Chicago-Kent home page Student portal Faculty portal Staff portal About The Record Current Record headlines Publication deadlines The Record archives

Office of Academic Administration and Student Affairs

Asst. Dean Stephen D. Sowle

Academic Administration and Student Affairs home page
Record Archives for 2015-2016 Academic Year

Archive entries are in reverse chronological order.

SUMMER 2016

Weeks of August 1 and August 8, 2016

Fall 2016 Initial Reading Assignments and Course Materials.
 A list of initial reading assignments for Fall 2016 upper-level courses will be posted on Friday, August 5. It will be linked to this page, and will be available on the Fall 2016 Quick Guide page (also available by going to the Current Students page and clicking on the Fall 2016 Quick Guide link). Initial assignments for first-year courses will be sent to entering students by the Admissions Office.

You may ask the bookstore to hold your Fall course materials 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 Internet by clicking on the Bookstore link on the Current Students page.

Notices to May Graduates. If you graduated in May, please read the information below about your Kent email and network accounts, and your locker. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Email, Network, and Print Accounts. Email accounts: Your Kent email account is for life. You can continue to use your Chicago-Kent email as long as you chose to do so. Network accounts: Your network account will be deactivated on Monday, August 1 (the first Monday after the July bar exam). Print accounts: Your free printing quota was reset to zero on Monday, May 16 (the first Monday after Commencement).

•Clearing Out Lockers. Please clear your lockers out no later than Monday, August 1. Anything left in lockers after that date will be removed. If you are unable to clear your locker out by that date, please contact me to make arrangements for your locker contents to be set aside for you. Note: This applies only to graduating students. If you are not graduating, you do not need to clear your locker out; you will keep your current locker until you graduate. 

•Student Health Insurance.
 If you have student health insurance through IIT, your coverage will end on August 11, 2016.

Joke of the Week. Can a kangaroo jump higher than a house? Of course -- a house can't jump at all!


Weeks of July 18 and July 25, 2016

Summer 2016 Exams.

•Exam Schedule. The final exams for the Summer term are listed in the Schedule of Classes available here. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to the "Summer 2016" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Information about accessing old exams is available by clicking here.

Exam Emergencies.
 If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Dean Sowle (312/906-5282) or Jenna Abhijeet (312/906-5005) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach either of us, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Do not contact your professor about any problem connected with your exam, as this may compromise your anonymity. 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. 

•Consulting Laptops/Tablet Computers During Exams. Unless your professor specifically authorizes it, you may not consult materials (notes, outlines, etc.) stored on a laptop computer, iPad, or other tablet computer or electronic device during an open book or limited open book exam; you are limited to consulting print materials authorized by your professor. Please note: This is separate from the issue of whether you may write your exam on your own laptop. The limitation described above applies whether you are writing your exam by hand or on a lab or laptop computer.

•Cell Phones During Exams. You are not permitted to use a cell phone during any exam, including during any restroom breaks. If you have a cell phone with you during an exam, it must be turned off and stored out of sight.

•Exam Method Notices.


Notice about SofTest: Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest. Click here for more information on SofTest and how to download and use it.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops: The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Additional Spring 2016 CALI Award. Congratulations to the following student for earning a CALI Award this past Spring. The complete list of CALI winners is available by clicking here

-Legal Writing 4 (Profs. Surrette & Schwartz): Nicholas M. Leonard

Notices to May Graduates. If you graduated in May, please read the information below about your Kent email and network accounts, and your locker. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Email, Network, and Print Accounts. Email accounts: Your Kent email account is for life. You can continue to use your Chicago-Kent email as long as you chose to do so. Network accounts: Your network account will be deactivated on Monday, August 1 (the first Monday after the July bar exam). Print accounts: Your free printing quota was reset to zero on Monday, May 16 (the first Monday after Commencement).

•Clearing Out Lockers. Please clear your lockers out no later than Monday, August 1. Anything left in lockers after that date will be removed. If you are unable to clear your locker out by that date, please contact me to make arrangements for your locker contents to be set aside for you. Note: This applies only to graduating students. If you are not graduating, you do not need to clear your locker out; you will keep your current locker until you graduate. 

•Student Health Insurance.
 If you have student health insurance through IIT, your coverage will end on August 11, 2016.

Joke of the Week. "Whoever invented bungee jumping must have watched a lot of Road Runner cartoons." (Nick Arnette)


FALL 2015

Week of February 1, 2016

Fall 2015 GPAs and Class Ranks. Cumulative GPAs through the Fall 2015 semester, and class ranks for upper-level J.D. students, are available through Web for Students (click on the "Fall 2015" link under "Grades and Rank" in the lefthand menu). Please note:Class ranks are calculated only for students who have been at Chicago-Kent for at least two semesters. First-year students, and students who transferred into Chicago-Kent at the start of the Fall 2015 semester, will receive their first class ranks at the end of the Spring 2016 semester. LL.M. students do not receive class ranks. The GPA cut-offs as of the end of the Fall 2015 semester are available by clicking here.

Applications for Graduation. J.D. students who plan on graduating at the end of the Spring semester must submit an online Application for Graduation form no later than Tuesday, February 2. To complete the form, go to Web for Students at https://wfs.kentlaw.iit.edu and click on "Application for Graduation" under "Online Forms" in the lefthand menu. Please complete every field in the form, and click Submit when done. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once a graduation audit has been performed. Please note that any changes you make to your schedule after the audit may affect your graduation requirements. You should check with the Registrar's Office prior to making any changes. Also note that, although the Registrar's Office does conduct graduation audits on all applications, it is your responsibility to make certain all requirements for graduation are met. If you have any questions, please stop by the Registrar's office.

Adding and Dropping Courses. You may add an open course without special permission until the end of the first week of Spring classes; during the second week, however, you may add an open course only with permission of the instructor. You may not add a course after Tuesday, February 2, 11:00pm.

You may withdraw from any course except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or Intensive Trial Advocacy at any time prior to the date of the final exam or final paper (see §3.10(c) of the Student Handbook). There is no tuition penalty if you drop a course during the first two weeks of classes. You will not receive a tuition refund, however, if you drop a course after Tuesday, February 2, 11:00pm.

Pass/Fail Elections. Pass/fail elections for the Spring semester must be made online no later than Monday, February 15, 5:00pm. Please review section 2.4 "Pass/Fail Election" in the Student Handbook if you have any questions regarding your pass/fail elections. In order to make your election, you should:

  1. Log into Web for Students.

  2. Select the "Take Class Pass/Fail" option under the "Online Forms" heading

  3. Select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis

  4. Submit your selection

The Registrar's Office will review your request and inform you if there is any problem with your request.

Informational Reception for J.D. Certificate Programs. For students interested in one or more of Chicago-Kent's certificate programs, there will be an informational session on Tuesday, February 9, 4:00-5:45 pm, in Morris Hall (on the 10th Floor). Meet faculty and students in the certificate programs, gather information, and have a snack! All first-year students are encouraged to attend. We currently have certificate programs in the following areas:

-Business Law
-Criminal Litigation 
-Environmental & Energy Law
-Intellectual Property Law
-International & Comparative Law
-Labor & Employment Law
-Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution (LADR)
-Praxis
-Public Interest Law

Business Law Certificate Program. Students interested in pursuing the Business Law Certificate should submit the Notice of Intent to Pursue the Certificate in Business Law. There is no deadline for submission, but you should submit the form as soon as you think you might be interested in the Certificate. Business Law Certificate students get registration priority for some courses and seminars; only students who have filed the notice are eligible for the priority. Business Law Certificate students who will graduate in May 2016, should submit an Application for the Certificate in Business Law by February 5, 2016. The Program’s requirements and forms are available by clicking here. If you have any questions about the program, please email Professor Adrian Walters, the Program Director, at awalters@kentlaw.iit.edu.

Praxis Certificate: Enroll through February 9. [From Prof. Maureen Van Neste:] Are you an upper-class student with at least three semesters of study remaining, and looking for another opportunity to distinguish yourself? Consider enrolling in the Praxis Certificate. The Praxis Certificate is designed for students who are interested in fully embracing a practice or experience-based course of study, including simulation courses, clinics, and externships. In addition to completing 24 credits in approved experiential coursework, Praxis students learn about some of the most important “practice competencies” of successful attorneys, chart their progress toward developing these skills, and learn how to package and market their experience to potential employers. Students may enroll in Praxis concurrently with other Chicago-Kent certificate programs. Online enrollment is required, but does not a commit a student to complete the program. The program is open to all upper-class day and evening students with at least three semesters of study remaining (including this semester). For more information, or to enroll online, click here. Please contact Professor Van Neste (f/k/a Aidasani) at mvanneste@kentlaw.iit.edu if you have any questions.

Praxis Certificate: February 9 Spring Kickoff Luncheon. The Praxis Program will hold its spring kickoff luncheon on Tuesday, February 9 from 12 - 1 pm in Room 165. Ian Turnvill and Jessica Coutre (C-K '14) of Freeborn and Peters LLP will be the featured guests for an engaging program on networking and business development. Students will learn how attorneys can successfully "ask" for business and how law students can also use these business development techniques in the career search process. Professor Van Neste will also discuss spring semester requirements and deadlines for Praxis students. A complimentary lunch will be served. The program is open to all Praxis students, as well as any upper-class J.D. students with at least three semesters remaining who may be interested in enrolling in Praxis. Interested students who are not currently enrolled should RSVP by emailing Professor Van Neste at mvanneste@kentlaw.iit.edu.

Panel on Compliance Industry Trends and Careers. The Institute for Compliance will cohost an exciting evening featuring alumni currently working in the compliance industry and current students. The event will be held Wednesday, February 3, 5:00-7:30pm in Morris Hall (on the 10th Floor). The event is sponsored by the Institute for Compliance in Financial Markets, the Career Services Office, and the Chicago-Kent Alumni Association. Join Chicago-Kent alumni working in the compliance field for a panel discussion on Compliance Industry Trends and Careers, and stay to network with the panelists, other alumni and fellow students seeking similar career paths. Panelists will include representatives from law firms, banks, FINRA, and the Chicago Board Options Exchange. The panel discussion will begin at 5:00pm, and the reception will begin at 6:15pm. Please RSVP by clicking here.

Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines. This is a reminder that the Chicago-Kent Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines apply to all Chicago-Kent students, including students enrolled in first-year and upper-level writing courses (Legal Writing 1, Legal Writing 2, Legal Writing 3, Legal Writing 4, and all seminars). The Guidelines, which address a variety of issues, including plagiarism, are available by clicking here. If you have not reviewed the Guidelines recently, please do so.

Counseling Services. IIT's Student Health and Wellness Center provides counseling services at the Law School by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call (312) 567-7550. There is no charge for these counseling services.

Notice to Students in Substance Abuse Recovery (or who want to be). If you are in recovery for a substance abuse problem, or if you are not in recovery but would like help with a substance abuse problem, consider contacting the Lawyers Assistance Program. This confidential program exists to help lawyers, judges, and law students with alcohol abuse, drug dependency, or mental health problems. If you are already in recovery, there are weekly A.A. meetings at LAP's Chicago office on Tuesdays, 12:15-1:15 pm, and Thursdays, 12:15-1:15 pm, , at 20 S. Clark Street, Suite 1820. If you are not in recovery but would like to find out more about what LAP can do for you, call or stop by LAP's office, or go to their web site at http://www.illinoislap.org.

Reminder About IIT's Political Activity Policy. (From the IIT General Counsel's Office:) As a tax-exempt entity, IIT is prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elective office, and IIT has an obligation to refrain from engaging in any partisan political activity. Violation of these prohibitions against such activities could jeopardize the university's tax-exempt status.

While individuals are free to express their opinions and to support political candidates on their own, it must be clear that the individual is acting on his or her own behalf and not on behalf of IIT. No one should identify himself or herself as an employee of IIT when supporting a candidate. If, when speaking or writing on behalf of a candidate someone is identified as an IIT faculty member or other employee, that individual should indicate prior to any speech or as part of any writing that the comments are personal and not intended to represent the views of IIT. Further, no individual or event may use the name, symbols or resources of the university in any way in connection with any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for political office.

Specific examples of impermissible activities include, but are not limited to (i) using university letterhead, campus mail, telephones or email accounts to solicit support or contributions for a candidate; (ii) using university funds to purchase tickets for a candidate's fund-raiser; and (iii) putting campaign posters on university property.

Political candidates may use or rent IIT facilities only if all candidates are allowed the opportunity to use or rent such facilities on equal terms and conditions.

Subject to certain conditions and restrictions, political candidates may be invited to speak at events without jeopardizing IIT’s tax-exempt status; however, no such invitation should be extended without the extending party first discussing the invitation with the General Counsel’s Office, so as to ensure that the invitation complies with applicable laws.

Certain voter education activities, including voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, are permissible but only if they are undertaken in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and are conducted in a non-partisan manner. Again, before any such activities are undertaken, the initiating party should contact the General Counsel's Office.

Any questions about this policy should be directed to Anthony D. D'Amato, General Counsel, at 7-8821.

July 2016 Illinois Bar Application. Applications for the July 2016 bar exam are due by February 15, 2016. You may file a late application up to May 31, but penalty fees apply. The forms and instructions are available on the bar examiners' web site: https://www.ilbaradmissions.org. Please note: Even if you registered with the bar examiners as a first-year student, you must still file a final application. If you have any questions about the application materials, you may call the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 217/522-5917.

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.

Dean's Certificate: 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 December or May. Please be sure to file an Application for Graduation (see information above for how to file one) at the begclicking here. The regular registration deadline for applying for the March exam is February 5 (the late deadline, with an extra fee, is February 12). Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.inning of your last semester so we will know you plan to graduate at the end of that semester. Important note: We will not certify any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.

Bar Exams in Other States. Students who may practice in another state should familiarize themselves with those states' bar admission requirements, registration procedures, and deadlines.

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 or April, August, and November each year. The next exam will be given on Saturday, March 19, 2016. You may register online by clicking here. The deadline for applying for the March exam is January 28 (the late deadline is February 4). Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.

FERPA Rights and Notification of Access to Education Records. The Student Handbook outlines student rights and responsibitilies regarding access to educational records. Please review sections 14.4 and 14.5, which are linked to this page. Please pay particular attention to section 14.5, which lists the types of information that Chicago-Kent classifies as "directory information" (which Chicago-Kent may release at its discretion) and the information published in the online Student Directory (available only to members of the Chicago-Kent community). Section 14.5 also explains how you may request that directory information, including the information published in the Student Directory, not be published or released.

Joke of the Week. I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.


Week of January 25, 2016

Applications for Graduation. J.D. students who plan on graduating at the end of the Spring semester must submit an online Application for Graduation form no later than Tuesday, February 2. To complete the form, go to Web for Students at https://wfs.kentlaw.iit.edu and click on "Application for Graduation" under "Online Forms" in the lefthand menu. Please complete every field in the form, and click Submit when done. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once a graduation audit has been performed. Please note that any changes you make to your schedule after the audit may affect your graduation requirements. You should check with the Registrar's Office prior to making any changes. Also note that, although the Registrar's Office does conduct graduation audits on all applications, it is your responsibility to make certain all requirements for graduation are met. If you have any questions, please stop by the Registrar's office.

Adding and Dropping Courses. You may add an open course without special permission until the end of the first week of Spring classes; during the second week, however, you may add an open course only with permission of the instructor. You may not add a course after Tuesday, February 2, 11:00pm.

You may withdraw from any course except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or Intensive Trial Advocacy at any time prior to the date of the final exam or final paper (see §3.10(c) of the Student Handbook). There is no tuition penalty if you drop a course during the first two weeks of classes. You will not receive a tuition refund, however, if you drop a course after Tuesday, February 2, 11:00pm.

Pass/Fail Elections. Pass/fail elections for the Spring semester must be made online no later than Monday, February 15, 5:00pm. Please review section 2.4 "Pass/Fail Election" in the Student Handbook if you have any questions regarding your pass/fail elections. In order to make your election, you should:

  1. Log into Web for Students.

  2. Select the "Take Class Pass/Fail" option under the "Online Forms" heading

  3. Select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis

  4. Submit your selection

The Registrar's Office will review your request and inform you if there is any problem with your request.

Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Friday, January 29, 2016, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account.

Praxis Certificate: Enroll through February 9. [From Prof. Maureen Van Neste:] Are you an upper-class student with at least three semesters of study remaining, and looking for another opportunity to distinguish yourself? Consider enrolling in the Praxis Certificate. The Praxis Certificate is designed for students who are interested in fully embracing a practice or experience-based course of study, including simulation courses, clinics, and externships. In addition to completing 24 credits in approved experiential coursework, Praxis students learn about some of the most important “practice competencies” of successful attorneys, chart their progress toward developing these skills, and learn how to package and market their experience to potential employers. Students may enroll in Praxis concurrently with other Chicago-Kent certificate programs. Online enrollment is required, but does not a commit a student to complete the program. The program is open to all upper-class day and evening students with at least three semesters of study remaining (including this semester). For more information, or to enroll online, click here. Please contact Professor Van Neste (f/k/a Aidasani) at mvanneste@kentlaw.iit.edu if you have any questions.

Praxis Certificate: February 9 Spring Kickoff Luncheon. The Praxis Program will hold its spring kickoff luncheon on Tuesday, February 9 from 12 - 1 pm in Room 165. Ian Turnvill and Jessica Coutre (C-K '14) of Freeborn and Peters LLP will be the featured guests for an engaging program on networking and business development. Students will learn how attorneys can successfully "ask" for business and how law students can also use these business development techniques in the career search process. Professor Van Neste will also discuss spring semester requirements and deadlines for Praxis students. A complimentary lunch will be served. The program is open to all Praxis students, as well as any upper-class J.D. students with at least three semesters remaining who may be interested in enrolling in Praxis. Interested students who are not currently enrolled should RSVP by emailing Professor Van Neste at mvanneste@kentlaw.iit.edu.

Academic Support Program. Information about the Academic Support Program for first-year students, including membership criteria for ASP small group sessions and the process for petitioning into the small groups, is available by clicking here. The petition form itself is available by clicking here. Petitions to participate in the Spring Semester are due on Friday, January 29. For more information about the Academic Support Program and study resources, please visit the ASP web site.

Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines. This is a reminder that the Chicago-Kent Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines apply to all Chicago-Kent students, including students enrolled in first-year and upper-level writing courses (Legal Writing 1, Legal Writing 2, Legal Writing 3, Legal Writing 4, and all seminars). The Guidelines, which address a variety of issues, including plagiarism, are available by clicking here. If you have not reviewed the Guidelines recently, please do so.

Counseling Services. IIT's Student Health and Wellness Center provides counseling services at the Law School by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call (312) 567-7550. There is no charge for these counseling services.

