams will be posted in the main lobby and on the second-floor bulletin board. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Chris Matheny (312/906-5271) or me (312/906-5130) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach either of us, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Please read Section VII of the Student Handbook, which contains the rules governing exams, exam conflicts, make-up exams, missed exams, and related issues; and review Article II of the Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook.

Exams on Computer.  If you have signed up to take one or more of your exams on computer (either a lab computer or your own laptop), please read the announcement linked to this page.  A list of room assignments is provided on the Registrar's page.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams.  Many professors make their old exams available for students to review.  Exams dating from 1992 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.  Exams after 1992 were scanned into the online eLOISe system, which is temporarily unavailable due to the recent network conversion.  While the eLOISe system is down, copies of post-1992 exams are available in the Document Center on the 9th floor of the Library.

Joke of the Week.  Question:  Why did the cookie go to the doctor?  Answer: Because he felt kind of crumby.


Week of November 27, 2000

Spring 2001 Registration -- Update.  Due to difficulties in finalizing plans for certain courses, distribution of the preliminary schedule of classes for Spring 2001 will be delayed until approximately Monday, November 27. The schedule will be distributed outside the third floor cafeteria and on the Law School's Intranet site (http://www.kentlaw.edu). The final schedule and Registration Bulletin will be distributed no later than Thursday, November 30 and will also be available on the Intranet site.  Registration, which will again take place exclusively online, will begin Friday, December 1, at 9:00 a.m. and will end on Monday, December 4 at 9:00 p.m. You may register at any time during that period. After the end of the registration period, the registration requests will be processed according to each student’s registration priority. In other words, registration will not be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis; as long as you register during the designated period, you will have an equal chance of being admitted to a class as other students within your registration priority group.

List of Recommended Courses.  A list of recommended upper-level courses adopted by the faculty is linked to this page.

Academic Calendar Reminder: Last Week of Classes.  The class schedule for the last week of the semester is as follows:

Monday, November 27:   Monday classes meet (Labor Day make-up)
Tuesday, November 28:   Monday classes meet (Yom Kippur make-up)
Wednesday, November 29:  Thursday classes meet (Thanksgiving make-up)
Thursday, November 30:   Friday classes meet (Thanksgiving make-up)
Friday, December 1:  Make-up Day
Saturday, December 2:  Saturday Trial Advocacy sections meet

Read period starts Saturday, December 2.  Exams start Thursday, December 7 and end Tuesday, December 19.

Exams on Computer.  If you have signed up to take one or more of your exams on computer (either a lab computer or your own laptop), please read the announcement linked to this page.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams.  Many professors make their old exams available for students to review.  Exams dating from 1992 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.  Exams after 1992 were scanned into the online eLOISe system, which is temporarily unavailable due to the recent network conversion.  While the eLOISe system is down, copies of post-1992 exams are available in the Document Center on the 9th floor of the Library.

Reengineering Civil Court Process for Credit or Cash.  Scholarships and job opportunities are available for a Spring 2001 course to be taught by Chicago-Kent Professor Ronald Staudt and by Professor Charles Owen of IIT's Institute of Design. The Justice Web Collaboratory:  Public Access to Justice Systems and Systematic Design Workshop will be worth 4 credit hours. Law students may audit the course or take it for credit. Professor Staud't permission is required to take the course. Chicago-Kent and the National Center for State Courts are partners in the Justice Web Collaboratory -- a national Internet project designed to support judges use of the web and improve access to justice using the tools of the Internet.  For 18 months beginning in Fall 2000, the Law School, the Institute of Design, and the National Center for State Courts will study and propose a redesign of the complex civil court processes. The target of this study and design project is the construction of a consumer-based model for public access to justice. This represents a bold attempt to harness the power of the Internet and the most advanced process design technologies to fundamentally re-engineer civil court processes in which self-represented litigants seek to access judicial services.  The consumer-based approach will better meet the needs of not only self-represented litigants, but also the needs of lawyers, judges, court staff and others involved in the judicial process. In the Spring 2001 Systematic Design Workshop, interdisciplinary teams of graduate students from the Institute of Design and law students from Chicago-Kent will continue the research begun in the Fall 2000 Justice Web Collaboratory IPRO.  The Spring Workshop introduces students to the application of Structured Planning methods to complex design problems at the system level. Teams will investigate the pro se litigation process in the courts of Illinois, Colorado, California and Delaware and will develop proposals for improving the quality of the process for litigants and the courts. Team techniques are emphasized, and formatted information handling and computer-supported structuring processes are used at appropriate stages of project definition, information development, structuring, concept development and communication.  An emphasis will be placed on the integration of new information and communication technologies. Classes are scheduled for Tuesday and Friday afternoons from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at the Institute of Design, located at 350 N. LaSalle. Scholarships and employment opportunities are available.  Students are also encouraged to enroll in ID 529 Structured Planning, either for credit or audit. For additional information about this course and the available opportunities, contact Todd Pedwell (tpedwell@kentlaw.edu)or Professor Staudt (rstaudt@kentlaw.edu).

Joke of the Week.  A panda walks into a bar and orders a sandwich. When he finishes, he pulls out a gun and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands up to leave, the bartender shouts, "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter and you didn't pay for your sandwich!" The panda shouts back, "Hey, I'm a panda -- look it up!" The bartender opens his dictionary to "panda" and reads: "A bear-like black and white animal native to mountainous regions of China and Tibet. Eats shoots and leaves."


Week of November 20, 2000

Spring 2001 Registration.  The preliminary schedule of classes for Spring 2001 will be distributed this week outside the third floor cafeteria and on the Law School's Intranet site (http://www.kentlaw.edu). The final schedule and Registration Bulletin will be distributed early in the week of November 27 and will also be available on the Intranet site.  Registration, which will again take place exclusively online, will begin later that week. Details will be published later.

Academic Calendar Reminder: Last Week of Classes.  The class schedule for the last week of the semester is as follows:

Monday, November 27:   Monday classes meet (Labor Day make-up)
Tuesday, November 28:   Monday classes meet (Yom Kippur make-up)
Wednesday, November 29:  Thursday classes meet (Thanksgiving make-up)
Thursday, November 30:   Friday classes meet (Thanksgiving make-up)
Friday, December 1:  Make-up Day
Saturday, December 2:  Saturday Trial Advocacy sections meet

Read period starts Saturday, December 2.  Exams start Thursday, December 7 and end Tuesday, December 19.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams.  Many professors make their old exams available for students to review.  Exams dating from 1992 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.  Exams after 1992 were scanned into the online eLOISe system, which is temporarily unavailable due to the recent network conversion.  While the eLOISe system is down, copies of post-1992 exams are available in the Document Center on the 9th floor of the Library.

Joke of the Week.  A 92-year-old man and his 90-year-old wife go to their lawyer's office. The lawyer is astounded when they tell him they want to get a divorce. "But you've been married for 70 years! What in the world could make you want a divorce at this stage in your lives?"  "Well," says the wife, "we've been thinking about this for years, but wanted to wait until the children were dead."


Week of November 13, 2000

Spring 2001 Registration.  The preliminary schedule of classes for Spring 2001 will be distributed early next week outside the third floor cafeteria and on the Law School's Intranet site (http://www.kentlaw.edu). The final schedule and Registration Bulletin will be distributed early in the week of November 27 and will also be available on the Intranet site.  Registration, which will again take place exclusively online, will begin later that week. Details will be published later.

Sign-Up for Taking Exams on Computer.  Students who want to use a computer to take one or more of their final exams should sign up in the Registrar's office no later than Friday, November 17. Not all professors permit students to use computers to take exams; those who do will have sign-up sheets in the Registrar's office. If you have any questions concerning your professor's policy on using computers to take exams, please contact the professor directly.

Starting this semester, we are permitting faculty members to give their students the option of taking exams on the students’ own laptop computers, in addition to the traditional option of allowing students to use the lab computers. If a professor is providing both of these options, that will be indicated on the sign-up sheet for the professor's class. Students using their own laptops will be required to install special software locking out their access to any files stored on their laptops (this same software is also used on the lab computers). You will receive more details about installing and using this software before the beginning of the exam period.

If there are not enough computers to accommodate all students for a particular exam period, some instructors will not permit any of their students to use computers, while others permit a lottery drawing to select eligible students. The order in which you sign up is not relevant to whether or not you will be accommodated. 

Teaching Evaluations.  Teaching evaluations will be distributed this week to elicit students' opinions regarding the quality of teaching at the Law School. Instructors will review the responses to improve the quality of their instruction and courses. The evaluations are also considered as one important factor in tenure, promotion, and compensation decisions for full-time faculty and are used as a factor in determining the effectiveness of part-time instructors. Evaluations are anonymous and will not be available to professors until after the grades for the courses are recorded.

Joke of the Week.  Here's one for the philosophers out there:  Rene Descartes is drinking with friends in a bar.  At the last call, the bartender asks him if he'd like another drink.  Descartes says, "I think not" -- and disappears.


Week of November 6, 2000

Intensive Trial Advocacy: January Session.  The January session of Intensive Trial Advocacy still has seats available.  If you are interested in registering for the course, contact Chris Matheny, the Registrar. The course will meet from Saturday, January 6 to Saturday, January 13, 2001. Classes will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. each day, including the intervening Sunday. Evidence is a prerequisite. The course number is 541-072. If you register for this course, you must enroll in Trial Advocacy 2 in the Spring semester. The course does not count toward either minimum or maximum credit hour limitations for either the Fall or Spring semester.  Notice to Evening Division students: If Intensive Trial Advocacy brings your total credit hours for the Fall semester to at least 12, you will automatically be billed for student health insurance unless you waive coverage.