Notice to Students in Substance Abuse Recovery (or who want to be). If you are in recovery for a substance abuse problem, or if you are not in recovery but would like help with a substance abuse problem, consider contacting the Lawyers Assistance Program. This confidential program exists to help lawyers, judges, and law students with alcohol abuse, drug dependency, or mental health problems. If you are already in recovery, there are weekly A.A. meetings at LAP's Chicago office on Tuesdays, 12:15-1:15 pm, and Thursdays, 12:15-1:15 pm, , at 20 S. Clark Street, Suite 1820. If you are not in recovery but would like to find out more about what LAP can do for you, call or stop by LAP's office, or go to their web site at http://www.illinoislap.org.

Reminder About IIT's Political Activity Policy. (From the IIT General Counsel's Office:) As a tax-exempt entity, IIT is prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elective office, and IIT has an obligation to refrain from engaging in any partisan political activity. Violation of these prohibitions against such activities could jeopardize the university's tax-exempt status.

While individuals are free to express their opinions and to support political candidates on their own, it must be clear that the individual is acting on his or her own behalf and not on behalf of IIT. No one should identify himself or herself as an employee of IIT when supporting a candidate. If, when speaking or writing on behalf of a candidate someone is identified as an IIT faculty member or other employee, that individual should indicate prior to any speech or as part of any writing that the comments are personal and not intended to represent the views of IIT. Further, no individual or event may use the name, symbols or resources of the university in any way in connection with any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for political office.

Specific examples of impermissible activities include, but are not limited to (i) using university letterhead, campus mail, telephones or email accounts to solicit support or contributions for a candidate; (ii) using university funds to purchase tickets for a candidate's fund-raiser; and (iii) putting campaign posters on university property.

Political candidates may use or rent IIT facilities only if all candidates are allowed the opportunity to use or rent such facilities on equal terms and conditions.

Subject to certain conditions and restrictions, political candidates may be invited to speak at events without jeopardizing IIT’s tax-exempt status; however, no such invitation should be extended without the extending party first discussing the invitation with the General Counsel’s Office, so as to ensure that the invitation complies with applicable laws.

Certain voter education activities, including voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, are permissible but only if they are undertaken in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and are conducted in a non-partisan manner. Again, before any such activities are undertaken, the initiating party should contact the General Counsel's Office.

Any questions about this policy should be directed to Anthony D. D'Amato, General Counsel, at 7-8821.

July 2016 Illinois Bar Application. Applications for the July 2016 bar exam are due by February 15, 2016. You may file a late application up to May 31, but penalty fees apply. The forms and instructions are available on the bar examiners' web site: https://www.ilbaradmissions.org. Please note: Even if you registered with the bar examiners as a first-year student, you must still file a final application. If you have any questions about the application materials, you may call the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 217/522-5917.

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.

Dean's Certificate: 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 December or May. Please be sure to file an Application for Graduation (see information above for how to file one) at the begclicking here. The regular registration deadline for applying for the March exam is February 5 (the late deadline, with an extra fee, is February 12). Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.inning of your last semester so we will know you plan to graduate at the end of that semester. Important note: We will not certify any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.

Bar Exams in Other States. Students who may practice in another state should familiarize themselves with those states' bar admission requirements, registration procedures, and deadlines.

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 or April, August, and November each year. The next exam will be given on Saturday, March 19, 2016. You may register online by clicking here. The deadline for applying for the March exam is January 28 (the late deadline is February 4). Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.

Joke of the Week. Two snowmen are standing next to each other in a yard. One says to the other, “Funny, I smell carrots too."


Week of January 18, 2016

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.

The MLK Forum: Civil Rights and the Chicago Police Department.
Please join us on Thursday, January 21, for a forum in honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "The MLK Forum: Civil Rights and the Chicago Police Department" will take place on Thursday, January 21, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Ogilvie Auditorium, followed by a reception in the lobby. Experts will discuss recent developments and current cases that have polarized the city; the fallout at the Chicago Police Department, City Hall and in Springfield; and the call for reform. The forum is free and open to the public. Click here to register to attend. Two hours of MCLE professional responsibility credit may be earned by attendance at the forum.

Speakers will include Daniel Coyne, Clinical Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law; Martin Gould, Romanucci & Blandin, LLC; David A. Harris, Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; Jeanette Samuels, Samuels & Associates, Ltd.; Karen Sheley, American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois; and Matt Topic, Loevy & Loevy.

Chicago-Kent College of Law presents this forum in cooperation with the Office of Institutional Advancement, the Young Alumni Council, Office of the Dean, Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Multiculturalism & Professional Development, Office of Continuing Legal Education, Student Bar Association, Black Law Students Association, Asian Pacific Law Students Association, Hispanic Latino Law Students Association, South Asian Law Students Association, the Federalist Society, and the Constitutional Law Society.

Building Closed on Monday, January 18. Classes will not be held on Monday, January 18, in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Spring semester classes will start on Tuesday, January 19). Because Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an official university holiday, this also means that the Law School building will be closed on Monday, January 18. Although the building will be open on Sunday, January 17 (9:45-5:30), the Library will be closed on Sunday.

Accessing Your Fall 2015 Grades.
 Fall grades are due no later than five weeks from the date of the exam or, if there is no final exam, five weeks from the last day of the exam period. Grades are released as they are received. You can access your grades by logging into Web for Students, then clicking on the Fall 2015 link under the Grades and Rank heading.

Applications for Graduation. J.D. students who plan on graduating at the end of the Spring semester must submit an online Application for Graduation form no later than Tuesday, February 2. To complete the form, go to Web for Students at https://wfs.kentlaw.iit.edu and click on "Application for Graduation" under "Online Forms" in the lefthand menu. Please complete every field in the form, and click Submit when done. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once a graduation audit has been performed. Please note that any changes you make to your schedule after the audit may affect your graduation requirements. You should check with the Registrar's Office prior to making any changes. Also note that, although the Registrar's Office does conduct graduation audits on all applications, it is your responsibility to make certain all requirements for graduation are met. If you have any questions, please stop by the Registrar's office.

Spring 2016 Semester Information. The Spring 2016 Quick Guide page has most of the information you will need in advance of the start of the Spring semester -- click here, or go to the main Current Students Portal page and click on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide link under "Academic & Grades." Print copies of many of the documents described below are available on the table in the third floor elevator bay. Alternatively, click on the individual links below to go directly to the indicated documents.

Initial Reading Assignments
An updated list of initial reading assignments has been posted; assignments were added for Compliance in Financial Institutions; Employee Benefits Law; and Quantiative Methods for Lawyers. Please note: Not all professors submit initial assignments, so do not be concerned if there is no listing for one or more of your Spring courses. Even if a course is not listed, materials for the course should be available in the Bookstore.

Revised Spring Schedule (with Classroom Assignments)
Classroom assignments will also be posted in the front lobby before classes start.

Course Information Updates
This document lists all changes to the final Spring class schedule to date. The current version of the class schedule posted online reflects these changes.

Trial Advocacy 1 Section Assignments
If your section meets at the Daley Center, please be sure to bring your Kent ID card with you, as you may be required to show it before being allowed to enter.

Trial Advocacy 2 Section Assignments
If your section meets at the Daley Center, please be sure to bring your Kent ID card with you, as you may be required to show it before being allowed to enter.

Exam Schedule
Please note that you are permitted to register for courses with exams scheduled at the same time; one exam will be rescheduled for you.

The Student Handbook requires that you take your finals at the times scheduled unless you have an exam conflict (as defined below), or you have a "serious illness or other extraordinary or compelling reason" beyond your control. A Final Exam Reschedule Form will be posted later this semester through Web for Students.

A student is deemed to have an "exam conflict" if he or she has two exams at the same time, or has two or more exams within 24 hours (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or at 6:00 p.m. and 1:15 the following afternoon). A conflict does not exist if two exams are scheduled exactly 24 hours apart (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. one morning and 8:30 a.m. the next morning).

Adding and Dropping Classes
You may add an open course without special permission until the end of the first week of Spring classes; during the second week, however, you may add an open course only with permission of the instructor. You may not add a course after Tuesday, February 2, 11:00pm.

You may withdraw from any course except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or Intensive Trial Advocacy at any time prior to the date of the final exam or final paper (see §3.10(c) of the Student Handbook). There is no tuition penalty if you drop a course during the first two weeks of classes. You will not receive a tuition refund, however, if you drop a course after Tuesday, February 2, 11:00pm.

Pass/Fail Elections
Pass/fail elections for the Spring semester must be made online no later than Monday, February 15, 5:00pm. Please review section 2.4 "Pass/Fail Election" in the Student Handbook if you have any questions regarding your pass/fail elections. In order to make your election, you should:

  1. Log into Web for Students.

  2. Select the "Take Class Pass/Fail" option under the "Online Forms" heading

  3. Select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis

  4. Submit your selection

The Registrar's Office will review your request and inform you if there is any problem with your request.

2015-2016 Academic Calendar

•Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts
Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Friday, January 29, 2016, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account.

Praxis Certificate: Enroll through February 9. [From Prof. Maureen Van Neste:] Are you an upper-class student with at least three semesters of study remaining, and looking for another opportunity to distinguish yourself? Consider enrolling in the Praxis Certificate. The Praxis Certificate is designed for students who are interested in fully embracing a practice or experience-based course of study, including simulation courses, clinics, and externships. In addition to completing 24 credits in approved experiential coursework, Praxis students learn about some of the most important “practice competencies” of successful attorneys, chart their progress toward developing these skills, and learn how to package and market their experience to potential employers. Students may enroll in Praxis concurrently with other Chicago-Kent certificate programs. Online enrollment is required, but does not a commit a student to complete the program. The program is open to all upper-class day and evening students with at least three semesters of study remaining. For more information, or to enroll online, click here. Please contact Professor Van Neste (f/k/a Aidasani) at maidasan@kentlaw.iit.edu if you have any questions.

U-Passes for Spring 2016. All full-time J.D. students (determined by your official division status, not by the number of credit hours you take in a particular semester) are enrolled in the U-Pass program, as well as LL.M. students who are registered for 12 or more credits for the Spring. Your current Ventra U-Pass card will be activated to work from Tuesday, January 19 (the first day of the semester) through Friday, May 13 (the last day of exams). If you registered for Spring classes on or after January 4, you will have to contact Jenna Abhijeet (jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu) to arrange for your card to be activated for the Spring semester. If you were absent in the Fall and do not have a Ventra card, please contact Jenna Abhijeet as well.

Student Health Insurance. All students registered for at least one credit hour in the Fall (including intersession classes), including both full-time and part-time students, were automatically billed for student health insurance for the entire year, unless they submitted and were approved for a waiver.

If you were covered in the Fall semester and do not want coverage in the Spring semester, you may request cancellation of the student insurance by January 26, 2016, and your student account will be refunded for the Spring portion. You will not receive a refund if the waiver is not received by January 26 and you will continue to be covered by the insurance until August 11, 2016. If you intend to waive the student insurance coverage, please read the waiver instructions in the insurance brochure carefully. For more information about the plan, including waivers, go to http://www.iit.edu/shwc/insurance.

If you waived coverage in a prior semester and now wish to enroll in the student health insurance plan, or you are not currently covered for any other reason and wish to enroll, you must apply for the insurance. For more information on applying for insurance, go to http://www.iit.edu/shwc/insurance. Students must enroll by January 26, 2016.

If you have previously waived the insurance, your waiver only applies to the current academic year and you must waive the insurance at the beginning of every academic year. If you are a returning student who has waived the IIT Student Health Insurance in the past, you must fill out the waiver again this year and at the beginning of every academic year.

Health insurance cards and documents are mailed upon request only. You may contact Aetna Student Health directly at 800.841.3140. You may also create your profile to access these documents through your smart device.

Academic Calendar for 2016-2017. The academic calendar for next academic year, as adopted by the faculty, is available here.

IIT Policy on Firearms and Weapons on Campus. (From the IIT General Counsel's Office:) In general, carrying or bringing any type of firearm or other weapon in, on or to the campus or property of IIT is expressly prohibited.  This prohibition applies even if you have all of the requisite permits to carry the firearm or weapon, including a concealed carry permit.  The policy expressly defines “firearm,” “weapon,” “campus” and “property of IIT.” The policy does contain a very limited number of narrowly tailored exceptions, such as allowing ROTC to utilize firearms for training and permitting personnel of the Department of Public Safety and on duty police officers to carry firearms.

The link to the full, updated policy is provided below and everyone should familiarize themselves with it, as the policy will be strictly enforced: Concealed Carry and Prohibition Regarding Firearms and Weapons On Campus Policy.

Employment Limitation. Subject to the limitation for full-time first-year students mentioned below, students may work more than 20 hours a week if they take 13 or fewer credits in a regular semester (Fall or Spring). Students are prohibited from working more than 20 hours a week if they take 14 or more credits.

Full-time first-year students are prohibted from working more than 20 hours a week even if they take 13 or fewer credits (e.g., full-time summer-start students, who take only 13 credits in the Fall, are still limited to working no more than 20 hours a week).

Notice About Recording of Classes. Video and/or sound recording of any classroom activities requires the approval of the faculty member in charge of the class, and reasonable notice to all those in attendance. The faculty member in charge of the class is permitted but not required to impose additional reasonable conditions on recording, including, but not limited to, consent of the entire class and a prohibition on posting the recording on the internet or through any forms of social media.

Academic Counseling. I am available for counseling about course selection, certificate programs, bar preparation, academic rules and regulations, and other academic matters. If you are interested in a particular area of law, I can also arrange for you to meet with a faculty member who specializes in that area. You may contact me by email (ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu), by phone at (312) 906-5282, or by stopping by my office (320C).

Joke of the Week. "An escalator can never break -- it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience." (Mitch Hedberg)


Week of December 14, 2015

Happly Holidays! I wish all of you a joyous (and restful) holiday season, and I look forward to seeing you next month.

Accessing Your Grades. Fall grades are due no later than five weeks from the date of the exam or, if there is no final exam, five weeks from the last day of the exam period. Grades are released as they are received. You can access your grades by logging into Web for Students, then clicking on the Fall 2015 link under the Grades and Rank heading.

Academic Calendar for 2016-2017. The academic calendar for next academic year, as adopted by the faculty, is available here.

Praxis Certificate: Enroll through February 9! [From Prof. Maureen Van Neste:] Are you an upper-class student with at least three semesters of study remaining, and looking for another opportunity to distinguish yourself? Consider enrolling in the Praxis Certificate. The Praxis Certificate is designed for students who are interested in fully embracing a practice or experience-based course of study, including simulation courses, clinics, and externships. In addition to completing 24 credits in approved experiential coursework, Praxis students learn about some of the most important “practice competencies” of successful attorneys, chart their progress toward developing these skills, and learn how to package and market their experience to potential employers. Students may enroll in Praxis concurrently with other Chicago-Kent certificate programs. Online enrollment is required, but does not a commit a student to complete the program. The program is open to all upper-class day and evening students with at least three semesters of study remaining. For more information, or to enroll online, click here. Please contact Professor Van Neste (f/k/a Aidasani) at maidasan@kentlaw.iit.edu if you have any questions.

U-Pass Notice. Your Ventra U-Pass card is effective through Friday, December 18. Do not discard your Ventra card - you will continue to use the same card through graduation. Assuming you will be enrolled for the Spring semester, your card will become effective again on Tuesday, January 19 (the first day of the Spring semester). You may continue to use your Ventra card during the semester break, but you will need to add funds to the card (as with a regular Ventra card). Go to the CTA's Ventra site for more information on adding funds to your card. For more information about how theVentra U-Pass functions when school is out of session, go to the CTA's U-Pass site. If you have questions or problems, you may contact Ventra Customer Service at the CTA's Ventra site or by calling 877-669-8368.

The CTA has asked us to remind students that the U-Pass is to be used only by the student for whom it is issued. The card will be confiscated if anyone other than the person appearing in the U-Pass photo is using the card.

Spring 2016 Initial Reading Assignments and Course Materials. A list of initial reading assignments for Spring 2016 courses will be posted on Thursday, January 7. It will be linked to this page, and will be available on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide page, or by going to the Current Students Portal page and clicking on the Quick Guide link.

You may ask the bookstore to hold your Spring course materials 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 Internet by clicking on the Bookstore link on the Current Students Portal page.

Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration.

Add/Drop Period. The registration system reopened on Friday, December 4, for students to see what Spring classes they were admitted into, and to make adjustments to their schedules. If you did not register during the initial registration period, you may do so now. You may continue to make adjustments to your schedule until the end of the Fall add/drop period on Tuesday, February 2, at 11:00pm. The final Spring 2016 class schedule, the Registration Bulletin, and the course and exam grids are available on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide page.

•Changes to Schedule. Please note the following changes, corrections, addition, and cancellation. A revised version of the schedule incorporating these changes has been posted on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide page.

Changes/Corrections:

-Labor/Employment Class (266-81): This class will meet Wed. 3:00-3:55pm (not Wed. 4:00-4:55pm).
-Quantitative Methods for Lawyers (194-01): There will be no final exam in this class.
-Public Interest Law & Policy (464-81): LL.M. students may take this class only with permission of the professor.
-Role of the Judge (131-01): This class will meet Mon./Wed. 4:00-5:30pm (not 4:00-5:50pm).

Addition:

Legal Writing 3 (1 credit): We have added an additional section, 431-82, meeting Wednesdays 4:00-5:50pm, taught by Prof. Norwell.

Cancellation:

Health Care Law: This course has been canceled due to inadequate enrollment.

•Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Friday, January 29, 2016, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

Fall 2015 Final Exams.

Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Exam Emergencies. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Dean Sowle (312/906-5282) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach me, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Do not contact your professor about any problem connected with your exam, as this may compromise your anonymity. 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. 

•Consulting Laptops/Tablet Computers During Exams. Unless your professor specifically authorizes it, you may not consult materials (notes, outlines, etc.) stored on a laptop computer, iPad, or other tablet computer or electronic device during an open book or limited open book exam; you are limited to consulting print materials authorized by your professor. Please note: This is separate from the issue of whether you may write your exam on your own laptop. The limitation described above applies whether you are writing your exam by hand or on a lab or laptop computer.

•Cell Phones During Exams. You are not permitted to use a cell phone during any exam, including during any restroom breaks. If you have a cell phone with you during an exam, it must be turned off and stored out of sight.

•Take-Home Exams. If you have a take-home exam and it is to be picked up from, and/or returned to, the Registrar's Office, please note the following hours for the Registrar's Office:

Monday-Thursday, 8:30am - 6pm
Friday, 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday/Sunday: CLOSED

Please note: Take-home exams must be picked up and returned in person. You may not have a friend pick up or return an exam for you, and you may not submt a take-home exam to the Registrar by email.

Access to Computer Lab During Exams. Because we use the computer lab during many of the exam slots during exam period, access for other purposes (e.g., printing out papers or exam outlines) is limited. Please keep in mind that there is a printer in the 5th Floor Student Lounge that you can use if the lab is in use.

Exam Method Notices. 

Notices About SofTest. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, and El Capitan are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops. The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Joke of the Week. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack. One hat said to the other, "You stay here, I'll go on a head."


Week of December 7, 2015

Fall 2015 Final Exams.

Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Exam Emergencies. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Dean Sowle (312/906-5282) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach me, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Do not contact your professor about any problem connected with your exam, as this may compromise your anonymity. 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. 

•Consulting Laptops/Tablet Computers During Exams. Unless your professor specifically authorizes it, you may not consult materials (notes, outlines, etc.) stored on a laptop computer, iPad, or other tablet computer or electronic device during an open book or limited open book exam; you are limited to consulting print materials authorized by your professor. Please note: This is separate from the issue of whether you may write your exam on your own laptop. The limitation described above applies whether you are writing your exam by hand or on a lab or laptop computer.

•Cell Phones During Exams. You are not permitted to use a cell phone during any exam, including during any restroom breaks. If you have a cell phone with you during an exam, it must be turned off and stored out of sight.

•Take-Home Exams. If you have a take-home exam and it is to be picked up from, and/or returned to, the Registrar's Office, please note the following hours for the Registrar's Office:

Monday-Thursday, 8:30am - 6pm
Friday, 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday/Sunday: CLOSED

Please note: Take-home exams must be picked up and returned in person. You may not have a friend pick up or return an exam for you, and you may not submt a take-home exam to the Registrar by email.

Access to Computer Lab During Exams. Because we use the computer lab during many of the exam slots during exam period, access for other purposes (e.g., printing out papers or exam outlines) is limited. Please keep in mind that there is a printer in the 5th Floor Student Lounge that you can use if the lab is in use.

Exam Method Notices. 

Notices About SofTest. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, and El Capitan are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops. The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration.

Add/Drop Period. The registration system reopened on Friday, December 4, for students to see what Spring classes they were admitted into, and to make adjustments to their schedules. If you did not register during the initial registration period, you may do so now. You may continue to make adjustments to your schedule until the end of the Fall add/drop period on Tuesday, February 2, at 11:00pm. The final Spring 2016 class schedule, the Registration Bulletin, and the course and exam grids are available on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide page.

•Changes to Schedule. Please note the following changes, corrections, addition, and cancellation. A revised version of the schedule incorporating these changes has been posted on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide page.

Changes/Corrections:

-Labor/Employment Class (266-81): This class will meet Wed. 3:00-3:55pm (not Wed. 4:00-4:55pm).
-Quantitative Methods for Lawyers (194-01): There will be no final exam in this class.
-Public Interest Law & Policy (464-81): LL.M. students may take this class only with permission of the professor.
-Role of the Judge (131-01): This class will meet Mon./Wed. 4:00-5:30pm (not 4:00-5:50pm).

Addition:

Legal Writing 3 (1 credit): We have added an additional section, 431-82, meeting Wednesdays 4:00-5:50pm, taught by Prof. Norwell.

Cancellation:

Health Care Law: This course has been canceled due to inadequate enrollment.

•Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Friday, January 29, 2016, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

U-Pass Notice. Your Ventra U-Pass card is effective through Friday, December 18. Do not discard your Ventra card - you will continue to use the same card through graduation. Assuming you will be enrolled for the Spring semester, your card will become effective again on Tuesday, January 19 (the first day of the Spring semester). You may continue to use your Ventra card during the semester break, but you will need to add funds to the card (as with a regular Ventra card). Go to the CTA's Ventra site for more information on adding funds to your card. For more information about how theVentra U-Pass functions when school is out of session, go to the CTA's U-Pass site. If you have questions or problems, you may contact Ventra Customer Service at the CTA's Ventra site or by calling 877-669-8368.

The CTA has asked us to remind students that the U-Pass is to be used only by the student for whom it is issued. The card will be confiscated if anyone other than the person appearing in the U-Pass photo is using the card.


Week of November 30, 2015

Academic Calendar Reminder. The class schedule for the final week of classes is as follows:

Monday, November 30: Monday classes meet (Labor Day make-up)
Tuesday, December 1: Monday classes meet (Rosh Hashanah make-up)
Wednesday, December 2: Wednesday classes meet (Yom Kippur make-up)
Thursday, December 3: Thursday classes meet (Thanksgiving make-up)
Friday, December 4: Friday classes meet and Tuesday classes starting 4:00 & after meet (Thanksgiving and Yom Kippur eve. make-ups)

Read period runs from Saturday, December 5 through Tuesday, December 8. Exams start on Wednesday, December 9 and end on Friday, December 18.

Pass/Fail Revocation Deadline. A student may revoke a pass/fail election and revert to standard letter grading up to the last day of classes for the semeter (Friday, December 4). To revoke a pass/fail election, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to the appropriate link in the lefthand menu.

Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration.

Final Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration Bulletin. The final Spring 2016 class schedule, the Registration Bulletin, and the course and exam grids are available by clicking here, or by going to the Current Students Portal page and clicking on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide link. Print copies are available on the table in the third-floor elevator bay.

Registration Instructions. Registration will take place from Tuesday, November 24, 8:30am through Tuesday, December 1, 11:00pm. You may register at any time during that period. After the end of the initial 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.

To learn what classes you have been admitted into, you must check the online registration site on or after Friday, December 4. Registering for a class during the initial registration period is no guarantee that you will be admitted into the class – you must check the web site on or after Friday, December 4 to learn what classes you have been admitted into.

•Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Friday, January 29, 2016, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

Registration for First-Year Students. First-year Day Division students should register for Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Writing 2 for the Spring semester. (Please be careful to register for the Civil Procedure and Property classes listed for your current section, and for the Legal Writing section taught by your current professor.) For their final course, full-time Day Division students should also register for one of the "1L Your Way" options listed below. First-year Evening Division students should register for Contracts and Legal Writing 2; Evening Division students may also register for the evening section of Property, or may defer Property to the Summer 2016 term.

1L Your Way. Full-time Day Division students should register for one of the following: (1) Legislation; (2) the Clinical Rotation (if you applied for and were selected for it); or (3) one of the designated elective courses listed on page 1 of the final class schedule. If you register for, but are not admitted into, an elective class, you will be able to register for Legislation or another available elective during the add/drop period. If you do not take Legislation in the Spring, you will be required to take it in Fall of your second year. You may also register for electives other than those listed above, if they fit into your schedule and you receive permission; contact Dean Sowle if you are interested in registering for such an elective.

 Legislation (a 3-credit required course). Students who do not take Legislation in the Spring will be required to take it in the Fall of their second year.

• The Clinical Rotation (2 credits). We were able to accept all students who applied for the Clinical Rotation. We will notify you prior to the start of registration as to the specific rotations you were selected for.

 An elective class. We have designated certain courses as automatically available for first-year students; see page 1 of the final class schedule for the list. With permission, students may take other electives that fit their schedules (requests should be sent to Dean Sowle). If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. Upper-level required courses may not be taken (this includes Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, Legal Writing 3, Legal Writing 4, and seminars). Depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take an elective, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. The Clinical Rotation will be graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason. Grades for Legislation and electives will be included in all subsequent class rank calculations.

Fall 2015 Final Exams.

Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. You will be notified of the classroom assignments for your exams prior to the start of exam period. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Exam Emergencies. If an emergency occurs that may prevent you from taking a final exam, you or someone on your behalf should call Dean Sowle (312/906-5282) as soon as possible. If you cannot reach me, call the Registrar's office (312/906-5080). Do not contact your professor about any problem connected with your exam, as this may compromise your anonymity. 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. 

•Consulting Laptops/Tablet Computers During Exams. Unless your professor specifically authorizes it, you may not consult materials (notes, outlines, etc.) stored on a laptop computer, iPad, or other tablet computer or electronic device during an open book or limited open book exam; you are limited to consulting print materials authorized by your professor. Please note: This is separate from the issue of whether you may write your exam on your own laptop. The limitation described above applies whether you are writing your exam by hand or on a lab or laptop computer.

•Cell Phones During Exams. You are not permitted to use a cell phone during any exam, including during any restroom breaks. If you have a cell phone with you during an exam, it must be turned off and stored out of sight.

•Take-Home Exams. If you have a take-home exam and it is to be picked up from, and/or returned to, the Registrar's Office, please note the following hours for the Registrar's Office:

Monday-Thursday, 8:30am - 6pm
Friday, 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday/Sunday: CLOSED

Please note: Take-home exams must be picked up and returned in person. You may not have a friend pick up or return an exam for you, and you may not submt a take-home exam to the Registrar by email.

Access to Computer Lab During Exams. Because we use the computer lab during many of the exam slots during exam period, access for other purposes (e.g., printing out papers or exam outlines) is limited. Please keep in mind that there is a printer in the 5th Floor Student Lounge that you can use if the lab is in use.

Exam Method Notices. 

Notices About SofTest. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent. SofTest hopes to have an El Capitan-compatible version available by the Fall exam period.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops. The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Joke of the Week. Why does Waldo always wear stripes? Because he doesn't want to be spotted!


Week of November 23, 2015

Academic Calendar Reminder. Thanksgiving vacation runs from Thursday, November 26, through Sunday, November 29. Classes resume on Monday, November 30. The library will close at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 25; the building will close at 10:00pm. The building and the library will be closed on Thankgiving Day and on Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28. Regular building and library hours will resume on Sunday, November 29.

The class schedule for the final week of classes is as follows:

Monday, November 30: Monday classes meet (Labor Day make-up)
Tuesday, December 1: Monday classes meet (Rosh Hashanah make-up)
Wednesday, December 2: Wednesday classes meet (Yom Kippur make-up)
Thursday, December 3: Thursday classes meet (Thanksgiving make-up)
Friday, December 4: Friday classes meet and Tuesday classes starting 4:00 & after meet (Thanksgiving and Yom Kippur eve. make-ups)

Read period runs from Saturday, December 5 through Tuesday, December 8. Exams start on Wednesday, December 9 and end on Friday, December 18.

Teaching Evaluations. Teaching evaluations will be distributed in the coming weeks to elicit students' opinions about the quality of teaching at the Law School. Evaluations are anonymous and will not be available to professors until grades are turned in. 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.

Pass/Fail Revocation Deadline.
A student may revoke a pass/fail election and revert to standard letter grading up to the last day of classes for the semeter (Friday, December 4). To revoke a pass/fail election, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to the appropriate link in the lefthand menu.

Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration.

Final Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration Bulletin. The final Spring 2016 class schedule, the Registration Bulletin, and the course and exam grids are available by clicking here, or by going to the Current Students Portal page and clicking on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide link. Print copies are available on the table in the third-floor elevator bay.

Registration Instructions. Registration will take place from Tuesday, November 24, 8:30am through Tuesday, December 1, 11:00pm. You may register at any time during that period. After the end of the initial 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.

To learn what classes you have been admitted into, you must check the online registration site on or after Friday, December 4. Registering for a class during the initial registration period is no guarantee that you will be admitted into the class – you must check the web site on or after Friday, December 4 to learn what classes you have been admitted into.

•Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Friday, January 29, 2016, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

Registration for First-Year Students. First-year Day Division students should register for Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Writing 2 for the Spring semester. (Please be careful to register for the Civil Procedure and Property classes listed for your current section, and for the Legal Writing section taught by your current professor.) For their final course, full-time Day Division students should also register for one of the "1L Your Way" options listed below. First-year Evening Division students should register for Contracts and Legal Writing 2; Evening Division students may also register for the evening section of Property, or may defer Property to the Summer 2016 term.

1L Your Way. Full-time Day Division students should register for one of the following: (1) Legislation; (2) the Clinical Rotation (if you applied for and were selected for it); or (3) one of the designated elective courses listed on page 1 of the final class schedule. If you register for, but are not admitted into, an elective class, you will be able to register for Legislation or another available elective during the add/drop period. If you do not take Legislation in the Spring, you will be required to take it in Fall of your second year. You may also register for electives other than those listed above, if they fit into your schedule and you receive permission; contact Dean Sowle if you are interested in registering for such an elective.

 Legislation (a 3-credit required course). Students who do not take Legislation in the Spring will be required to take it in the Fall of their second year.

• The Clinical Rotation (2 credits). We were able to accept all students who applied for the Clinical Rotation. We will notify you prior to the start of registration as to the specific rotations you were selected for.

 An elective class. We have designated certain courses as automatically available for first-year students; see page 1 of the final class schedule for the list. With permission, students may take other electives that fit their schedules (requests should be sent to Dean Sowle). If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. Upper-level required courses may not be taken (this includes Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, Legal Writing 3, Legal Writing 4, and seminars). Depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take an elective, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. The Clinical Rotation will be graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason. Grades for Legislation and electives will be included in all subsequent class rank calculations.

Fall 2015 Final Exams.

Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. You will be notified of the classroom assignments for your exams prior to the start of exam period. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Exam Conflict/Reschedule Requests. The period is now closed for requesting an exam reschedule due to an exam conflict or other reason. If you have not received a response to your request, please contact Jenna Abhijeet (jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu). 

Exams Method Registration. The period is now closed for exam method registration.

Notices About Exams on Computer. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent. SofTest hopes to have an El Capitan-compatible version available by the Fall exam period.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops: The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Joke of the Week. Why did the police arrest the turkey? They suspected it of fowl play.


Week of November 16, 2015

Academic Calendar Reminder. Thanksgiving vacation runs from Thursday, November 26, through Sunday, November 29. Classes resume on Monday, November 30. The library will close at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 25; the building will close at 10:00pm. The building and the library will be closed on Thankgiving Day and on Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28. Regular building and library hours will resume on Sunday, November 29.

The class schedule for the final week of classes is as follows:

Monday, November 30: Monday classes meet (Labor Day make-up)
Tuesday, December 1: Monday classes meet (Rosh Hashanah make-up)
Wednesday, December 2: Wednesday classes meet (Yom Kippur make-up)
Thursday, December 3: Thursday classes meet (Thanksgiving make-up)
Friday, December 4: Friday classes meet and Tuesday classes starting 4:00 & after meet (Thanksgiving and Yom Kippur eve. make-ups)

Read period runs from Saturday, December 5 through Tuesday, December 8. Exams start on Wednesday, December 9 and end on Friday, December 18.

Teaching Evaluations. Teaching evaluations will be distributed in the coming weeks to elicit students' opinions about the quality of teaching at the Law School. Evaluations are anonymous and will not be available to professors until grades are turned in. 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.

Pass/Fail Revocation Deadline.
A student may revoke a pass/fail election and revert to standard letter grading up to the last day of classes for the semeter (Friday, December 4). To revoke a pass/fail election, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to the appropriate link in the lefthand menu.

Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration.

Final Spring 2016 Schedule and Registration Bulletin. The final Spring 2016 class schedule, the Registration Bulletin, and the course and exam grids are available by clicking here, or by going to the Current Students Portal page and clicking on the Spring 2016 Quick Guide link. Print copies are available on the table in the third-floor elevator bay.

Registration Instructions. Registration will take place from Tuesday, November 24, 8:30am through Tuesday, December 1, 11:00pm. You may register at any time during that period. After the end of the initial 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.

To learn what classes you have been admitted into, you must check the online registration site on or after Friday, December 4. Registering for a class during the initial registration period is no guarantee that you will be admitted into the class – you must check the web site on or after Friday, December 4 to learn what classes you have been admitted into.

•Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. In addition, if you will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2016 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contact me by email no later than Friday, January 29, 2016, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

Registration for First-Year Students. First-year Day Division students should register for Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Writing 2 for the Spring semester. (Please be careful to register for the Civil Procedure and Property classes listed for your current section, and for the Legal Writing section taught by your current professor.) For their final course, full-time Day Division students should also register for one of the "1L Your Way" options listed below. First-year Evening Division students should register for Contracts and Legal Writing 2; Evening Division students may also register for the evening section of Property, or may defer Property to the Summer 2016 term.

1L Your Way. Full-time Day Division students should register for one of the following: (1) Legislation; (2) the Clinical Rotation (if you applied for and were selected for it); or (3) one of the designated elective courses listed on page 1 of the final class schedule. If you register for, but are not admitted into, an elective class, you will be able to register for Legislation or another available elective during the add/drop period. If you do not take Legislation in the Spring, you will be required to take it in Fall of your second year. You may also register for electives other than those listed above, if they fit into your schedule and you receive permission; contact Dean Sowle if you are interested in registering for such an elective.

 Legislation (a 3-credit required course). Students who do not take Legislation in the Spring will be required to take it in the Fall of their second year.

• The Clinical Rotation (2 credits). We were able to accept all students who applied for the Clinical Rotation. We will notify you prior to the start of registration as to the specific rotations you were selected for.

 An elective class. We have designated certain courses as automatically available for first-year students; see page 1 of the final class schedule for the list. With permission, students may take other electives that fit their schedules (requests should be sent to Dean Sowle). If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. Upper-level required courses may not be taken (this includes Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, Legal Writing 3, Legal Writing 4, and seminars). Depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take an elective, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. The Clinical Rotation will be graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason. Grades for Legislation and electives will be included in all subsequent class rank calculations.

Fall 2015 Final Exams.

Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. You will be notified of the classroom assignments for your exams prior to the start of exam period. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Exam Conflict/Reschedule Requests. The period is now closed for requesting an exam reschedule due to an exam conflict or other reason. If you have not received a response to your request, please contact Jenna Abhijeet (jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu). 

Exams Method Registration. The period is now closed for exam method registration.

Notices About Exams on Computer. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent. SofTest hopes to have an El Capitan-compatible version available by the Fall exam period.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops: The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Joke of the Week. Bakers trade bread recipes on a strictly knead to know basis.


Week of November 9, 2015

Teaching Evaluations. Teaching evaluations will be distributed in the coming weeks to elicit students' opinions about the quality of teaching at the Law School. Evaluations are anonymous and will not be available to professors until grades are turned in. 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.

ASP Workshop: Preparing for and Taking Exams. The Academic Support Program's third and final Fall workshop will focus on preparing for and taking exams. The program for day students will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 12:00-12:50 pm (Auditorium).The program for evening students will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 7:35-8:25pm (Rm. 165). Although the programs aremainly aimed at first-year students, all students are welcome to attend. For more information about the Academic Support Program, visit the ASP web page. (Note: If you started this Summer in Dean Sowle's Criminal Law class, you have already had this workshop, but are welcome to attend again if you wish.)

Students are Invited to Robert Blagojevich's talk to Prof. Kling's Evidence class.
Robert Blagojevich, brother and co-defendant of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, will be talking to Prof. Kling's Evidenc class with his trial attorney on Monday, November 9, at 6:00pm in Rm. 210. All Chicago-Kent students are invited to attend.

Fall 2015 Final Exams.


Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. You will be notified of the classroom assignments for your exams prior to the start of exam period. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Exam Conflict/Reschedule Requests. The period is now closed for requesting an exam reschedule due to an exam conflict or other reason. If you have not received a response to your request, please contact Jenna Abhijeet (jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu). 

Exams Method Registration. The period is now closed for exam method registration.