Sign-Up for Taking Exams on Computer.  Students who want to use a computer to take one or more of their final exams should sign up in the Registrar's office no later than Friday, November 17. Not all professors permit students to use computers to take exams; those who do will have sign-up sheets in the Registrar's office. If you have any questions concerning your professor's policy on using computers to take exams, please contact the professor directly.

Starting this semester, we are permitting faculty members to give their students the option of taking exams on the students’ own laptop computers, in addition to the traditional option of allowing students to use the lab computers. If a professor is providing both of these options, that will be indicated on the sign-up sheet for the professor's class. Students using their own laptops will be required to install special software locking out their access to any files stored on their laptops (this same software is also used on the lab computers). You will receive more details about installing and using this software before the beginning of the exam period.

If there are not enough computers to accommodate all students for a particular exam period, some instructors will not permit any of their students to use computers, while others permit a lottery drawing to select eligible students. The order in which you sign up is not relevant to whether or not you will be accommodated. 

Teaching Evaluations.  Teaching evaluations will be distributed during the week of November 13 to elicit students' opinions regarding the quality of teaching at the Law School. Instructors will review the responses to improve the quality of their instruction and courses. The evaluations are also considered as one important factor in tenure, promotion, and compensation decisions for full-time faculty and are used as a factor in determining the effectiveness of part-time instructors. Evaluations are anonymous and will not be available to professors until after the grades for the courses are recorded.

Joke of the Week.  A neutron goes into a bar and orders a drink. When the drink arrives, the neutron asks how much he owes. The bartender says, "for you, no charge."


Week of October 30, 2000

Fall 2000 Final Exams.  The final exam schedule for the current semester is linked to this page. The Student Handbook requires that you take your finals at the times scheduled, even if you have two exams in a row, or one at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:30 a.m. the next morning.  Absent extraordinary circumstances, the only exception is if you have three exams scheduled consecutively (which rarely happens) or two exams scheduled at the same time.  If you believe you have an exam conflict or other circumstance justifying the rescheduling of an exam (see Student Handbook sections 7.2 and 7.3), please contact Boo Choi, the Assistant Director of Student Services, no later than Friday, November 3, 2000.

Sign-Up for Taking Exams on Computer.  Students who want to use a computer to take one or more of their final exams should sign up in the Registrar's office no later than Friday, November 17. Not all professors permit students to use computers to take exams; those who do will have sign-up sheets in the Registrar's office. If you have any questions concerning your professor's policy on using computers to take exams, please contact the professor directly.

Starting this semester, we are permitting faculty members to give their students the option of taking exams on the students’ own laptop computers, in addition to the traditional option of allowing students to use the lab computers. If a professor is providing both of these options, that will be indicated on the sign-up sheet for the professor's class. Students using their own laptops will be required to install special software locking out their access to any files stored on their laptops (this same software is also used on the lab computers). You will receive more details about installing and using this software before the beginning of the exam period.

If there are not enough computers to accommodate all students for a particular exam period, some instructors will not permit any of their students to use computers, while others permit a lottery drawing to select eligible students. The order in which you sign up is not relevant to whether or not you will be accommodated. 

Intellectual Property course: Practice Before the Federal Circuit.  The Intellectual Property Law Program is offering a unique course that will focus on the practice of law before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).  The CAFC has exclusive appellate jurisdiction to hear patent cases and appeals from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as cases involving several non-patent related issues. The course will be taught by adjunct professor Bradley Hulbert and will be worth two credits. Prerequisites:  You must have taken, or presently be taking, Patent Law. The course materials will be geared to students intending to practice intellectual property law and to specialize in patent law. Course Requirements: (1) Although the course will be offered as a Spring semester course, students will be required to attend class on Fridays from 6:00 - 7:25 p.m., beginning November 3 and running through January 26, with breaks for the Thanksgiving holiday and over the inter-semester break (i.e., no classes on November 24, December 22 and 29, and January 5 and 12). The course will meet in Room 510. (2) Students will be required to compete in the intramural Giles Rich Moot Court Competition, submitting an appellate brief and arguing both on and off-brief. This intramural competition is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 27, and, if necessary, Sunday, January 28, 2000. The intramural moot court problem often involves patent law and occasionally trademark law. Why take this course?  This course will teach you appellate advocacy, both with respect to how to identify the issues and write a convincing appellate brief and how to prepare for, and present, a winning oral argument. Top students in the class will be invited (but not required) to represent the school in the National Giles Rich Moot Court Competition. Students taking this course in recent years placed first and third in the Midwest Regional Competition, with the first place team advancing to the National Competition in Washington, D.C. Registering for the Course: You should register for the course along with your other Spring semester courses during Spring registration, which will take place in late November.  However, you should begin attending classes with the first session on Friday, November 3. Please note that this course is being offered as a regular course, not as a seminar.

Joke of the Week.  An unemployed handyman looking for work jobs knocks on the front door of a house. When the owner answers, the handyman asks if there are any odd jobs the owner needs done. The owner says, "well, I was just about to paint my porch around back. I'd pay you good money to do it for me." The handyman agrees, and the owner gives him a bucket of green paint and a clean paint brush. A little while later the handyman knocks on the front door again and annoucnes that he's done. "But there's something you should know," he says. "That car of yours isn't a Porche, it's a BMW."


Week of October 23, 2000

Sign-Up for Taking Exams on Computer.  Students who want to use a computer to take one or more of their final exams should sign up in the Registrar's office no later than Friday, November 17. Not all professors permit students to use computers to take exams; those who do will have sign-up sheets in the Registrar's office. If you have any questions concerning your professor's policy on using computers to take exams, please contact the professor directly.

Starting this semester, we are permitting faculty members to give their students the option of taking exams on the students’ own laptop computers, in addition to the traditional option of allowing students to use the lab computers. If a professor is providing both of these options, that will be indicated on the sign-up sheet for the professor's class. Students using their own laptops will be required to install special software locking out their access to any files stored on their laptops (this same software is also used on the lab computers). You will receive more details about installing and using this software before the beginning of the exam period.

If there are not enough computers to accommodate all students for a particular exam period, some instructors will not permit any of their students to use computers, while others permit a lottery drawing to select eligible students. The order in which you sign up is not relevant to whether or not you will be accommodated. 

Availability of Professors' Old Exams.  Many professors make their old exams available for students to review.  Exams dating from 1992 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.  Exams after 1992 were scanned into the online eLOISe system, which is temporarily unavailable due to the recent network conversion.  While the eLOISe system is down, copies of post-1992 exams are available in the Document Center on the 9th floor of the Library.

Intellectual Property course: Practice Before the Federal Circuit.  The Intellectual Property Law Program is offering a unique course that will focus on the practice of law before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).  The CAFC has exclusive appellate jurisdiction to hear patent cases and appeals from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as cases involving several non-patent related issues. Prerequisites:  You must have taken, or presently be taking, Patent Law. The course materials will be geared to students intending to practice intellectual property law and to specialize in patent law. Course Requirements: (1) Although the course will be offered as a Spring semester course, students will be required to attend class on Fridays from 6:00 - 7:25 p.m., beginning November 3 and running through January 26, with breaks for the Thanksgiving holiday and over the inter-semester break (i.e., no classes on November 24, December 22 and 29, and January 5 and 12). The course will meet in Room 510. (2) Students will be required to compete in the intramural Giles Rich Moot Court Competition, submitting an appellate brief and arguing both on and off-brief. This intramural competition is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 27, and, if necessary, Sunday, January 28, 2000. The intramural moot court problem often involves patent law and occasionally trademark law. Why take this course?  This course will teach you appellate advocacy, both with respect to how to identify the issues and write a convincing appellate brief and how to prepare for, and present, a winning oral argument. Top students in the class will be invited (but not required) to represent the school in the National Giles Rich Moot Court Competition. Students taking this course in recent years placed first and third in the Midwest Regional Competition, with the first place team advancing to the National Competition in Washington, D.C. Registering for the Course: You should register for the course along with your other Spring semester courses during Spring registration, which will take place in late November.  However, you should begin attending classes with the first session on Friday, November 3. The course is worth two credits. Please note that this course is being offered as a regular course, not as a seminar.

Fire Drill.  The fire drill last week generally went off smoothly, and we thank students, faculty, and staff for their cooperation.  In one instance, however, a staff member who was attempting to clear a floor had difficulty persuading students to leave the building promptly.  I would like to remind all members of the student body that it is a potential Code of Conduct offense to "[fail] to comply with directions of unversity officials ... acting in performance of their duties." In the event of a real fire, the speed with which we clear the building could be a life-and-death issue. You should assume that there is a real fire whenever the fire alarms go off, and you should comply promptly with any instructions from administrative staff or faculty in any such situation.

Joke of the Week.Question:  How much dirt is in a hole 6 feet deep, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet across?  Answer:  There is no dirt in a hole.


Week of October 16, 2000

Sign-Up for Taking Exams on Computer.  Students who want to use a computer to take one or more of their final exams should sign up in the Registrar's office no later than Friday, November 17. Not all professors permit students to use computers to take exams; those who do will have sign-up sheets in the Registrar's office. If you have any questions concerning your professor's policy on using computers to take exams, please contact the professor directly.