Notices About Exams on Computer. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent. SofTest hopes to have an El Capitan-compatible version available by the Fall exam period.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops: The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

1L Your Way. As explained below, first-year full-time students will be able to choose an elective class or the Clinic Rotation in the Spring 2016 semester, if they wish, in lieu of Legislation. Part-time day students and evening division students will begin taking electives next Fall (or this Summer if they elect to enroll for the optional Summer term).

Full-time students are required to take Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Writing 2 in the Spring. For their final course, students may select from the following three options:

Taking Legislation (a 3-credit required course). Students who do not take Legislation in the Spring will be required to take it next Fall.

Taking an elective class. We have designated the following courses as automatically available (subject to space) for first-year students: Business Organizations (4 cr.), Copyright Law (3 cr.), Employment Relationships (3 cr.), and International Law (3 cr.). Business Organizations, Copyright Law, and Employment Relationships will be offered in the day (in the same slot as Legislation). International Law will be offered in the evening. With permission, students may take other electives that fit their schedules (requests should be sent to Dean Sowle). If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. Upper-level required courses may not be taken (this includes Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, Legal Writing 3, Legal Wrting 4, and seminars). Depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take an elective, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.  

Taking the Clinic Rotation (2 credits, pass/fail only). Click here for more information about the Clinic Rotation and how to apply. Applications for the Clinic Rotation are due no later than Monday, November 16. If applications exceed the number of spaces, students will be chosen by lottery. Students will be notified as to whether they were selected prior to the start of Spring registration.

As noted above, students who choose to take an elective or the Clinic Rotation will be required to take Legislation next Fall. Registration for Spring classes will take place later this month. The final Spring class schedule will be issued the week of November 16, along with registration instructions. The preliminary Spring schedule is available by clicking here (there will be some additions and changes before it is finalized). During the registration, you will register for your required Spring courses (Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Writing 2), as well as one of the above options (Legislation; and elective; or the Clinic Rotation).

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. The Clinic Rotation is graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason.

Preliminary Spring 2016 Schedule. The Spring 2016 prelminary schedule is linked to this pagePlease note: The preliminary schedule was issued last April (prior to registration for the current Fall 2015 semester), and there will be changes and additions to the schedule before it is finalized. We anticipate issuing the final schedule during the week of November 16.

Joke of the Week. "Last night I went to a 24-hour grocery. When I got there, the guy was locking the front door. I said, 'Hey, the sign says you're open 24 hours.' He goes, 'Not in a row!'" (Steven Wright)


Week of November 2, 2015

ASP Workshop: Preparing for and Taking Exams. The Academic Support Program's third and final Fall workshop will focus on preparing for and taking exams. The program for day students will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 12:00-12:50 pm (Auditorium).The program for evening students will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 7:35-8:25pm (Rm. 165). Although the programs aremainly aimed at first-year students, all students are welcome to attend. For more information about the Academic Support Program, visit the ASP web page. (Note: If you started this Summer in Dean Sowle's Criminal Law class, you have already had this workshop, but are welcome to attend again if you wish.)

Fall 2015 Final Exams.


Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. You will be notified of the classroom assignments for your exams prior to the start of exam period. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Exam Conflict/Reschedule Requests: October 22-November 2. The Student Handbook requires that you take your final exams at the times scheduled unless you have an exam conflict (as defined below), or you have a "serious illness or other extraordinary or compelling reason" beyond your control. If you have an exam conflict or believe you have other reasons justifying the rescheduling of an exam, please complete the Final Exam Reschedule form. To complete the form, log into Web for Students and navigate to the Final Exam Reschedule form in the left-hand menu. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22; the deadline for submitting an exam reschedule request is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm. If your request is approved, you will be notified later this semester of the rescheduled date, time, and location of your exam.

Under current policy, a student is deemed to have an "exam conflict" if the student has two exams at the same time, or has two or more exams within 24 hours (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or at 6:00 p.m. and 1:15 the following afternoon). A conflict does not exist if two exams are scheduled exactly 24 hours apart (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. one morning and 8:30 a.m. the next morning).

Exams Method Registration: October 22-November 2. Students generally have three choices for taking most exams: hand writing the exam, taking the exam on their own laptop computer, or taking the exam on a lab computer. Some professors do not permit one or more of these options (e.g., some require all students to hand write the exam).

Assuming your professor has authorized you to take the exam on computer, we will assume you are taking the exam on your own laptop unless you submit an Exam Method form. You need to register your exam-taking method only if you wish to hand-write the exam, or take it on a lab computer (subject to space availability). Please check with your professor if you are uncertain whether computer use will be permitted for your exam. If you choose the lab computer option but there are not enough spaces available, we will conduct a lottery after the close of the exam method registration period to determine who can use the lab computers. (This usually is not necessary, but occasionally we have more requests than we can accommodate for lab computers.) 

To complete the form, log into Web for Students and navigate to the Exam Method Registration form in the left-hand menu. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22; the deadline for submitting an exam method request is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm.

Notices About Exams on Computer. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent. SofTest hopes to have an El Capitan-compatible version available by the Fall exam period.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops: The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Change of Division Requests: October 22-November 2. Students wishing to request a change of division for the Spring 2016 semester (e.g., from evening division to full-time or part-time day division, or vice versa) should submit a Change of Division request. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22. To complete the form, log into Web for Students and select "Request to change division" in the left-hand menu. The deadline for submitting the form is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm. Please note: Students may not switch divisions until they have completed their first year. 

1L Your Way. As explained below, first-year full-time students will be able to choose an elective class or the Clinic Rotation in the Spring 2016 semester, if they wish, in lieu of Legislation. Part-time day students and evening division students will begin taking electives next Fall (or this Summer if they elect to enroll for the optional Summer term).

Full-time students are required to take Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Writing 2 in the Spring. For their final course, students may select from the following three options:

Taking Legislation (a 3-credit required course). Students who do not take Legislation in the Spring will be required to take it next Fall.

Taking an elective class. We have designated the following courses as automatically available (subject to space) for first-year students: Business Organizations (4 cr.), Copyright Law (3 cr.), Employment Relationships (3 cr.), and International Law (3 cr.). Business Organizations, Copyright Law, and Employment Relationships will be offered in the day (in the same slot as Legislation). International Law will be offered in the evening. With permission, students may take other electives that fit their schedules (requests should be sent to Dean Sowle). If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. Upper-level required courses may not be taken (this includes Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, Legal Writing 3, Legal Wrting 4, and seminars). Depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take an elective, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.  

Taking the Clinic Rotation (2 credits, pass/fail only). Click here for more information about the Clinic Rotation and how to apply. Applications for the Clinic Rotation are due no later than Monday, November 16. If applications exceed the number of spaces, students will be chosen by lottery. Students will be notified as to whether they were selected prior to the start of Spring registration.

As noted above, students who choose to take an elective or the Clinic Rotation will be required to take Legislation next Fall. Registration for Spring classes will take place later this month. The final Spring class schedule will be issued the week of November 16, along with registration instructions. The preliminary Spring schedule is available by clicking here (there will be some additions and changes before it is finalized). During the registration, you will register for your required Spring courses (Civil Procedure, Property, and Legal Writing 2), as well as one of the above options (Legislation; and elective; or the Clinic Rotation).

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. The Clinic Rotation is graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason.

Preliminary Spring 2016 Schedule. The Spring 2016 prelminary schedule is linked to this pagePlease note: The preliminary schedule was issued last April (prior to registration for the current Fall 2015 semester), and there will be changes and additions to the schedule before it is finalized. We anticipate issuing the final schedule during the week of November 16.

Joke of the Week. "I started a band called 999 Megabytes. We haven't gotten a gig yet."


Week of October 26, 2015

Fall 2015 Final Exams.

Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. You will be notified of the classroom assignments for your exams prior to the start of exam period. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Exam Conflict/Reschedule Requests: October 22-November 2. The Student Handbook requires that you take your final exams at the times scheduled unless you have an exam conflict (as defined below), or you have a "serious illness or other extraordinary or compelling reason" beyond your control. If you have an exam conflict or believe you have other reasons justifying the rescheduling of an exam, please complete the Final Exam Reschedule form. To complete the form, log into Web for Students and navigate to the Final Exam Reschedule form in the left-hand menu. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22; the deadline for submitting an exam reschedule request is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm. If your request is approved, you will be notified later this semester of the rescheduled date, time, and location of your exam.

Under current policy, a student is deemed to have an "exam conflict" if the student has two exams at the same time, or has two or more exams within 24 hours (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or at 6:00 p.m. and 1:15 the following afternoon). A conflict does not exist if two exams are scheduled exactly 24 hours apart (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. one morning and 8:30 a.m. the next morning).

Exams Method Registration: October 22-November 2. Students generally have three choices for taking most exams: hand writing the exam, taking the exam on their own laptop computer, or taking the exam on a lab computer. Some professors do not permit one or more of these options (e.g., some require all students to hand write the exam).

Assuming your professor has authorized you to take the exam on computer, we will assume you are taking the exam on your own laptop unless you submit an Exam Method form. You need to register your exam-taking method only if you wish to hand-write the exam, or take it on a lab computer (subject to space availability). Please check with your professor if you are uncertain whether computer use will be permitted for your exam. If you choose the lab computer option but there are not enough spaces available, we will conduct a lottery after the close of the exam method registration period to determine who can use the lab computers. (This usually is not necessary, but occasionally we have more requests than we can accommodate for lab computers.) 

To complete the form, log into Web for Students and navigate to the Exam Method Registration form in the left-hand menu. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22; the deadline for submitting an exam method request is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm.

Notices About Exams on Computer. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent. SofTest hopes to have an El Capitan-compatible version available by the Fall exam period.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops: The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Change of Division Requests: October 22-November 2. Students wishing to request a change of division for the Spring 2016 semester (e.g., from evening division to full-time or part-time day division, or vice versa) should submit a Change of Division request. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22. To complete the form, log into Web for Students and select "Request to change division" in the left-hand menu. The deadline for submitting the form is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm. Please note: Students may not switch divisions until they have completed their first year. 

Adjunct Professor Susan Russell Publishes "A Ruff Road Home." Congratulations to adjunct professor Susan Russell on the publication of her new book, "A Ruff Road Home: The Court Case Dogs of Chicago." The book addresses the plight of dogs who have been victims of neglect or abuse and who have been rescued by police and animal control from their abusers and are associated with criminal court cases against their abusers. They are part of a program in which Safe Humane Chicago assesses them, engages volunteers and interns to socialize and train them to be family companions, transfers them to partner rescue groups, and provides them lifetime behavioral support. For more information about the book, click here. There will be a celebration of the book's release at Sidley Austin LLP on Thursday, November 19, 2015, 5:00-7:00 pm. For more information on the event and how to RSVP, click here.

1L Your Way. The 1L Your Way program allows first-year full-time students to choose an elective class or Clinic Rotation in the Spring semester if they wish. Part-time day students and evening division students will begin taking electives next Fall (or this Summer if they elect to enroll for the optional Summer term).

Full-time students will have three options in the Spring:

Taking Legislation (a 3-credit required course).

Taking one of several designated elective classes. The tentative list of classes includes Business Organizations (4 cr.), Copyright Law (3 cr.), Employment Relationships (3 cr.), Criminal Procedure (3 cr.), and International Law (3 cr.). (Please note that this list is subject to change.) Students may also petition to take other elective classes that fit their schedules; petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the professors teaching the courses. If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. 

Taking the Clinic Rotation (see the description below).

Students who choose to take an elective or the Clinic Rotation will be required to take Legislation in the Fall of their second year. The final Spring schedule, with further details, will be issued prior to Spring registration in November. For the Clinical Rotation, an application will be due prior to Spring registration (we will give ample notice of when and how to apply). If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places in the Rotation, we will conduct a lottery to select the students. In addition, depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take one of the designated electives classes, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. (As noted below, the Clinical Rotation will be graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason.)

Clinic Rotation Description: The Clinic Rotation option aims to help students refine their career interests by gaining exposure to diverse areas of law practice. It matches first-year students with faculty practitioners, allowing students to gain exposure to three different practice areas and to the day-to-day activities of the clinical faculty. Based inside Chicago-Kent's in-house law firm, the Clinic Rotation course is the first of its kind in the country. The law firm's faculty practitioners participate as both teachers and mentors. Students enrolled in the Clinic Rotation spend four weeks with each of three practitioners, observing and participating in their day-to-day lawyering activities. In addition, there is a weekly plenary classroom session that covers lawyering activities that arise within real life law practice. The available practice areas include criminal defense, employment/civil litigation, entrepreneurial law, family law, health and disability law, and tax law. Although student activities will vary from rotation to rotation, based upon current caseloads and calendars, students may be exposed to such activities as: accompanying lawyers to court appearances, proceedings at administrative agencies, or mediations; client meeting; document drafting; case strategizing; and simulated activites that help develop professional skills. The Clinic Rotation will be graded on a pass/fail basis only.

Joke of the Week. Do you know what the definition of "pasteurize" is? Something that's too far away for you to see.


Week of October 19, 2015

Flu Shots. The IIT Student Health and Wellness Center will give flu shots at the Law School for students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, October 20, 4:00-6:00 pm, in Rm. 590. Any student who has the IIT Aetna Student Health Insurance does not need to pay for the flu shot. For all others, the flu shots cost $20. Payment should be made ahead of time by clicking here (please bring your receipt with you). Although faculty and staff do have to pay the fee if they get the shot here, you can avoid the fee, if you have the university's Blue Cross/Blue Shield health coverage, by going to any in-network provider (e.g., many local pharmacies accept the university insurance).

Fall 2015 final exams.
   *Exam schedule and exam number.
   *Exam conflict/reschedule requests: October 22-November 2.
   *Exam method registration: October 22-November 2.
   *Notices about exams on computer.
   *Availability of professors' old exam.
Change of division requests: October 22-November 2.


Fall 2015 Final Exams.

Exam Schedule and Exam Number. The final exam schedule for the current semester is available here. You will be notified of the classroom assignments for your exams prior to the start of exam period. To find your personal exam schedule, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2015" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu. Your exam number is also provided there.

Exam Conflict/Reschedule Requests: October 22-November 2. The Student Handbook requires that you take your final exams at the times scheduled unless you have an exam conflict (as defined below), or you have a "serious illness or other extraordinary or compelling reason" beyond your control. If you have an exam conflict or believe you have other reasons justifying the rescheduling of an exam, please complete the Final Exam Reschedule form. To complete the form, log into Web for Students and navigate to the Final Exam Reschedule form in the left-hand menu. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22; the deadline for submitting an exam reschedule request is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm. If your request is approved, you will be notified later this semester of the rescheduled date, time, and location of your exam.

Under current policy, a student is deemed to have an "exam conflict" if the student has two exams at the same time, or has two or more exams within 24 hours (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or at 6:00 p.m. and 1:15 the following afternoon). A conflict does not exist if two exams are scheduled exactly 24 hours apart (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. one morning and 8:30 a.m. the next morning).

Exams Method Registration: October 22-November 2. Students generally have three choices for taking most exams: hand writing the exam, taking the exam on their own laptop computer, or taking the exam on a lab computer. Some professors do not permit one or more of these options (e.g., some require all students to hand write the exam).

Assuming your professor has authorized you to take the exam on computer, we will assume you are taking the exam on your own laptop unless you submit an Exam Method form. You need to register your exam-taking method only if you wish to hand-write the exam, or take it on a lab computer (subject to space availability). Please check with your professor if you are uncertain whether computer use will be permitted for your exam. If you choose the lab computer option but there are not enough spaces available, we will conduct a lottery after the close of the exam method registration period to determine who can use the lab computers. (This usually is not necessary, but occasionally we have more requests than we can accommodate for lab computers.) 

To complete the form, log into Web for Students and navigate to the Exam Method Registration form in the left-hand menu. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22; the deadline for submitting an exam method request is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm.

Notices About Exams on Computer. Students taking exams on laptop must download and install the SofTest exam-taking program. You will receive information from the Information Technology Services department about when and how to do this. Even though you do not need to submit an Exam Method Registration form to use your laptop for exams, you do need to download and install SofTest.

Unless a professor specifies otherwise, SofTest is configured to lock students out of other programs and services on their computers for the duration of the exam. This means that, unless a professor specifically authorizes access, students will not have access to notes, outlines, or other materials stored on their hard drive or the network.

The Information Technology Services department (ITS) will provide detailed information on the use of laptop computers and Lab computers during exams. For now, please make a note of the following items:

  • All students have to download the latest version of the SofTest software. Previously installed SofTest versions may not work for Fall 2015 exams.
  • The SofTest software for exams will be available for download beginning November 18, 2015.
  • Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 are the only supported Windows platforms for exams. Windows XP and Windows RT are not supported.
  • Mac Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion are the only supported Mac OS X platforms for exams on computer at Chicago-Kent. SofTest hopes to have an El Capitan-compatible version available by the Fall exam period.
  • A native Mac version of the SofTest exam-taking software is available for Mac users to download. "Virtualized" Windows operating systems via products such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion will not function for exams.
  • Any individual found to be running an unlicensed or "pirated" operating system on their computer may be declined technical assistance.

Notice About Borrowing Laptops: The Information Technology Services department has a limited supply of laptop computers reserved for use in emergency situations that arise during exam period. These laptops may be used (subject to availability) if your computer has problems immediately before or during an exam, as long as the problem is not due to your failing to properly configure or register your laptop to run the SofTest program. Because of limited supply, the ITS department's laptops are not available for general loaning purposes during exam period. However, if you have exceptional circumstances that you believe justify borrowing a laptop for an exam, please contact Dean Sowle to discuss your situation.

Notice to Hand Writers: Students who are hand writing an exam will be placed in the same room used by laptop users for that exam. Hand writers will not be put in a separate room.

Availability of Professors' Old Exams. Many professors make their old exams available for students to review. Exams after 1982 are available online by clicking here. Exams dating from 1982 and before are bound in volumes available in the 10th floor reading room in the Library.

Change of Division Requests: October 22-November 2. Students wishing to request a change of division for the Spring 2016 semester (e.g., from evening division to full-time or part-time day division, or vice versa) should submit a Change of Division request. The form will be available beginning Thursday, October 22. To complete the form, log into Web for Students and select "Request to change division" in the left-hand menu. The deadline for submitting the form is Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm. Please note: Students may not switch divisions until they have completed their first year. 

1L Your Way. The 1L Your Way program allows first-year full-time students to choose an elective class or Clinic Rotation in the Spring semester if they wish. Part-time day students and evening division students will begin taking electives next Fall (or this Summer if they elect to enroll for the optional Summer term).

Full-time students will have three options in the Spring:

Taking Legislation (a 3-credit required course).

Taking one of several designated elective classes. The tentative list of classes includes Business Organizations (4 cr.), Copyright Law (3 cr.), Employment Relationships (3 cr.), Criminal Procedure (3 cr.), and International Law (3 cr.). (Please note that this list is subject to change.) Students may also petition to take other elective classes that fit their schedules; petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the professors teaching the courses. If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. 

Taking the Clinic Rotation (see the description below).