Starting this semester, we are permitting faculty members to give their students the option of taking exams on the students’ own laptop computers, in addition to the traditional option of allowing students to use the lab computers. If a professor is providing both of these options, that will be indicated on the sign-up sheet for the professor's class. Students using their own laptops will be required to install special software locking out their access to any files stored on their laptops (this same software is also used on the lab computers). You will receive more details about installing and using this software before the beginning of the exam period.

If there are not enough computers to accommodate all students for a particular exam period, some instructors will not permit any of their students to use computers, while others permit a lottery drawing to select eligible students. The order in which you sign up is not relevant to whether or not you will be accommodated. 

Availability of Professors' Old Exams.  Many professors make their old exams available for students to review.  Exams dating from 1992 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.  Exams after 1992 were scanned into the online eLOISe system, which is temporarily unavailable due to the recent network conversion.  While the eLOISe system is down, copies of post-1992 exams are available in the Document Center on the 9th floor of the Library.

Joke of the Week.  Question:  If you're American when you come out of the bathroom, what are you when you're in the bathroom? Answer:  European!  Question:  And what are you when you're going into the bathroom?  Answer:  You're a Russian!


Week of October 9, 2000

Academic Calendar Reminder.  Due to a religious holiday, there will be no classes on Monday, October 9.

Sign-Up for Taking Exams on Computer.  Students who want to use a computer for taking one or more of their final exams may sign up in the Registrar's office starting the week of October 16; please check next week's Record for the exact date that the sign-up will begin, and the deadline for signing up. Not all professors permit students to use computers to take exams; those who do will have sign-up sheets in the Registrar's office.  If you have any questions concerning your professor's policy on using computers to take exams, please contact the professor directly.

Starting this semester, we are permitting faculty members to give their students the option of taking exams on the students’ own laptop computers, in addition to the traditional option of allowing students to use the lab computers. Students using their own laptops will be required to use special software locking out their access to any files stored on their laptops (this same software is also used on the lab computers).

If there are not enough computers to accommodate all students for a particular exam period, some instructors will not permit any of their students to use computers, while others permit a lottery drawing to select eligible students. The order in which you sign up is not relevant to whether or not you will be accommodated. 

Availability of Professors' Old Exams.  Many professors make their old exams available for students to review.  Exams dating from 1990 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.  Exams after 1990 were scanned into the online eLOISe system, which is temporarily unavailable due to the recent network conversion.  While the eLOISe system is down, copies of post-1990 exams are available in the Document Center on the 9th floor of the Library.

Joke of the Week.  A doctor made it his regular habit to stop off at a bar for a hazelnut daiquiri on his way home.  The bartender, who made sure that the drink was waiting for the doctor when he arrived, was dismayed one day to find that he was out of hazelnut extract.  Thinking quickly, he threw together a daiquiri made with hickory nuts.  The doctor came in, took one sip, and protested that it wasn't his normal drink.  The bartender explained that he'd run out of hazelnut and said, "so this is a hickory daiquiri, doc."


Week of October 2, 2000

Family and Friends Program.  We are tentatively planning on offering a "Family and Friends" program for first-year students on Saturday, October 28, from 10:00 to 12:00 noon.  The program is intended to give your spouses, parents, children, and other important people in your lives the opportunity to visit the Law School and get a taste of what you are experiencing as a law student.  The program will include a building tour; one or more mini-classes showing what goes on in a law school class; and a discussion session addressing problems and concerns that friends and families can have when a loved one goes to law school.

If you think you would like to attend the program, please send an e-mail to Boo Choi (BCHOI) in the Student Services office by Thursday, October 5.  Please indicate how many guests you would likely bring to the program.  If we receive enough responses, the program will be offered as planned, and those responding will be sent further details closer to the date of the program

Presidential Management Intern Program. The Presidential Management Intern Program was created "to attract to the Federal service outstanding individuals from a wide variety of academic disciplines who have an interest in, and commitment to, a career in the analysis and management of public policies and programs." The program provides opportunities for recent graduates of masters-level or doctoral-level programs to work for the federal government.  Interns receive an initial two-year appointment with a salary of $35,000 in the first year, and higher salaries in succeeding years.  To qualify, you must satisfy all graduation requirements by August 31, 2001, and must be nominated by the Law School.  If you are interested in being nominated, please contact me no later than Wednesday, October 18.  Applications must be submitted by October 31.  For more information about the program, go to http://www.pmi.opm.gov.

Joke of the Week.  A guy gets a call from his doctor, who says, "I have bad news, and worse news.  The bad news is that your test results came back and they showed you only have 36 hours to live."  The guy responds, "Oh, my God!  What could possibly be worse than that!"  The doctor replies, "I've been trying to reach you since yesterday."