Students who choose to take an elective or the Clinic Rotation will be required to take Legislation in the Fall of their second year. The final Spring schedule, with further details, will be issued prior to Spring registration in November. For the Clinical Rotation, an application will be due prior to Spring registration (we will give ample notice of when and how to apply). If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places in the Rotation, we will conduct a lottery to select the students. In addition, depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take one of the designated electives classes, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. (As noted below, the Clinical Rotation will be graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason.)

Clinic Rotation Description: The Clinic Rotation option aims to help students refine their career interests by gaining exposure to diverse areas of law practice. It matches first-year students with faculty practitioners, allowing students to gain exposure to three different practice areas and to the day-to-day activities of the clinical faculty. Based inside Chicago-Kent's in-house law firm, the Clinic Rotation course is the first of its kind in the country. The law firm's faculty practitioners participate as both teachers and mentors. Students enrolled in the Clinic Rotation spend four weeks with each of three practitioners, observing and participating in their day-to-day lawyering activities. In addition, there is a weekly plenary classroom session that covers lawyering activities that arise within real life law practice. The available practice areas include criminal defense, employment/civil litigation, entrepreneurial law, family law, health and disability law, and tax law. Although student activities will vary from rotation to rotation, based upon current caseloads and calendars, students may be exposed to such activities as: accompanying lawyers to court appearances, proceedings at administrative agencies, or mediations; client meeting; document drafting; case strategizing; and simulated activites that help develop professional skills. The Clinic Rotation will be graded on a pass/fail basis only.

Joke of the Week. Did you hear about the big paddle sale? It was quite an ordeal!


Week of October 12, 2015

Flu Shots. The IIT Student Health and Wellness Center will give flu shots at the Law School for students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, October 20, 4:00-6:00 pm, in Rm. 590. Any student who has the IIT Aetna Student Health Insurance does not need to pay for the flu shot. For all others, the flu shots cost $20. Payment should be made ahead of time by clicking here (please bring your receipt with you). Although faculty and staff do have to pay the fee if they get the shot here, you can avoid the fee, if you have the university's Blue Cross/Blue Shield health coverage, by going to any in-network provider (e.g., many local pharmacies accept the university insurance).  

1L Your Way. The 1L Your Way program allows first-year full-time students to choose an elective class or Clinic Rotation in the Spring semester if they wish. Part-time day students and evening division students will begin taking electives next Fall (or this Summer if they elect to enroll for the optional Summer term).

Full-time students will have three options in the Spring:

Taking Legislation (a 3-credit required course).

Taking one of several designated elective classes. The tentative list of classes includes Business Organizations (4 cr.), Copyright Law (3 cr.), Employment Relationships (3 cr.), Criminal Procedure (3 cr.), and International Law (3 cr.). (Please note that this list is subject to change.) Students may also petition to take other elective classes that fit their schedules; petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the professors teaching the courses. If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. 

Taking the Clinic Rotation (see the description below).

Students who choose to take an elective or the Clinic Rotation will be required to take Legislation in the Fall of their second year. The final Spring schedule, with further details, will be issued prior to Spring registration in November. For the Clinical Rotation, an application will be due prior to Spring registration (we will give ample notice of when and how to apply). If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places in the Rotation, we will conduct a lottery to select the students. In addition, depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take one of the designated electives classes, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. (As noted below, the Clinical Rotation will be graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason.)

Clinic Rotation Description: The Clinic Rotation option aims to help students refine their career interests by gaining exposure to diverse areas of law practice. It matches first-year students with faculty practitioners, allowing students to gain exposure to three different practice areas and to the day-to-day activities of the clinical faculty. Based inside Chicago-Kent's in-house law firm, the Clinic Rotation course is the first of its kind in the country. The law firm's faculty practitioners participate as both teachers and mentors. Students enrolled in the Clinic Rotation spend four weeks with each of three practitioners, observing and participating in their day-to-day lawyering activities. In addition, there is a weekly plenary classroom session that covers lawyering activities that arise within real life law practice. The available practice areas include criminal defense, employment/civil litigation, entrepreneurial law, family law, health and disability law, and tax law. Although student activities will vary from rotation to rotation, based upon current caseloads and calendars, students may be exposed to such activities as: accompanying lawyers to court appearances, proceedings at administrative agencies, or mediations; client meeting; document drafting; case strategizing; and simulated activites that help develop professional skills. The Clinic Rotation will be graded on a pass/fail basis only.

Chicago-Kent Selected as Site for Open House Chicago Architectural Tours. The IIT Chicago-Kent campus will be a West Loop site for this year's Open House Chicago architectural tours, sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. We will be featuring the Kohen Courtroom and the Library's 10th Floor Reading Room. The free self-guided tours are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, from 9:00am to 5:00pm. For more information about Open House Chicago, click here.

Joke of the Week. Do you know what "terminal velocity" is? It's how fast you can run when you're late for a flight.


Week of October 5, 2015

1L Your Way. The 1L Your Way program allows first-year full-time students to choose an elective class or Clinic Rotation in the Spring semester if they wish. Part-time day students and evening division students will begin taking electives next Fall (or this Summer if they elect to enroll for the optional Summer term).

Full-time students will have three options in the Spring:

Taking Legislation (a 3-credit required course).

Taking one of several designated elective classes. The tentative list of classes includes Business Organizations (4 cr.), Copyright Law (3 cr.), Employment Relationships (3 cr.), Criminal Procedure (3 cr.), and International Law (3 cr.). (Please note that this list is subject to change.) Students may also petition to take other elective classes that fit their schedules; petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the professors teaching the courses. If you take an elective, you will be in class with upper-level students. 

Taking the Clinic Rotation (see the description below).

Students who choose to take an elective or the Clinic Rotation will be required to take Legislation in the Fall of their second year. The final Spring schedule, with further details, will be issued prior to Spring registration in November. For the Clinical Rotation, an application will be due prior to Spring registration (we will give ample notice of when and how to apply). If the number of applications exceeds the number of available places in the Rotation, we will conduct a lottery to select the students. In addition, depending on demand, we may not be able to accommodate all first-year students who wish to take one of the designated electives classes, although we are hopeful there will be sufficient spaces available for all interested students.

To ensure that all full-time first-year students are assessed on a common set of courses, grades for Legislation or for an elective taken its place will not be considered in calculating Spring class ranks for first-year students or for purposes of probation and dismissals, Law Review selections, or merit scholarships for first-year students. (As noted below, the Clinical Rotation will be graded pass/fail and thus won't count into students' GPA's for that reason.)

Clinic Rotation Description: The Clinic Rotation option aims to help students refine their career interests by gaining exposure to diverse areas of law practice. It matches first-year students with faculty practitioners, allowing students to gain exposure to three different practice areas and to the day-to-day activities of the clinical faculty. Based inside Chicago-Kent's in-house law firm, the Clinic Rotation course is the first of its kind in the country. The law firm's faculty practitioners participate as both teachers and mentors. Students enrolled in the Clinic Rotation spend four weeks with each of three practitioners, observing and participating in their day-to-day lawyering activities. In addition, there is a weekly plenary classroom session that covers lawyering activities that arise within real life law practice. The available practice areas include criminal defense, employment/civil litigation, entrepreneurial law, family law, health and disability law, and tax law. Although student activities will vary from rotation to rotation, based upon current caseloads and calendars, students may be exposed to such activities as: accompanying lawyers to court appearances, proceedings at administrative agencies, or mediations; client meeting; document drafting; case strategizing; and simulated activites that help develop professional skills. The Clinic Rotation will be graded on a pass/fail basis only.

Fire Drill Follow-Up. We would like to thank students, faculty, and staff for their cooperation with the recent fire drills. We would also like to pass along a few reminders:

Please use the nearest staircase to exit the building, unless the staircase is overcrowded. In that case, please seek out an alternate staircase (there are at least two on each floor). There are maps in the elevator bays on each floor identifying the locations of the staircases. Do not use the elevators.

Once in the staircase, please proceed all the way to the first floor -- do not exit at the third floor in order to use the atrium staircase.

Please do not take time to gather up and pack your belongings -- your safety is more important than your possessions. If you have valuables you do not wish to leave behind, please "grab and go" when you hear the alarm -- do not waste precious seconds or minutes powering down your laptop computer or packing up your belongings.

Once you exit the building, please move either eastward or westward down the sidewalk so that you will be out of harm's way if any windows shatter. For your safety, please do not step into traffic or cross against a traffic light.

Failure to follow the directions of Law School personnel during a building evacuation may subject you to a disciplinary charge.

Tracey Harkins, 3L Student, to Argue Before 7th Circuit. One of Professor Richard Kling's students, Tracey Harkins, will be arguing an appeal before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals from denial of a motion to suppress evidence based on Fourth Amendment grounds. The case is United States v. Hector Roman, Docket No. 14-03209. Tracey will be arguing for the appellant, and she also helped write the brief for the case. Argument is set for Wednesday, October 7, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. in the Main Courtroom, Room 2721, at the Dirksen Courthouse (219 S. Dearborn). All arguments are set for that time, but there is no way of knowing until 9:00 a.m. Tuesday what time she will actually argue, or before which panel.

Bridge of Spies: Advanced Screening Tickets Available. We have been offered free seats to an advanced screening of the Tom Hanks movie Bridge of Spies (directed by Steven Spielberg and written by the Coen brothers) exploring the dramatic U.S. efforts to free a U-2 pilot shot down over the USSR during the Cold War. See below for details. 

Screening:
Tuesday, October 6, 7:00pm, AMC River East, 322 E. Illinois St., Chicago, IL 60611. Download passes here: http://www.seeitfirst.net/pin/729406 (100 passes available)

Live Satellite Q&A with Steven Spielberg & Tom Hanks, moderated by Jess Cagle:
Thursday, October 8, 6:30pm, AMC River East, 322 E. Illinois St., Chicago, IL 60611. Download passes here: http://www.seeitfirst.net/pin/803202 (200 passes available)

Joke of the Week. A Roman centurion walks into a bar and says, "Give me a dry martinus." The bartender replies, "Don't you mean 'martini'?" The centurion snaps, "If I wanted a double, I would have asked for one."


Week of September 28, 2015

ASP Workshop on Outlining. The Academic Support Program's second Fall workshop will address different approaches to the course outlining process and will feature students and faculty sharing tips for assembling a useable and complete course outline. The program for day students will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 12:00-12:50 pm (Auditorium)The program for evening students will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 7:35-8:30 pm (Rm. 165). Although the programs are mainly aimed at first-year students, all students are welcome to attend. For more information about the Academic Support Program, visit the ASP web page. (Note: If you started this Summer in Dean Sowle's Criminal Law class, you have already had this workshop, but are welcome to attend again if you wish.)

Meet Your Librarians: Pizza and Beer Event for First-Year Students. Take a break from studying and get to know your librarians on Thursday, October 1, 4:00-5:30 p.m. in Morris Hall on the 10th floor. They'll be serving up slices of Chicago pizza and local beers. It’s a great opportunity to get to know the people in the Library, who are always eager to assist you with your research.

Family and Friends Day. This year's Family and Friends Day program will be held on Saturday, October 3, 9:00am-12:45pm. The program gives parents, spouses, partners, siblings, children, and other important people in your life the opportunity to visit Chicago-Kent and get a taste of what you are experiencing as a student. The program will include mini-classes taught by Professors Heyman, Sowle, and Walters and a mock trial demonstration featuring members of our award-winning Trial Team. The day will start with registration and continental breakfast at 9:00, and a welcome at 9:30. Mini-classes will be held from 9:45-10:30, followed by the mock trial at 10:45. Students and their guests will break out into mock juries following the trial, and will gather again at 12:30 for a discussion of the trial and concluding remarks. If you plan to attend, please register here no later than September 30.

Final Praxis Program Information Session and Fall Kick-Off Luncheon. Chicago-Kent's Praxis Certificate Program (see below for more information about the program) will be holding the following two events:

Praxis Certificate Information Sessions. Professor Maureen Aidasani will be holding a final information session for upper-class students interested in enrolling in the Praxis Certificate program. All upper-class students with at least three semesters of study remaining are eligible to enroll.  This optional information session will be held Monday, September 28, 5:30 pm in Rm. 510.  Refreshments will be served.

Praxis Certificate Fall Kick-Off Luncheon. The Praxis Program will be holding a complimentary luncheon on Tuesday, October 6, at 12:00 noon in Rm. 170. This luncheon is for all students currently enrolled in, or eligible students interested in enrolling in, the Praxis Certificate program. Ian Turvill, Chief Marketing Officer at Freeborn & Peters LLP, will lead an interactive workshop on the topic of defining career goals and designing a plan of action to meet them. Students will discuss how they can develop and market skills and talents that will resonate with potential employers and put students on a path toward long-term success. If you aren't already enrolled in Praxis and would like to RSVP, please email Professor Aidasani at maidasan@kentlaw.iit.edu.

About the Praxix Certificate Program. The Praxis Certificate Program is designed for students who are interested in fully embracing a practice or experience-based course of study. In addition to completing 24 credits in approved experiential coursework, Praxis students will learn about some of the most important “practice competencies” of successful attorneys, chart their progress toward developing these skills, and learn how to package and market their experience to potential employers. Students may enroll in Praxis concurrently with other Chicago-Kent certificate programs, and enrollment does not a commit a student to complete the program. The program is open to all upper-class day and evening students with at least three semesters of study remaining. Click here for more information or to enroll online. Please contact Professor Aidasani (maidasan@kentlaw.iit.edu) if you have any questions.

National Association of Law Students With Disabilities. The National Association of Law Students with Disabilities will be holding elections for its 2015-2016 Executive Board and is seeking law students with disabilities to serve on the Board. The NALSWD Executive Board consists of the President, Executive Director of Advocacy, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, Membership Director, and Conference Director. There are also several Junior Officer positions that are available to pre-law and law students who would like to have a more active role in NALSWD. All candidacy statements should be submitted to president@nalswd.org by Wednesday, September 30, 9:00pm (Pacific time). Additional information about the Board positions and elections process can be found by clicking here.

Fire Safety Reminders. In the event of a fire, it is vital that we clear the building as quickly as possible. Please keep the following in mind:

Please use the nearest staircase to exit the building, unless the staircase is overcrowded. In that case, please seek out an alternate staircase (there are at least two on each floor). There are maps in the elevator bays on each floor identifying the locations of the staircases. Do not use the elevators.

Once in the staircase, please proceed all the way to the first floor -- do not exit at the third floor in order to use the atrium staircase.

Please do not take time to gather up and pack your belongings -- your safety is more important than your possessions. If you have valuables you do not wish to leave behind, please "grab and go" when you hear the alarm -- do not waste precious seconds or minutes powering down your laptop computer or packing up your belongings.

Once you exit the building, please move either eastward or westward down the sidewalk so that you will be out of harm's way if any windows shatter. For your safety, please do not step into traffic or cross against a traffic light.

Failure to follow the directions of Law School personnel during an evacuation may subject you to a disciplinary charge.

Joke of the Week. The first rule of Thesaurus Club is you don't talk about, mention, speak of, discuss or chat about Thesaurus Club.


Week of September 21, 2015

Academic Calendar Reminder. Due to Yom Kippur, classes are administratively canceled on Tuesday, September 22 (4:00 and after), and on Wednesday, September 23 (all day and evening).

ASP Workshop on Outlining. The Academic Support Program's second Fall workshop will address different approaches to the course outlining process and will feature students and faculty sharing tips for assembling a useable and complete course outline. The program for day students will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 12:00-12:50 pm (Auditorium)The program for evening students will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 7:35-8:30 pm (Rm. 165). Although the programs are mainly aimed at first-year students, all students are welcome to attend. For more information about the Academic Support Program, visit the ASP web page. (Note: If you started this Summer in Dean Sowle's Criminal Law class, you have already had this workshop, but are welcome to attend again if you wish.)

Family and Friends Day. This year's Family and Friends Day program will be held on Saturday, October 3, 9:00-12:45. The program gives parents, spouses, partners, siblings, children, and other important people in your life the opportunity to visit Chicago-Kent and get a taste of what you are experiencing as a student. The program will include mini-classes taught by Professors Heyman, Sowle, and Walters and a mock trial demonstration featuring members of our award-winning Trial Team. The day will start with registration and continental breakfast at 9:00, and a welcome at 9:30. Mini-classes will be held from 9:45-10:30, followed by the mock trial at 10:45. Students and their guests will break out into mock juries following the trial, and will gather again at 12:30 for a discussion of the trial and concluding remarks. If you plan to attend, please register here no later than September 30.

Praxis Program Information Sessions and Fall Kick-Off Luncheon. Chicago-Kent's Praxis Certificate Program (see below for more information about the program) will be holding the following two events:

Praxis Certificate Information Sessions. Professor Maureen Aidasani will be holding information sessions for upper-class students interested in enrolling in the Praxis Certificate Program. All upper-class students with at least three semesters of study remaining are eligible to enroll. These optional information sessions will be held on Tuesday, September 22, at 12:00 noon in Rm. 510 and Monday, September 28, at 5:30 pm in Rm. 510. Refreshments will be served.

Praxis Certificate Fall Kick-Off Luncheon. The Praxis Program will be holding a complimentary luncheon on Tuesday, October 6, at 12:00 noon in Rm. 170. This luncheon is for all students currently enrolled in, or eligible students interested in enrolling in, the Praxis Certificate program. Ian Turvill, Chief Marketing Officer at Freeborn & Peters LLP, will lead an interactive workshop on the topic of defining career goals and designing a plan of action to meet them. Students will discuss how they can develop and markets skills and talents that will resonate with potential employers and put students on a path toward long-term success.

About the Praxix Certificate Program. The Praxis Certificate Program is designed for students who are interested in fully embracing a practice or experience-based course of study. In addition to completing 24 credits in approved experiential coursework, Praxis students will learn about some of the most important “practice competencies” of successful attorneys, chart their progress toward developing these skills, and learn how to package and market their experience to potential employers. Students may enroll in Praxis concurrently with other Chicago-Kent certificate programs, and enrollment does not a commit a student to complete the program. The program is open to all upper-class day and evening students with at least three semesters of study remaining. Click here for more information or to enroll online. Please contact Professor Aidasani (maidasan@kentlaw.iit.edu) if you have any questions.

Code of Conduct Change. The faculty voted at its September faculty meeting to revise the standard of proof in certain Code of Conduct changes in order to comply with guidance from the federal Department of Education concerning Title IX requirements, and the provisions of a new Illinois law that will take effect next year. The standard of proof for cases brought under the provisions of section 2-2(m) (sexual misconduct) will be preponderance of the evidence. Other cases will continue to be governed by the clear and convincing evidence standard.

Divvy Discount for Students. The university is offering a discounted student rate on the Divvy bike share program. The rate is $55 per year, which allows unlimited 30-minute rides from any Divvy station.

To sign-up:

1) Visit DivvyBikes.com/student and click on IIT.