Week of September 25, 2000

European Club.  The European Club of the Stuart Graduate School of Business is expanding to the Kent Law School. The European Club attempts to contribute to, and enrich, students' education by offering an array of professional and social events, specifically targeted at expanding knowledge and understanding of European business and culture. Learn more at the Club's web site, located at: http://www.stuart.iit.edu/euroclub , or by attending an event sponsored by the Club on Thursday, September 28, from 4:15 - 6:00 pm, in Rm. 590. The event will feature a seminar by the French Consul General entitlted "France and Europe in Transition." More details about the event are on the Club's web site. If you have questions about the Club or the September 28 event, e-mail euroclub@stuart.iit.edu .

Joke of the Week.  A guy goes to his doctor, who has bad news for him.  "I'm sorry to say that you have a fatal disease."  "Oh, that's awful!  I want a second opinion!"  "OK, you're ugly too!"


Week of September 18, 2000

More CALI Award Winners for Spring 2000.  Congratulations to the following students, who received the highest grades in the courses indicated.  Other CALI Award winners were announced in the August 21 and August 28 issues of the Record.  All recipients of the award will be invited to the annual Student Awards Luncheon later this Fall.  Students' names will appear on the award certificates and in the luncheon program as they appear here.  Please e-mail me if you want to make any changes.

Estate Planning (Prof. Rosenberg): Sheila F. Polcyn
Mediation (Prof. Myers): Matthew J. Labkon
Tax Accounting (Prof. Palmer): Kimberly Whalen
Courses Subject to Mandatory Curve for Elective Courses.  A list of Fall 2000 elective courses with at least 25 students enrolled, and thus subject to the mandatory curve for elective courses, is linked to this page.

Bar Registration for First-Year Students.  First-year students who plan to take the Illinois Bar Examination after graduation should register with the Illinois bar examiners.  Registration packets will be available in the Registrar’s office next month (watch for an announcement here).  The registration materials must be postmarked by March 1, 2001.  Although you are not required to register as a first-year student, the advantage of doing so is that you will avoid paying a late fee of $250 imposed on those who register at any point after March 1 of their first year.  If you are uncertain whether you intend to practice in Illinois, you may want to consider waiting to register and paying the late fee should you eventually decide to take the Illinois bar exam.  The application form is very comprehensive and requires you to provide a significant amount of background information, some of which may be difficult to remember or obtain.  I suggest that, if you do plan to register by the March deadline, you pick up an application as soon as they are available and begin working on it. 

First-year students who think they may practice in another state should contact the bar examiners office in that state as soon as possible to determine their registration requirements.  Booklets with the addresses and phone numbers of state bar examiners offices are available for you to consult in the Registrar’s office and in my office. 

July 2001 Illinois Bar Application.  The July 2001 Illinois bar applications will be available in the Registrar’s office office next month (watch for an announcement here).  Applications must be postmarked by Feburary 1, 2001Please note:  Even if you registered with the bar examiners as a first-year student, you must still file a final application by February 1.  If you did not register during your first year, you will need a separate application packet, which contains both the registration application and the final application. Please be sure that you ask for the correct application packet.

Joke of the Week.  A group of chess enthusiasts had checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After a while, the hotel manager came out and asked them to disperse, explaining, "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."


Week of September 11, 2000

Joke of the Week.  An optimist sees a glass as half full.  A pessimist sees a glass that's half empty.  An engineer sees a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be.


Week of September 4, 2000

Academic Calendar Reminder.  In observance of Labor Day, there will be no classes on Monday, September 4.

Correction: CALI Award Winners for Spring 2000.  Last week's Record omitted one of the award winners for Prof. Green's Conrflict of Laws class.  Ellen M. Girard shared the award with Ellen M. Avery.

Joke of the Week.  One day a guy answers his door and finds a snail at his doorstep.  The guy picks up the snail and tosses it into the garden.  Two years later, he hears a knock on the door and is surprised to see the same snail.  The snail says, "Hey what did you do that for?!"


Week of August 28, 2000

Academic Calendar Reminder.  In observance of Labor Day, there will be no classes on Monday, September 4.

More CALI Award Winners for Spring 2000.  Congratulations to the following students, who received the highest grades in the courses indicated.  Other CALI Award winners were announced in last week's Record; that list is linked to this page.  All recipients of the award will be invited to the annual Student Awards Luncheon later this Fall.  Students' names will appear on the award certificates and in the luncheon program as they appear here.  Please e-mail me if you want to make any changes.