2) Use your school email address for registration (ending in iit.eduhawk.iit.eduid.iit.edukentlaw.iit.edustuart.iit.eduvandercook.edushimer.edu)

3) Enter the special discount code “DivvyIIT” in the box marked “partner password.”

4) Get your key fob in the mail and you’re ready to ride.

Contact the Office of Campus Energy and Sustainability at campussustainability@iit.edu with any questions.

Reminder: Chicago-Kent also offers the CyCKles bicycle rental program; click here for information.

Fire Safety Reminders. In the event of a fire, it is vital that we clear the building as quickly as possible. Please keep the following in mind:

Please use the nearest staircase to exit the building, unless the staircase is overcrowded. In that case, please seek out an alternate staircase (there are at least two on each floor). There are maps in the elevator bays on each floor identifying the locations of the staircases. Do not use the elevators.

Once in the staircase, please proceed all the way to the first floor -- do not exit at the third floor in order to use the atrium staircase.

Please do not take time to gather up and pack your belongings -- your safety is more important than your possessions. If you have valuables you do not wish to leave behind, please "grab and go" when you hear the alarm -- do not waste precious seconds or minutes powering down your laptop computer or packing up your belongings.

Once you exit the building, please move either eastward or westward down the sidewalk so that you will be out of harm's way if any windows shatter. For your safety, please do not step into traffic or cross against a traffic light.

Failure to follow the directions of Law School personnel during an evacuation may subject you to a disciplinary charge.

Joke of the Week. The first rule of Thesaurus Club is you don't talk about, mention, speak of, discuss or chat about Thesaurus Club.


Week of September 14, 2015

Academic Calendar Reminder. Due to Rosh Hashanah, classes are administratively canceled on Monday, September 14 (all day and evening). Due to Yom Kippur, classes are administratively canceled on Tuesday, September 22 (4:00 and after), and on Wednesday, September 23 (all day and evening).

Family and Friends Day. This year's Family and Friends Day program will be held on Saturday, October 3, 9:00-12:45. The program gives parents, spouses, partners, siblings, children, and other important people in your life the opportunity to visit Chicago-Kent and get a taste of what you are experiencing as a student. The program will include mini-classes taught by Professors Heyman, Sowle, and Walters and a mock trial demonstration featuring members of our award-winning Trial Team. The day will start with registration and continental breakfast at 9:00, and a welcome at 9:30. Mini-classes will be held from 9:45-10:30, followed by the mock trial at 10:45. Students and their guests will break out into mock juries following the trial, and will gather again at 12:30 for a discussion of the trial and concluding remarks. If you plan to attend, please register here no later than September 30.

Summer 2015 CALI Awards. 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 list of CALI Award winners for Summer 2015 courses is available by clicking here. Congratulations to all of you who received the award.

Institute for Compliance in Financial Markets: Introductory Session. The Law School's Institute for Compliance in Financial Markets will hold an introductory session on Wednesday, September 16, 3:00-4:00pm, in Rm. C40, to introduce students to classes offered by the Institute, internships, and careers in financial markets. Panelists will include Prof. Felice Batlan (Director of the Institute), Abby Eisenburg (Association Director), and Ann Cresce (Associate Director and former General Counsel of the Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange).

Constitution Day Observance. Chicago-Kent will be hosting a Constitution Day event on Thursday, September 17, 3:30-4:30pm, in the Marovitz Courtroom. The event is entitled "Categorical Confusion and the Supreme Court's 'Takings' Cases" and will feature a discussion of Horne v. Dept. of Agriculture with Professor Sarah Harding and Dean Harold Krent. There will be a reception following the event in the first floor lobby. The event is free and open to the public (no RSVP necessary). It is co-sponsored by the Chicago-Kent Federalist Society, the Chicago-Kent chapter of the American Constitution Society, and the Benjamin Franklin Project.

ABA Section of Science and Technology Law event. The ABA Section of Science and Technology will be offering a lunch program entitled "Build your Career and Brand with the SciTech Edge" on Wednesday, September 16, 12:00-1:30pm in Rm. 580 at the Law School. The event is free, lunch will be provided, and students will be granted a year's free membership in the Section.  It's a great opportunity for students to meet lawyers in the fields related to technology and to get practical advice about how to establish a practice in science and technology law. Click here to register.

CLE Event: Making the Case for Personal Wellness. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is sponsoring a free CLE event entitlted "Making the Case for Personal Wellness" on Tuesday, September 22, 11:30-1:30pm, at the University Club of Chicago, 76 East Monroe Street. The event will focus on how to make health and wellness a greater priority in the legal profession. The event is free and lunch will be provided. Click here for more information and to register for the event.

Joke of the Week. No matter how far you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.


Week of September 7, 2015

Academic Calendar Reminder. Due to Rosh Hashanah, classes are administratively canceled on Monday, September 14 (all day and evening). Due to Yom Kippur, classes are administratively canceled on Tuesday, September 22 (4:00 and after), and on Wednesday, September 23 (all day and evening).

Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines. This is a reminder that the Chicago-Kent Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines apply to all Chicago-Kent students, including students enrolled in first-year and upper-level writing courses (Legal Writing 1, Legal Writing 2, Legal Writing 3, Legal Writing 4, and all seminars). The Guidelines, which address a variety of issues, including plagiarism, are available by clicking here. If you have not reviewed the Guidelines recently, please do so.

Constitution Day Observance. Chicago-Kent will be hosting a Constitution Day event on Thursday, September 17, 3:30-4:30pm, in the Marovitz Courtroom. The event is entitled "Categorical Confusion and the Supreme Court's 'Takings' Cases" and will feature a discussion of Horne v. Dept. of Agriculture with Professor Sarah Harding and Dean Harold Krent. There will be a reception following the event in the first floor lobby. The event is free and open to the public (no RSVP necessary). It is co-sponsored by the Chicago-Kent Federalist Society, the Chicago-Kent chapter of the American Constitution Society, and the Benjamin Franklin Project.

CLE Event: Making the Case for Personal Wellness. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is sponsoring a free CLE event entitlted "Making the Case for Personal Wellness" on Tuesday, September 22, 11:30-1:30pm, at the University Club of Chicago, 76 East Monroe Street. The event will focus on how to make health and wellness a greater priority in the legal profession. The event is free and lunch will be provided. Click here for more information and to register for the event.

Joke of the Week. No matter how far you push the envelop, it will still be stationery.


Week of August 31, 2015

General Announcements:

Academic Calendar Reminder. Classes are canceled on Monday, September 7, for Labor Day. The following hours will be in effect for the Labor Day weekend:

Friday, September 4
Building hours 7:15am - 9:45pm
Library 8:00am - 3:00pm

Saturday, September 5
Building hours 8:30am - 3:15pm
Library CLOSED

Sunday, September 6 & Monday, September 7
Building and Library CLOSED

Student Organization Fair. The annual Student Organization Fair will be held on Tuesday, September 1, from 11:30-1:30 (for day students) and from 4:00-6:00 (for evening students) in the second and third floor atriums. All students are invited.

Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines. This is a reminder that the Chicago-Kent Legal Writing Ethics Guidelines apply to all Chicago-Kent students, including students enrolled in first-year and upper-level writing courses (Legal Writing 1, Legal Writing 2, Legal Writing 3, Legal Writing 4, and all seminars). The Guidelines, which address a variety of issues, including plagiarism, are available by clicking here. If you have not reviewed the Guidelines recently, please do so.

Academic Resource Library. The Office of Student Services maintains a resource library of study aids and other materials for first year classes and for many upper-level classes. Students can borrow materials for up to two weeks. This is a great way to preview a study aid before you buy it or do a quick review for a class. If you are interested in borrowing a book or flashcards, please see Jenna Abhijeet in Room 310A. Click here for a list of Subject areas and Book titles. 

Student Affairs Office: Extended Hours on Mondays. Jenna Abhijeet, the Director of Academic Administration and Student Affairs, has extended hours until 6:00 pm every Monday. She is located in Room 310A.

Student Health Insurance. For information about the 2015-2016 student health insurance plan, please see the Student Health Insurance FAQ. All students registered for at least one credit hour in the Fall semester (including intersession classes listed on the Fall schedule; but not including Incomplete make-ups) will automatically be billed for student health insurance. This applies to both Day and Evening Division students. (Please note that this is a change from the university’s prior policy, under which students were automatically enrolled in the insurance plan only if they were enrolled for 12 or more credits.)

The cost for the 2015-2016 academic year will be $1,439 for individual coverage (please contact the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550 for information about family coverage). You may waive insurance coverage if you have comparable coverage by filing a waiver form online at http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance; the deadline for waiving coverage is September 1, 2015. IIT requires students who waive the student health insurance to do so every year. The waiver process goes directly through Aetna Student Health Insurance. (Please note: If you are on an F1 or J1 visa, you will not be permitted to waive the IIT health insurance.) If you do not waive coverage by September 1, you will be billed for the insurance. For more information about the plan, including waivers, go to http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance or call the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550.

The health insurance coverage runs from August 14, 2015 to August 11, 2016. You may print your insurance card here. Aetna Student Health has an app that will allow you to have your insurance card and benefit details on your smart device. To access the app, follow the instructions below. Insurance cards will not be mailed out unless a request is made by calling 800-841-3140. (If you have any questions about the app, contact Melody McCray at 312-567-7116 or jack@iit.edu.)

  • Download the Aetna App (click here for more information)
  • Register as an Aetna member
  • At the Welcome screen, select ID card information
  • Select member (student or dependent names will appear in drop down)
  • View Card
  • Image of front and back of card appears

CyCKles: Chicago-Kent Bicycle Rental Program. Bicycle rentals are available at the Law School to students, faculty, and staff, made possible by a donation from a generous alum. Four bikes are available for rent at checkout rates listed in the current Bike Program rates & terms document. If you wish to rent a bike, visit the Bike Rental payment and checkout page and pay for the rental by using a credit card. General information on bike rentals can be found at the Chicago-Kent Bike rental page. If you have questions on this program, please contact the Office of Administration and Finance at 312.906.5100 or visit Suite 265.

IIT Policy on Firearms and Weapons on Campus. (From the IIT General Counsel's Office:) In general, carrying or bringing any type of firearm or other weapon in, on or to the campus or property of IIT is expressly prohibited.  This prohibition applies even if you have all of the requisite permits to carry the firearm or weapon, including a concealed carry permit.  The policy expressly defines “firearm,” “weapon,” “campus” and “property of IIT.” The policy does contain a very limited number of narrowly tailored exceptions, such as allowing ROTC to utilize firearms for training and permitting personnel of the Department of Public Safety and on duty police officers to carry firearms.

The link to the full, updated policy is provided below and everyone should familiarize themselves with it, as the policy will be strictly enforced: Concealed Carry and Prohibition Regarding Firearms and Weapons On Campus Policy.

Joke of the Week. Why don’t you ever see hippopotamus hiding in trees? Because they’re really good at it.

To Entering Students:

Bar Exam and Character & Fitness Requirements. First-year students should familiarize themselves with the bar exam and character & fitness requirements of the state in which they anticipate taking the bar exam. For Illinois, this information is availalbe on the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar website.

ASP Workshop: Preparing For and Getting the Most Out of Class. The Academic Support Program's first workshop of the semester will address how to prepare for class effectively and how to get the most out of your classes. The program for day students will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 12:00-1:00 (Auditorium). The program for evening students will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 7:35-8:30 (Rm. 510). All students are invited to attend, but first-year students are particularly encouraged to attend. For more information about the Academic Support Program, visit the ASP web site.

The remaining workshops for the Fall semester are listed below. Please mark your calendars. (Note: If you started this Summer in Dean Sowle's Criminal Law class, you have already had these workshops, but are welcome to attend again if you wish.)

Outlining Your Courses
Day students: Tuesday, September 29, 12:00-1:00 pm (Auditorium)
Evening students: Tuesday, September 29, 7:35-8:30 pm (Rm. 165)

Preparing for and Taking Exams
Day students: Tuesday, November 10, 12:00-1:00 pm (Auditorium)
Evening students: Tuesday, November 10, 7:35-8:30 pm (Rm. 165)

ID Cards and U-Pass Distribution. If you have not picked up your ID card or U-Pass, you may do so in the Registrar's Office on the second floor.

To Returning Students:

Adding and Dropping Courses. You may add an open course without special permission until the end of the first week of classes. During the second week, however, you may add an open course only with permission of the instructor. You may not add a course after Friday, September 4, 2015, at 11:50pm (the end of the add/drop period).

You may withdraw from any course except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or Intensive Trial Advocacy at any time prior to the date of the final exam or final paper (see § 3.10(c) of the Student Handbook). There is no tuition penalty if you drop a course by Monday, September 8 (the end of the add/drop period). You will not receive a tuition refund, however, if you drop a course after Friday, September 4, at 11:50pm.

Pass/Fail Elections.
 Pass/fail elections for the Fall semester must be made online no later than Friday, September 4, 2015. Please review section 2.4 "Pass/Fail Election" in the Student Handbook if you have any questions regarding your pass/fail elections. In order to make your election, you should:

  1. Log into Web for Students.

  2. Select the "Take Class Pass/Fail" option under the "Online Forms" heading

  3. Select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis

  4. Submit your selection

The Registrar's Office will review your request and inform you if there is any problem with your request.

Full-Time Students Taking Fewer Than 12 Credits. Students graduating at the end of the Fall 2015 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. If you take fewer than 12 credits hours, please contact the Registrar, Jerry Seaton, so he can make sure you are still coded as full-time in the registration system.

Tuition Discount for Graduating Students Taking More than 87 Credits.  If you will be graduating at the end of the Fall 2015 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contct me by email no later than Friday, September 4, 2015, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

Business Law Certificate Program. Upper-level students interested in pursuing the Business Law Certificate should submit the Notice of Intent of Pursue the Certificate in Business Law sometime during the semester to Nicole Lechuga outside room 827. Business Law Certificate students get registration priority for some courses and seminars; only students who have filed the notice are eligible for the priority. Business Law certificate students who will graduate this Fall should submit an Application for the Certificate in Business Law by September 30, 2015. The Program’s requirements and forms are available by clicking here. If you have any questions about the program, email Professor Howard Chapman, the Program Director, at hschpman@gmail.com. Important information for May 2016 graduates: Securities Regulation is one of three courses absolutely required to earn the Certificate. It is offered this semester on Monday and Wednesday from 8:50 to 10:30 a.m. It will also be offered in the Spring semester, but you should register for it this semester if it fits into your schedule. 

February 2016 and July 2016 Illinois Bar Applications. Applications for the February 2016 bar exam are due by September 1, 2015 (see below for the late filing deadlines). Applications for the July 2016 bar exam are due by February 15, 2016. You may file a late application for the February bar up to December 31, and for the July bar up to May 31, but penalty fees apply. The forms and instructions are available on the bar examiners' web site: https://www.ilbaradmissions.orgPlease note: Even if you registered with the bar examiners as a first-year student, you must still file a final application. If you have any questions about the application materials, you may call the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 217/522-5917.

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.

Dean's Certificate: 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 December or May. Please be sure to file an Application for Graduation at the beginning of your last semester so we will know you plan to graduate at the end of that semester. Important note: We will not certify any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.

Bar Exams in Other States. Students who may practice in another state should familiarize themselves with those states' bar admission requirements, registration procedures, and deadlines. In particular, if you may take the New York bar exam, you should read the revised admission requirements (including coursework requirements and limitations) adopted by New York in April 2012, available here.

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 or April, August, and November each year. The next exam will be given on Saturday, November 7, 2015. You may register online by clicking here. The deadline for applying for the November exam is September 17 (the late deadline is September 24). Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.


Week of August 24, 2015

General Announcements:

Student Organization Fair. The annual Student Organization Fair will be held on Tuesday, September 1, from 11:30-1:30 (for day students) and from 4:00-6:00 (for evening students) in the second and third floor atriums. All students are invited.

IIT Emergency Notification Service.
 IIT Alert is an emergency alert notification system that the university uses to broadcast important information via text, phone, and email in the event of severe weather or an ongoing situation that affects the safety of our campus communities. Click here to register for iitalert. Registration is easy and takes less than a minute.

Disability Resources. 
Chicago-Kent College of Law provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in law school activities, programs, and services. Individuals with disabilities requiring an accommodation to participate in an activity, program or service (for example, exam accommodations or classroom accommodations) should contact Jenna Abhijeet, Chicago-Kent's Director of Student Services, at (312) 906-5005 or jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu, or stop by office 310A.

Counseling Services.
 IIT's Student Health and Wellness Center provides counseling services at the Law School by appointment. To schedule an appointment, call (312) 567-7550. There is no charge for these counseling services.

New Chicago-Kent Law Review 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, or their successful participation in this summer's write-on competition.

Caitlin M. Ajax Jenna Kim
Naomi Bensdorf Frisch David A. Love
David E. Braden Jeffrey T. Michalik
Terrence R. Brennan Matthew R. Pikor
Alisha N. Chambers Andrea I. Savageau
Gregory B. Conner Symone D. Shinton
Kelsey I. Cox Andrew J. Silvia
Nicholas L. De Bruyne Theresa L. Starck
Nicholas J. DeRyke Claire E. Stephens
Joleen N. East Ryan Suniga
Maxwell Eichenberger Meaghan A. Sweeney
Jennifer Ellenby Catherine N. Taylor
Alexander J. Halaska Schuyler R. Ufkes
Matthew R. Hamielec Karen E. Vaysman
Bryce T. Hensley Karolen S. Younan

Chicago-Kent Master Calendar. The Chicago-Kent Master Calendar is available here; it may also be accessed from the main Chicago-Kent web page. This site includes all events scheduled at the Law School, including student organization events, and the Academic Calendar.

Notice About Recording of Classes. Video and/or sound recording of any classroom activities requires the approval of the faculty member in charge of the class, and reasonable notice to all those in attendance. The faculty member in charge of the class is permitted but not required to impose additional reasonable conditions on recording, including, but not limited to, consent of the entire class and a prohibition on posting the recording on the internet or through any forms of social media.

Employment Limitation. Subject to the limitation for full-time first-year students mentioned below, students may work more than 20 hours a week if they take 13 or fewer credits in a regular semester (Fall or Spring). Students are prohibited from working more than 20 hours a week if they take 14 or more credits.

Full-time first-year students are prohibted from working more than 20 hours a week even if they take 13 or fewer credits (e.g., full-time summer-start students, who take only 13 credits in the Fall, are still limited to working no more than 20 hours a week).

Student Health Insurance. For information about the 2015-2016 student health insurance plan, please see the Student Health Insurance FAQ. All students registered for at least one credit hour in the Fall semester (including intersession classes listed on the Fall schedule; but not including Incomplete make-ups) will automatically be billed for student health insurance. This applies to both Day and Evening Division students. (Please note that this is a change from the university’s prior policy, under which students were automatically enrolled in the insurance plan only if they were enrolled for 12 or more credits.)

The cost for the 2015-2016 academic year will be $1,439 for individual coverage (please contact the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550 for information about family coverage). You may waive insurance coverage if you have comparable coverage by filing a waiver form online at http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance; the deadline for waiving coverage is September 1, 2015. IIT requires students who waive the student health insurance to do so every year. The waiver process goes directly through Aetna Student Health Insurance. (Please note: If you are on an F1 or J1 visa, you will not be permitted to waive the IIT health insurance.) If you do not waive coverage by September 1, you will be billed for the insurance. For more information about the plan, including waivers, go to http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance or call the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550.

The health insurance coverage runs from August 14, 2015 to August 11, 2016. You may print your insurance card here. Aetna Student Health has an app that will allow you to have your insurance card and benefit details on your smart device. To access the app, follow the instructions below. Insurance cards will not be mailed out unless a request is made by calling 800-841-3140. (If you have any questions about the app, contact Melody McCray at 312-567-7116 or jack@iit.edu.)

  • Download the Aetna App (click here for more information)
  • Register as an Aetna member
  • At the Welcome screen, select ID card information
  • Select member (student or dependent names will appear in drop down)
  • View Card
  • Image of front and back of card appears

Meditation and Lactation Rooms. There are meditation and lactation rooms located in the Library. For more information, please contact Jenna Abhijeet at jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu or 312-906-5005.

FERPA Rights and Notification of Access to Education Records. The Student Handbook outlines student rights and responsibitilies regarding access to educational records. Please review sections 14.4 and 14.5, which are linked to this page. Please pay particular attention to section 14.5, which lists the types of information that Chicago-Kent classifies as "directory information" (which Chicago-Kent may release at its discretion) and the information published in the online Student Directory (available only to members of the Chicago-Kent community). Section 14.5 also explains how you may request that directory information, including the information published in the Student Directory, not be published or released.

Notice to Students in Substance Abuse Recovery (or who want to be).
 If you are in recovery for a substance abuse problem, or if you are not in recovery but would like help with a substance abuse problem, consider contacting the Lawyers Assistance Program. This confidential program exists to help lawyers, judges, and law students with alcohol abuse, drug dependency, or mental health problems. If you are already in recovery, there are weekly A.A. meetings at LAP's Chicago office on Tuesdays, 12:15-1:15 pm, and Thursdays, 12:15-1:15 pm, , at 20 S. Clark Street, Suite 1820. If you are not in recovery but would like to find out more about what LAP can do for you, call or stop by LAP's office, or go to their web site at http://www.illinoislap.org.

Reminder About IIT's Political Activity Policy. (From the IIT General Counsel's Office:) As a tax-exempt entity, IIT is prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elective office, and IIT has an obligation to refrain from engaging in any partisan political activity. Violation of these prohibitions against such activities could jeopardize the university's tax-exempt status.

While individuals are free to express their opinions and to support political candidates on their own, it must be clear that the individual is acting on his or her own behalf and not on behalf of IIT. No one should identify himself or herself as an employee of IIT when supporting a candidate. If, when speaking or writing on behalf of a candidate someone is identified as an IIT faculty member or other employee, that individual should indicate prior to any speech or as part of any writing that the comments are personal and not intended to represent the views of IIT. Further, no individual or event may use the name, symbols or resources of the university in any way in connection with any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for political office.

Specific examples of impermissible activities include, but are not limited to (i) using university letterhead, campus mail, telephones or email accounts to solicit support or contributions for a candidate; (ii) using university funds to purchase tickets for a candidate's fund-raiser; and (iii) putting campaign posters on university property.

Political candidates may use or rent IIT facilities only if all candidates are allowed the opportunity to use or rent such facilities on equal terms and conditions. 

Subject to certain conditions and restrictions, political candidates may be invited to speak at events without jeopardizing IIT’s tax-exempt status; however, no such invitation should be extended without the extending party first discussing the invitation with the General Counsel’s Office, so as to ensure that the invitation complies with applicable laws.

Certain voter education activities, including voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, are permissible but only if they are undertaken in accordance with applicable rules and regulations and are conducted in a non-partisan manner. Again, before any such activities are undertaken, the initiating party should contact the General Counsel's Office.

Any questions about this policy should be directed to Anthony D. D'Amato, General Counsel, at 7-8821.

Smoking Outside the Building. The City of Chicago prohibits smoking within 15 feet of the building entrance. Smokers should use the designated outdoor smoking area to the east of the building entrance (past the second column).

Furniture in the Classroom.
 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.
I intend to live forever, or die trying!

To Entering Students:

Student Handbook, Academic Policies, and Code of Conduct. Please take time to review the Student Handbook, which includes information about academic policies and procedures, including the rules governing academic probation and dismissal, grading curves, graduation requirements, and the Chicago-Kent Code of Conduct (located at the end of the Handbook). For future reference, there is a permanent link to the Handbook through the main Current Students Portal page (under the Academics heading).

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 consistencey 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 applicaiton 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 in 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 (if any), than to be called before the bar examiners three years from now to explain a discrepency or omission.

Most probems in the past have arisen with respect to the following two questions in Section 13 of the application:

1. Have you ever been convicted of, plead guilty or nolo contendere to, or received a period of supervision for, any offense other than a minor traffic or parking violation, or is any charge now pending against you concerning such an offense? (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.) You must disclose each instance regardless of whether a conviction was reversed, set aside or vacated, or the record sealed or expunged.

2. 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?

Academic Support Program. You received information during Orientation about the Academic Support Program (ASP), which is designed to assist first-year students in developing the skills needed to succeed in law school. One component of the program is weekly small group sessions focusing on skills development in the context of each of your Fall doctrinal courses. We will be sending invitations shortly to selected students. If you do not receive an invitation and would like to petition to join them, click here for the petition form, which should be submitted to Jenna Abhijeet, our Director of Student Services, no later than Wednesday, September 2. Information about the program and study resources is available on the ASP web site.

ASP Workshop: Preparing For and Getting the Most Out of Class. The Academic Support Program's first workshop of the semester will address how to prepare for class effectively and how to get the most out of your classes. The program for day students will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 12:00-1:00 (Auditorium). The program for evening students will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 7:35-8:30 (Rm. 510). All students are invited to attend, but first-year students are particularly encouraged to attend. For more information about the Academic Support Program, visit the ASP web site.

The remaining workshops for the Fall semester are listed below. Please mark your calendars. (Note: If you started this Summer in Dean Sowle's Criminal Law class, you have already had these workshops, but are welcome to attend again if you wish.)

Outlining Your Courses
Day students: Tuesday, September 29, 12:00-1:00 pm (Auditorium)
Evening students: Tuesday, September 29, 7:35-8:30 pm (Rm. 165)

Preparing for and Taking Exams
Day students: Wednesday, November 10, 12:00-1:00 pm (Auditorium)
Evening students: Tuesday, November 10, 7:35-8:30 pm (Rm. 165)

ID and U-Pass Distribution. If you have not picked up your ID card or U-Pass, you may do so in the Registrar's Office on the second floor.

About the U-Pass Program: The U-Pass is a discount fare card allowing unlimited rides on all CTA buses and trains. All full-time day students will receive a Ventra U-Pass card valid from August 24 (the first day of classes) through December 18 (the end of Fall exams). You will keep your Ventra card until you graduate. The Ventra cards require activation; instructions will be provided when you pick up your card. You will also be able to use the card during breaks from school by adding money to the card.

The charge for the card will appear on the semester bill for each full-time student. Due to restrictions imposed by the CTA, the program is not currently available to evening students or part-time day students. For more details, visit the CTA's U-Pass web site.

Note to International LL.M. students and visiting students: You qualify for a U-Pass if you are registered for at least 12 credit hours for the Fall semester. If you are reigstered for fewer than 12 credit hours, you do not qualify for a U-Pass.

Immunization Records.
 If you have not yet supplied your immunization records to IIT, please do so as soon as possible. You may have a hold placed on your registration if you do not submit the proper documentation. 

To Returning 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 (312) 906-5282, come by my office (Suite 320C), or e-mail me (ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu).

Fall 2015 Semester Information. The Fall 2015 Quick Guide page has most of the information you will need in advance of the start of the Fall semester - click here, or go to the Current Students Portal page and click on the Fall 2015 Quick Guide link under "Academics & Grades." Print copies of many of the documents described below are available on the table in the third-floor elevator bay. Alternatively, click on the individual links below to go directly to the indicated documents.

Initial Reading Assignments and Course Materials.
Not all professors submit initial assignments, so do not be concerned if there is no listing for one or more of your Fall courses.

You may ask the bookstore to hold your Fall course materials 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 Internet by clicking on the Bookstore link on the Current Students page

Revised Fall Schedule (with Classroom Assignments).
Classroom assignments will also be posted in the front lobby a few days before classes start.

Course Information Updates.
This document lists all changes to the final Fall class schedule to date. The current version of the class schedule posted online reflects these changes. 

Trial Advocacy 1 Section Assignments.
If your section meets at the Daley Center, please be sure to bring your Kent ID card with you, as you may be required to show it before being allowed to enter.

Trial Advocacy 2 Section Assignments.
If your section meets at the Daley Center, please be sure to bring your Kent ID card with you, as you may be required to show it before being allowed to enter.

Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Classes
Students this semester who are on Law Review, or who are taking Appellate Advocacy (Moot Court Honor Society), Pretrial Litigation, Criminal Litigation 2, or who are doing Judicial Externships, may satisfy the Legal Writing 4 requirement either by taking a regular Legal Writing 4 class in the Spring, or by taking a Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Class this semester. If you take a Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Class this semester, you may take Legal Writing 3 in either the Fall or the Spring. Note: You must register for one of the two sections of Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Class this semester, in addition to participating in the qualifying activity (e.g., Law Review), in order to place out of taking a regular Legal Writing 4 class in the Spring - it is not sufficient just to participate in the qualifying activity. The Equivalency Class must be taken in the same semester as the activity that qualifies you to take the Equivalency Class - you may not defer the Equivalency Class to a later semester.

Exam Schedule.
Please note that you are permitted to register for courses with exams scheduled at the same time; one exam will be rescheduled for you.

The Student Handbook requires that you take your finals at the times scheduled unless you have an exam conflict (as defined below), or you have a "serious illness or other extraordinary or compelling reason" beyond your control. A Final Exam Reschedule Form will be posted later this semester through Web for Students.

A student is deemed to have an "exam conflict" if he or she has two exams at the same time, or has two or more exams within 24 hours (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or at 6:00 p.m. and 1:15 the following afternoon). A conflict does not exist if two exams are scheduled exactly 24 hours apart (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. one morning and 8:30 a.m. the next morning).

Applications for Graduation.  J.D. students who plan on graduating at the end of theFall semester must submit an online Application for Graduation form no later than Monday, September 4, 2015. To complete the form, go to Web for Students at https://wfs.kentlaw.iit.edu and click on "Application for Graduation" under "Online Forms" in the lefthand menu. Please complete every field in the form, and click Submit when done. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once a graduation audit has been performed. Please note that any changes you make to your schedule after the audit may affect your graduation requirements. You should check with the Registrar's Office prior to making any changes. Also note that, although the Registrar's Office does conduct graduation audits on all applications, it is your responsibility to make certain all requirements for graduation are met. If you have any questions, please stop by the Registrar's office.

Opportunity to Take Classes at Loyola and DePaul. Chicago-Kent has an arrangement with Loyola (Chicago) School of Law and DePaul University College of Law that permits students from each school to register for selected courses at the other schools. Students will pay tuition to their home school, and grades will transfer (not just the credits) and be counted in your GPA. Click here for a list of Loyola classes open to upper-level Chicago-Kent students for the Fall 2015 term; click here for a list of DePaul classes. If you are interested in taking one of these classes, please contact me. Please note: These courses may count toward a Chicago-Kent certificate program only with permission of Dean Sowle and the director of the relevant certificate program.

Business Law Certificate Program. Upper-level students interested in pursuing the Business Law Certificate should submit the Notice of Intent of Pursue the Certificate in Business Law sometime during the semester to Nicole Lechuga outside room 827. Business Law Certificate students get registration priority for some courses and seminars; only students who have filed the notice are eligible for the priority. Business Law certificate students who will graduate this Fall should submit an Application for the Certificate in Business Law by September 30, 2015. The Program’s requirements and forms are available by clicking here. If you have any questions about the program, email Professor Howard Chapman, the Program Director, at hschpman@gmail.com. Important information for May 2016 graduates: Securities Regulation is one of three courses absolutely required to earn the Certificate. It is offered this semester on Monday and Wednesday from 8:50 to 10:30 a.m. It will also be offered in the Spring semester, but you should register for it this semester if it fits into your schedule.

Bookstore Hours.

2015-2016 Academic Calendar

Adding and Dropping Courses. 
You may add an open course without special permission until the end of the first week of classes. During the second week, however, you may add an open course only with permission of the instructor. You may not add a course after Friday, September 4, 2015, at 11:50pm (the end of the add/drop period).

You may withdraw from any course except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or Intensive Trial Advocacy at any time prior to the date of the final exam or final paper (see § 3.10(c) of the Student Handbook). There is no tuition penalty if you drop a course by Monday, September 8 (the end of the add/drop period). You will not receive a tuition refund, however, if you drop a course after Friday, September 4, at 11:50pm.

Pass/Fail Elections. 
Pass/fail elections for the Fall semester must be made online no later than Friday, September 4, 2015. Please review section 2.4 "Pass/Fail Election" in the Student Handbook if you have any questions regarding your pass/fail elections. In order to make your election, you should:

  1. Log into Web for Students.

  2. Select the "Take Class Pass/Fail" option under the "Online Forms" heading

  3. Select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis

  4. Submit your selection

The Registrar's Office will review your request and inform you if there is any problem with your request.

Spring 2016 Preliminary Schedule. 
The preliminary class schedule for the Spring 2016 semester is available on the Fall 2015 Quick Guide pagePlease note: This schedule is only preliminary; there will be additions to the class list and other changes made before the schedule is finalized. The final Spring 2016 schedule will be issued later this semester, when registration for Spring classes will also take place.

Full-Time Students Taking Fewer Than 12 Credits. 
Students graduating at the end of the Fall 2015 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. If you take fewer than 12 credits hours, please contact the Registrar, Jerry Seaton, so he can make sure you are still coded as full-time in the registration system.

Tuition Discount for Graduating Students Taking More than 87 Credits.  If you will be graduating at the end of the Fall 2015 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contct me by email no later than Friday, September 4, 2015, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

Changes to Academic Regulations.  The Law School faculty, at its May 12 meeting, adopted the following changes to the Law School's academic regulations, effective with the Summer 2015 term:

*Students who take a class pass/fail are now eligible to receive the CALI Award for the class.

*The following specialized Professional Responsibility classes are exempt from the mandatory curve: Ethics and Advocacy; Practice and Professionalism; and Professional Responsibility: Business Ethics.

*The 16-credit limit on taking clinical courses and externships has been increased to 24 credits.

*The cap of 19 credits on all variety of pass/fail credits has been eliminated.

*Part-time students may now take up to 13 credits in a regular semester (Fall or Spring) without special permission. If you are a part-time student and wish to take 12 or 13 credits in the Fall, please contact Dean Sowle to have your maximum credits adjusted in the system (we will need to make this adjustment manually for the Fall, as part-time students were already coded for 11 credits maximum prior to the rule change).

*Subject to the limitation for full-time first-year students mentioned below, students may now work more than 20 hours a week if they take 13 or fewer credits in a regular semester (Fall or Spring). Students are still prohibited from working more than 20 hours a week if they take 14 or more credits. Full-time first-year students are prohibted from working more than 20 hours a week even if they take 13 or fewer credits (e.g., full-time summer-start students, who take only 13 credits in the Fall, are still limited to working no more than 20 hours a week).

Code of Conduct Revisions. Pursuant to changes in the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Law School revised its Code of Conduct last year to comply with the VAWA's requirements that schools prohibit certain specified categories of sexual misconduct; provide definitions of those offenses, and the definition of consent, consistent with applicable provisions of federal and state law; and institute certain procedural provisions in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct. In response to final federal regulations issued by the Department of Education pursuant to the VAWA amendments, the Law School faculty, at its May 12 meeting, considered and approved certain revisions to the Code of Conduct changes made last year. The revisions are available by clicking here.

Spring 2015 CALI Awards. 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 Sprig 2015 courses are available by clicking here. If a section or a course is not listed, that means the professor elected not to give a CALI award, or we have not yet heard from the professor. Congratulations to all of you who received an award - you should be proud of your achievement. There will be a luncheon early in the Fall for all 2014-2015 CALI Award winners; certificates will be distributed at that time.

Spring 2015 Class Ranks/GPA Cut-offs.
 Cumulative GPAs through the Spring 2015 semester, and Spring 2015 class ranks for J.D. students, are now available through Web for Students (click on the Spring 2015 link under Grades and Rank in the left-hand menu). Students who graduated in the Fall or last Summer will find their final class rank under the Fall 2014 or Summer 2014 links. Class ranks are based on cumulative (not just Spring semester) GPA. For those students who transferred into Kent in January, please keep in mind that you will not receive a class rank until you have been here for two semesters. The GPA cut-offs as of the end of the Spring 2015 semester are available by clicking here

Fall U-Passes. All full-time J.D. students (determined by your official division status, not by the number of credit hours you take in a particular semester) are enrolled in the U-Pass program. Your current Ventra U-Pass card will be activated to work from Monday, August 24 (the first day of the semester) through Friday, December 18 (the last day of exams). If you have any questions or problems with respect to your U-Pass or your eligibility, please contact Jenna Abhijeet at jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu.

Academic Counseling. I am available for counseling about course selection, certificate programs, bar preparation, academic rules and regulations, and other academic matters. If you are interested in a particular area of law, I can also arrange for you to meet with a faculty member who specializes in that area. You may contact me by email (ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu), by phone at (312) 906-5282, or by stopping by my office (320C).

February 2016 and July 2016 Illinois Bar Applications. Applications for the February 2016 bar exam are due by September 1, 2015 (see below for the late filing deadlines). Applications for the July 2016 bar exam are due by February 15, 2016. You may file a late application for the February bar up to December 31, and for the July bar up to May 31, but penalty fees apply. The forms and instructions are available on the bar examiners' web site: https://www.ilbaradmissions.orgPlease note: Even if you registered with the bar examiners as a first-year student, you must still file a final application. If you have any questions about the application materials, you may call the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 217/522-5917.

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.

Dean's Certificate: 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 December or May. Please be sure to file an Application for Graduation at the beginning of your last semester so we will know you plan to graduate at the end of that semester. Important note: We will not certify any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.

Bar Exams in Other States. Students who may practice in another state should familiarize themselves with those states' bar admission requirements, registration procedures, and deadlines. In particular, if you may take the New York bar exam, you should read the revised admission requirements (including coursework requirements and limitations) adopted by New York in April 2012, available here.

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 or April, August, and November each year. The next exam will be given on Saturday, November 7, 2015. You may register online by clicking here. The deadline for applying for the November exam is September 17 (the late deadline is September 24). Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.