Anitrust (Prof. Hannay): Joshua R.More
Biblical and Rabbinic Law (Prof. Nahmod): Simi Agarwal
Business Entity Transactions (Prof. G. Brown): Marios R. Rush
Disability Law (Prof. Conlon): Renee B. Nurkiewicz
Employment Relationships (Prof. Smith): Kerry Toth Rost
First Amendment Theory (Prof. S. Heyman): Laurie A. Rompala
Illinois Civil Procedure (Prof. Preston): Matthew C. Jardine
Intellectual Property for Corporate Lawyers (Prof. Dicig) Paul J. Bartusiaik
Labor Advanced Research/Legal Drafting (Prof. Allen): Colette A. Matusinec
Legal Drafting (Prof. Surrette): Angela D. Nelson
Legislative Advocacy (Prof. W. Kling): John D. LaBarbera
Mediation (Profs. Levits & Nathanson): Lisa Howard Sherman
Practice Before the Federal Circuit (Prof. Hulbert): Brant T. Maurer
Social Science in Litigation (Prof. Nance): Corrado Cirillo and Jennifer E. Simms
Tax Planning for International Business (Profs. K. Harris & Wirtz): Karl A. Roche
Taxation of Financial Services Entities (Profs. Conlon, Peterson, Friedman):
    Alexandra M. Albright and David J. Mulvihill
Trial Advocacy 1 (Prof. Erickson): Jennifer Marie Tryzna
Correction: The award winner for Prof. Greene's Family Law class was listed incorrectly.  The winner was Michelle L. Israel.

Spring 2000 Grade Distributions.  The grade distributions for Spring 2000 courses are linked to this page.  Copies of the grade distributions are also posted on the second floor bulletin board.

Class Ranks/GPA Cut-offs. The GPA cut-offs as of the end of the Spring 2000 semester are linked to this page

Joke of the Week.  Question:  What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?  Answer:
I don't know and frankly, I don't care.


Week of August 21, 2000

Initial Reading Assignments (Advanced Courses).  Reading assignments for the first week of the Fall semester that we received by August 4 are linked to this page, along with other information you will find useful as the new school year starts (including links to the Academic Calendar, the bookstore's hours, Trial Advocacy section assignments, the Fall final exam schedule, and information about configuring your laptop computer to the new Chicago-Kent computer network). Assignments received after August 4 are posted on the second-floor bulletin board.

Fall Course Information -- Updates.  Changes to the Fall 2000 schedule that were made over the summer are linked to this page.  Among the changes are these two recent changes:

New Section of Legal Drafting:  A new section of Legal Drafting has been added to the Fall schedule. It will meet on Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:50 p.m.  It will be a Commercial Law section, taught by Professor John Levin. The course number is 424-053. Two credits.
Additional Seats in Legal Drafting/ Research Section: We have added an additional 15 seats to Professor Strzynski's section, Legal Drafting/Resarch for the International Lawyer, which will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:25 p.m. The course number is 457-052. Three credits.
Fall Classroom Assignments.  A revised copy of the Fall 2000 Schedule of Classes, including classroom assignments, is linked to this page.  A copy is also posted in the lobby and on the second-floor bulletin board.

Fall Exam Schedule.  A copy of the Fall 2000 exam schedule is linked to this page. The Student Handbook requires that you take your finals at the times scheduled, even if you have two exams in a row, or one at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:30 a.m. the next morning.  Absent extraordinary circumstances, the only exception is if you have three exams scheduled consecutively (which rarely happens) or two exams scheduled at the same time.  Please note that you are permitted to register for courses with exams scheduled at the same time; one exam will be rescheduled for you.  If you believe you have an exam conflict or other circumstance justifying the rescheduling of an exam (see Student Handbook sections 7.2 and 7.3), please contact Chris Matheny in the Registrar's office.

Trial Advocacy Section Assignments.  If you are registered for Trial Advocacy 1 or Trial Advocacy 2 for the Fall semester, a list of section assignments is linked to this page.

CALI Award Winners for Spring 2000.  The CALI Excellence for the Future Award, sponsored by the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction, is given to the student or students who receive the highest grade in each section of each course. The CALI Award winners for most Spring 2000 courses are linked to this page. If a section or a course is not listed, that means we have not yet received the name of the award recipient from the instructor; they will be published in a later issue of the Record.

Congratulations to all of you who received the award -- you should be proud of your achievement.  All recipients of the award will be invited to the annual Student Awards Luncheon later this Fall.  Students' names will appear on the award certificates and in the luncheon program as they appear on the list linked to this page. Please e-mail me if you want to make any changes.

Courses Likely to be Offered in Spring 2001 Semester.  A list of courses likely to be offered in the Spring semester is linked to this page.  Please keep in mind that this list is preliminary and subject to change.

First Year Students: Amendments to Your Applications for Admission.  The Illinois bar examiners reserve the right to check information you disclose to them on your bar application for consistency with the information you provided on your application for admission to law school. The bar examiners also conduct their own investigations to ensure that you disclosed all relevant information on your bar application and your law school application.  Some students have had considerable difficulty in the past when the bar examiners found discrepencies between the information disclosed to them and the information on their law school applications, or when they discovered relevant information omitted from both.