Week of August 17, 2015

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 for Academic Administration and Student Affairs, I have responsibility for a number of areas that affect your life as a student. I supervise the Registrar's office on scheduling your courses, administering your exams, and maintaining your academic records. I'm also in charge of Orientation, academic and personal counseling of students, and applying the school's academic regulations. More generally, my job is to make sure that your life at the Law School remains as free from administrative hassles as possible. If you think I can be of help, please call me at (312) 906-5282, come by my office (320C), or e-mail me (ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu). If I'm not the right person to help you, I should be able to point you in the right direction. My door is open without appointment, so long as I am not otherwise occupied when you drop by.

Orientation Week.
 
The final schedule for Orientation week will be distributed in the registration packets when you arrive.

Student Organization Fair.
 The annual Student Organization Fair will be held on Tuesday, September 1, from 11:30-1:30 (for day students) and from 4:00-6:00 (for evening students) in the second and third floor atriums. All students are invited.

Academic Support Program.
 You will receive information during Orientation about the Academic Support Program (ASP), which is designed to assist first-year students in developing the skills needed to succeed in law school. One component of the program is weekly small group sessions focusing on skills development in the context of each of your Fall doctrinal courses. We will be sending invitations to selected students before the start of the regular semester to join these sessions. If you do not receive an invitation and would like to petition to join them, click here for the petition form, which should be submitted to Jenna Abhijeet, our Director of Student Services, no later than Wednesday, September 2. Information about the program and study resources is available on the ASP web site.

Student Health Insurance. For information about the 2015-2016 student health insurance plan, please see the Student Health Insurance FAQ. All students registered for at least one credit hour in the Fall semester (including intersession classes listed on the Fall schedule; but not including Incomplete make-ups) will automatically be billed for student health insurance. This applies to both Day and Evening Division students. (Please note that this is a change from the university’s prior policy, under which students were automatically enrolled in the insurance plan only if they were enrolled for 12 or more credits.)

The cost for the 2015-2016 academic year will be $1,439 for individual coverage (please contact the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550 for information about family coverage). You may waive insurance coverage if you have comparable coverage by filing a waiver form online at http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance; the deadline for waiving coverage is September 1, 2015. IIT requires students who waive the student health insurance to do so every year. The waiver process goes directly through Aetna Student Health Insurance. (Please note: If you are on an F1 or J1 visa, you will not be permitted to waive the IIT health insurance.) If you do not waive coverage by September 1, you will be billed for the insurance. For more information about the plan, including waivers, go to http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance or call the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550.

The health insurance coverage runs from August 14, 2015 to August 11, 2016. You may print your insurance card here. Aetna Student Health has an app that will allow you to have your insurance card and benefit details on your smart device. To access the app, follow the instructions below. Insurance cards will not be mailed out unless a request is made by calling 800-841-3140. (If you have any questions about the app, contact Melody McCray at 312-567-7116 or jack@iit.edu.)

  • Download the Aetna App (click here for more information)
  • Register as an Aetna member
  • At the Welcome screen, select ID card information
  • Select member (student or dependent names will appear in drop down)
  • View Card
  • Image of front and back of card appears

CTA U-Pass Program. Chicago-Kent is a participant in the Chicago Transit Authority's U-Pass program. The U-Pass is a discount fare card allowing unlimited rides on all CTA buses and trains. All full-time day students will receive a U-Pass card valid from August 24 (the first day of classes) through December 18 (the end of Fall exams). The CTA is uses the Ventra card, which you will keep until you graduate. The cards require activation each semester; instructions will be provided when you pick up your card. You will also be able to use the card during breaks from school by adding money to the card.

The charge for the card will appear on the semester bill for each full-time student. Due to restrictions imposed by the CTA, the program is not currently available to evening students or part-time day students. We will notify first-year full-time students once we have received your U-Passes. For more details, visit the CTA's U-Pass web site.

Note to International LL.M. students and visiting students: You qualify for a U-Pass if you are registered for at least 12 credit hours for the Fall semester. If you are registered for fewer than 12 credit hours, you do not qualify for a U-Pass.

To Returning 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 (312) 906-5282, come by my office (Suite 320C), or e-mail me (ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu).

Fall 2015 Semester Information. The Fall 2015 Quick Guide page has most of the information you will need in advance of the start of the Fall semester - click here, or go to the Current Students Portal page and click on the Fall 2015 Quick Guide link under "Academics & Grades." Print copies of many of the documents described below are available on the table in the third-floor elevator bay. Alternatively, click on the individual links below to go directly to the indicated documents.

Initial Reading Assignments and Course Materials.
Not all professors submit initial assignments, so do not be concerned if there is no listing for one or more of your Fall courses.

You may ask the bookstore to hold your Fall course materials 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 Internet by clicking on the Bookstore link on the Current Students page

Revised Fall Schedule (with Classroom Assignments).
Classroom assignments will also be posted in the front lobby a few days before classes start.

Course Information Updates.
This document lists all changes to the final Fall class schedule to date. The current version of the class schedule posted online reflects these changes. 

Trial Advocacy 1 Section Assignments.
If your section meets at the Daley Center, please be sure to bring your Kent ID card with you, as you may be required to show it before being allowed to enter.

Trial Advocacy 2 Section Assignments.
If your section meets at the Daley Center, please be sure to bring your Kent ID card with you, as you may be required to show it before being allowed to enter.

Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Classes
Students this semester who are on Law Review, or who are taking Appellate Advocacy (Moot Court Honor Society), Pretrial Litigation, Criminal Litigation 2, or who are doing Judicial Externships, may satisfy the Legal Writing 4 requirement either by taking a regular Legal Writing 4 class in the Spring, or by taking a Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Class this semester. If you take a Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Class this semester, you may take Legal Writing 3 in either the Fall or the Spring. Note: You must register for one of the two sections of Legal Writing 4 Equivalency Class this semester, in addition to participating in the qualifying activity (e.g., Law Review), in order to place out of taking a regular Legal Writing 4 class in the Spring - it is not sufficient just to participate in the qualifying activity. The Equivalency Class must be taken in the same semester as the activity that qualifies you to take the Equivalency Class - you may not defer the Equivalency Class to a later semester.

International & Comparative Antitrust seminar. This seminar may be taken either for 2 credits, in the Fall only, or for 3 credits, over both Fall and Spring semester (initally, it was listed only for the full-year option). The seminar will meet Mondays 4:00-5:50pm. The Fall semester will be devoted to readings, discussions and student presentations. All students will be expected to choose a tentative paper topic early in the Fall semester and to give a presentation on the topic. Students choosing the Fall-only option will write a seminar paper during the semester. It will be due near the end of the semester. Those who choose the Fall plus Spring option will submit their papers near the end of the Spring semester. During the Spring semester, there will not be regularly schedules class meetings. There will, however, be a few class meetings to discuss student research. These will be scheduled according to student availability. Students who choose this option will receive one grade for both semesters. Assuming successful completion of the Fall portion, a Pass will be recorded temporarily until a final letter grade is assigned at the end of the Spring semester. Papers for these students should be longer, more thorough and more polished than those submitted by students who choose the first option. If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Gerber at dgerber@kentlaw.iit.edu.

Exam Schedule.
Please note that you are permitted to register for courses with exams scheduled at the same time; one exam will be rescheduled for you.

The Student Handbook requires that you take your finals at the times scheduled unless you have an exam conflict (as defined below), or you have a "serious illness or other extraordinary or compelling reason" beyond your control. A Final Exam Reschedule Form will be posted later this semester through Web for Students.

A student is deemed to have an "exam conflict" if he or she has two exams at the same time, or has two or more exams within 24 hours (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or at 6:00 p.m. and 1:15 the following afternoon). A conflict does not exist if two exams are scheduled exactly 24 hours apart (e.g., exams at 8:30 a.m. one morning and 8:30 a.m. the next morning).

Applications for Graduation.  J.D. students who plan on graduating at the end of theFall semester must submit an online Application for Graduation form no later than Monday, September 4, 2015. To complete the form, go to Web for Students at https://wfs.kentlaw.iit.edu and click on "Application for Graduation" under "Online Forms" in the lefthand menu. Please complete every field in the form, and click Submit when done. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once a graduation audit has been performed. Please note that any changes you make to your schedule after the audit may affect your graduation requirements. You should check with the Registrar's Office prior to making any changes. Also note that, although the Registrar's Office does conduct graduation audits on all applications, it is your responsibility to make certain all requirements for graduation are met. If you have any questions, please stop by the Registrar's office.

Opportunity to Take Classes at Loyola and DePaul. Chicago-Kent has an arrangement with Loyola (Chicago) School of Law and DePaul University College of Law that permits students from each school to register for selected courses at the other schools. Students will pay tuition to their home school, and grades will transfer (not just the credits) and be counted in your GPA. Click here for a list of Loyola classes open to upper-level Chicago-Kent students for the Fall 2015 term; click here for a list of DePaul classes. If you are interested in taking one of these classes, please contact me. Please note: These courses may count toward a Chicago-Kent certificate program only with permission of Dean Sowle and the director of the relevant certificate program.

Business Law Certificate Program. Upper-level students interested in pursuing the Business Law Certificate should submit the Notice of Intent of Pursue the Certificate in Business Law sometime during the semester to Nicole Lechuga outside room 827. Business Law Certificate students get registration priority for some courses and seminars; only students who have filed the notice are eligible for the priority. Business Law certificate students who will graduate this Fall should submit an Application for the Certificate in Business Law by September 30, 2015. The Program’s requirements and forms are available by clicking here. If you have any questions about the program, email Professor Howard Chapman, the Program Director, at hschpman@gmail.com. Important information for May 2016 graduates: Securities Regulation is one of three courses absolutely required to earn the Certificate. It is offered this semester on Monday and Wednesday from 8:50 to 10:30 a.m. It will also be offered in the Spring semester, but you should register for it this semester if it fits into your schedule.

Bookstore Hours.

2015-2016 Academic Calendar

Adding and Dropping Courses. 
You may add an open course without special permission until the end of the first week of classes. During the second week, however, you may add an open course only with permission of the instructor. You may not add a course after Friday, September 4, 2015, at 11:50pm (the end of the add/drop period).

You may withdraw from any course except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or Intensive Trial Advocacy at any time prior to the date of the final exam or final paper (see § 3.10(c) of the Student Handbook). There is no tuition penalty if you drop a course by Monday, September 8 (the end of the add/drop period). You will not receive a tuition refund, however, if you drop a course after Friday, September 4, at 11:50pm.

Pass/Fail Elections. 
Pass/fail elections for the Fall semester must be made online no later than Friday, September 4, 2015. Please review section 2.4 "Pass/Fail Election" in the Student Handbook if you have any questions regarding your pass/fail elections. In order to make your election, you should:

  1. Log into Web for Students.

  2. Select the "Take Class Pass/Fail" option under the "Online Forms" heading

  3. Select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis

  4. Submit your selection

The Registrar's Office will review your request and inform you if there is any problem with your request.

Spring 2016 Preliminary Schedule. 
The preliminary class schedule for the Spring 2016 semester is available on the Fall 2015 Quick Guide pagePlease note: This schedule is only preliminary; there will be additions to the class list and other changes made before the schedule is finalized. The final Spring 2016 schedule will be issued later this semester, when registration for Spring classes will also take place.

Full-Time Students Taking Fewer Than 12 Credits. 
Students graduating at the end of the Fall 2015 semester who need fewer than the minimum number of hours to graduate may take fewer credits without special permission. If you take fewer than 12 credits hours, please contact the Registrar, Jerry Seaton, so he can make sure you are still coded as full-time in the registration system.

Tuition Discount for Graduating Students Taking More than 87 Credits.  If you will be graduating at the end of the Fall 2015 semester, and will be taking more than the 87 credits required to graduate, you may receive a 50% discount on each credit you take over the required 87 credits. If this affects you, please contct me by email no later than Friday, September 4, 2015, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Financial aid is not available for any courses you take that are not necessary for you to reach the required 87 credits.

Changes to Academic Regulations.  The Law School faculty, at its May 12 meeting, adopted the following changes to the Law School's academic regulations, effective with the Summer 2015 term:

*Students who take a class pass/fail are now eligible to receive the CALI Award for the class.

*The following specialized Professional Responsibility classes are exempt from the mandatory curve: Ethics and Advocacy; Practice and Professionalism; and Professional Responsibility: Business Ethics.

*The 16-credit limit on taking clinical courses and externships has been increased to 24 credits.

*The cap of 19 credits on all variety of pass/fail credits has been eliminated.

*Part-time students may now take up to 13 credits in a regular semester (Fall or Spring) without special permission. If you are a part-time student and wish to take 12 or 13 credits in the Fall, please contact Dean Sowle to have your maximum credits adjusted in the system (we will need to make this adjustment manually for the Fall, as part-time students were already coded for 11 credits maximum prior to the rule change).

*Subject to the limitation for full-time first-year students mentioned below, students may now work more than 20 hours a week if they take 13 or fewer credits in a regular semester (Fall or Spring). Students are still prohibited from working more than 20 hours a week if they take 14 or more credits. Full-time first-year students are prohibted from working more than 20 hours a week even if they take 13 or fewer credits (e.g., full-time summer-start students, who take only 13 credits in the Fall, are still limited to working no more than 20 hours a week).

Code of Conduct Revisions. Pursuant to changes in the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Law School revised its Code of Conduct last year to comply with the VAWA's requirements that schools prohibit certain specified categories of sexual misconduct; provide definitions of those offenses, and the definition of consent, consistent with applicable provisions of federal and state law; and institute certain procedural provisions in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct. In response to final federal regulations issued by the Department of Education pursuant to the VAWA amendments, the Law School faculty, at its May 12 meeting, considered and approved certain revisions to the Code of Conduct changes made last year. The revisions are available by clicking here.

Student Organization Fair. The annual Student Organization Fair will be held on Tuesday, September 1, from 11:30-1:30 (for day students) and from 4:00-6:00 (for evening students) in the second and third floor atriums. All students are invited.

Student Health Insurance. For information about the 2015-2016 student health insurance plan, please see the Student Health Insurance FAQ. All students registered for at least one credit hour in the Fall semester (including intersession classes listed on the Fall schedule; but not including Incomplete make-ups) will automatically be billed for student health insurance. This applies to both Day and Evening Division students. (Please note that this is a change from the university’s prior policy, under which students were automatically enrolled in the insurance plan only if they were enrolled for 12 or more credits.)

The cost for the 2015-2016 academic year will be $1,439 for individual coverage (please contact the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550 for information about family coverage). You may waive insurance coverage if you have comparable coverage by filing a waiver form online at http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance; the deadline for waiving coverage is September 1, 2015. IIT requires students who waive the student health insurance to do so every year. The waiver process goes directly through Aetna Student Health Insurance. (Please note: If you are on an F1 or J1 visa, you will not be permitted to waive the IIT health insurance.) If you do not waive coverage by September 1, you will be billed for the insurance. For more information about the plan, including waivers, go to http://web.iit.edu/shwc/insurance or call the Student Health and Wellness Center at 312/567-7550.

The health insurance coverage runs from August 14, 2015 to August 11, 2016. You may print your insurance card here. Aetna Student Health has an app that will allow you to have your insurance card and benefit details on your smart device. To access the app, follow the instructions below. Insurance cards will not be mailed out unless a request is made by calling 800-841-3140. (If you have any questions about the app, contact Melody McCray at 312-567-7116 or jack@iit.edu.)

  • Download the Aetna App (click here for more information)
  • Register as an Aetna member
  • At the Welcome screen, select ID card information
  • Select member (student or dependent names will appear in drop down)
  • View Card
  • Image of front and back of card appears

Spring 2015 CALI Awards. 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 Sprig 2015 courses are available by clicking here. If a section or a course is not listed, that means the professor elected not to give a CALI award, or we have not yet heard from the professor. Congratulations to all of you who received an award - you should be proud of your achievement. There will be a luncheon early in the Fall for all 2014-2015 CALI Award winners; certificates will be distributed at that time.

Spring 2015 Class Ranks/GPA Cut-offs.
 Cumulative GPAs through the Spring 2015 semester, and Spring 2015 class ranks for J.D. students, are now available through Web for Students (click on the Spring 2015 link under Grades and Rank in the left-hand menu). Students who graduated in the Fall or last Summer will find their final class rank under the Fall 2014 or Summer 2014 links. Class ranks are based on cumulative (not just Spring semester) GPA. For those students who transferred into Kent in January, please keep in mind that you will not receive a class rank until you have been here for two semesters. The GPA cut-offs as of the end of the Spring 2015 semester are available by clicking here

Fall U-Passes. All full-time J.D. students (determined by your official division status, not by the number of credit hours you take in a particular semester) are enrolled in the U-Pass program. Your current Ventra U-Pass card will be activated to work from Monday, August 24 (the first day of the semester) through Friday, December 18 (the last day of exams). If you have any questions or problems with respect to your U-Pass or your eligibility, please contact Jenna Abhijeet at jabhijeet@kentlaw.iit.edu.

Academic Counseling. I am available for counseling about course selection, certificate programs, bar preparation, academic rules and regulations, and other academic matters. If you are interested in a particular area of law, I can also arrange for you to meet with a faculty member who specializes in that area. You may contact me by email (ssowle@kentlaw.iit.edu), by phone at (312) 906-5282, or by stopping by my office (320C).

February 2016 and July 2016 Illinois Bar Applications. Applications for the February 2016 bar exam are due by September 1, 2015 (see below for the late filing deadlines). Applications for the July 2016 bar exam are due by February 15, 2016. You may file a late application for the February bar up to December 31, and for the July bar up to May 31, but penalty fees apply. The forms and instructions are available on the bar examiners' web site: https://www.ilbaradmissions.orgPlease note: Even if you registered with the bar examiners as a first-year student, you must still file a final application. If you have any questions about the application materials, you may call the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar at 217/522-5917.

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.

Dean's Certificate: 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 December or May. Please be sure to file an Application for Graduation at the beginning of your last semester so we will know you plan to graduate at the end of that semester. Important note: We will not certify any student to the bar examiners if the student has an outstanding balance owed to the school.

Bar Exams in Other States. Students who may practice in another state should familiarize themselves with those states' bar admission requirements, registration procedures, and deadlines. In particular, if you may take the New York bar exam, you should read the revised admission requirements (including coursework requirements and limitations) adopted by New York in April 2012, available here.

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 or April, August, and November each year. The next exam will be given on Saturday, November 7, 2015. You may register online by clicking here. The deadline for applying for the November exam is September 17 (the late deadline is September 24). Students planning on taking the Illinois bar exam may take the MPRE at any time during or after law school.

Joke of the Week. Why is the person who invests all your money called a broker?



CALENDARS

.: Main Chicago-Kent event
   calendar

.: Academic calendar

.: CLE calendar

.: Alumnae/i event calendar

.: Admissions calendar

Chicago-Kent home page Student portal Faculty portal Staff portal About The Record Current Record headlines Publication deadlines The Record archives