I recommend that you review your answers to the questions asked on our application for admission and amend your application if any relevant information was excluded.  You can amend your application by sending a memo to my attention describing the omitted information and explaining why you did not include the information on your application.  In some cases, disciplinary action under the Code of Conduct may be appropriate.  But it is much better to disclose the information now, and suffer whatever consequences may ensue, than to be called before the bar examiners three years from now to explain a discrepency or omission.

Most problems in the past have arisen with respect to the following two questions on the application:

17. Have you ever been found guilty of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, or is any charge now pending against you concerning any offense other than a minor traffic or parking violateion? (A "minor traffic violation" is a violation for which only a citation was issued, e.g., speeding. You must report any other traffic offense, including any offense in which acting under the influence of a drug or alcohol was an element of the offense.)

18. Have you ever been dropped, suspended, placed on academic or social probation or warning, or otherwise disciplined by any college or university for any reason?

Class Ranks/GPA Cut-offs.  The GPA cut-offs as of the end of the Spring 2000 semester are linked to this page.

Furniture in Classrooms.  If you have any reason to remove tables, podiums, chairs, or other furniture from classrooms temporarily, please be sure that you return them promptly.  Missing furniture can cause serious inconvenience to instructors and students.

Joke of the Week.  A priest, a minister, and a rabbi go into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, suspiciously, "is this some kind of joke?"


Week of August 14, 2000

To Entering Students:

Welcome to Chicago-Kent! For those of you starting your first year, you chose a terrific law school and we are pleased that you are joining our community.  You have an exciting several years ahead of you. 

What My Office Does.  In my capacity as Assistant Dean, I supervise two offices that will be an important part of your life at Chicago-Kent. 

  • Registrar's office:  I work closely with the Registrar's office, headed by Chris Matheny, on scheduling your courses, administering your exams, and maintaining your academic records.
  • Student Services office:  I work with the Student Services staff, also headed by Chris Matheny, on Orientation, academic and personal counseling of students, and applying the academic regulations contained in the Student Handbook.
More generally, my job is to make sure that your life at the Law School remains as free from administrative hassles as possible.  But questions and problems undoubtedly will arise for some of you.  If you think I can be of help, please call me (906-5130), come by my office (Suite 320), or e-mail me (SSOWLE; or click on the link at the top of this page).  If I can't help you, I'll point you in the right direction.  My door is open without appointment, so long as I am not otherwise occupied when you drop by.  I wish you the best of luck at the start of an exciting year.

To Continuing Students:

Welcome Back! I hope you had an enjoyable summer and that you have a successful and productive year.  If you would like to see me with a question, problem, or suggestion, please call me at 906-5130, come by my office (Suite 320), or e-mail me (SSOWLE; or click on the link at the top of this page). 

Initial Reading Assignments and Course Materials.  Reading assignments for the first week of the Fall semester are linked to this page, along with other information you will find useful as the new school year starts (including links to the Academic Calendar, the bookstore's hours, Trial Advocacy section assignments, the Fall final exam schedule, and information about configuring your laptop computer to the new Chicago-Kent computer network).  Assignments received after August 4 will be posted on the second-floor bulletin board as we receive them.

If you have not yet returned to school, you may ask the bookstore to hold your Fall course books for you until you arrive, or for an extra fee you may request that the books be mailed to you.  If you would like to take advantage of either of these options, stop by the bookstore or call 312/906-5605.  In addition, you may order your course books over the web by clicking on the bookstore link on the Chicago-Kent Intranet page (http://www.kentlaw.edu).

Fall Course Information -- Updates.  Changes to the Fall 2000 schedule that were made over the summer are linked to this page.

Fall Classroom Assignments.  A revised copy of the Fall 2000 Schedule of Classes, including classroom assignments, is linked to this page.

Fall Exam Schedule.  A copy of the Fall 2000 exam schedule is linked to this page. The Student Handbook requires that you take your finals at the times scheduled, even if you have two exams in a row, or one at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:30 a.m. the next morning.  Absent extraordinary circumstances, the only exception is if you have three exams scheduled consecutively (which rarely happens) or two exams scheduled at the same time.  Please note that you are permitted to register for courses with exams scheduled at the same time; one exam will be rescheduled for you.  If you believe you have an exam conflict or other circumstance justifying the rescheduling of an exam (see Student Handbook sections 7.2 and 7.3), please contact Chris Matheny in the Registrar's office.

Trial Advocacy Section Assignments.  If you are registered for Trial Advocacy 1 or Trial Advocacy 2 for the Fall semester, a list of section assignments is linked to this page.

Courses Likely to be Offered in Spring 2001 Semester.  A list of courses likely to be offered in the Spring semester is linked to this page.  Please keep in mind that this list is preliminary and subject to change.


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