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Office of Academic Administration and Student Affairs

Asst. Dean Stephen D. Sowle

Week of December 8, 2014
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Fall 2014 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 and your exam number, go to your Web for Students account and navigate to "Fall 2014" link under the "Schedule" heading in the lefthand menu.

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/Sundy: 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 Labs During Exams. Because we use the computer labs 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 labs are all in use.

Exam Method Notices.

Notices 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.

Please note that SofTest does not work on all operation systems. In addition, all students have to download the latest version of SofTest software. Please go to the Information Technology Services' exam information page for detailed information on using SofTest, including downloading and updating instructions.

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.

Spring 2015 Schedule and Registration. 

Add/Drop Period. The initial registration period for Spring 2015 classes closed on December 2. The registration system opened back up on Friday, December 5, for students to see what classes they were admitted into, and to make adjustments to their schedules. You may continue to make adjustments to your schedule until the end of the Spring add/drop period, which will extend through Tuesday, February 3, at 11:00pm. If you did not register during the initial registration period, you may do so now. The final Spring 2015 class schedule, the Registration Bulletin, and the course and exam grids are available on the Spring 2015 Quick Guide page, or by going to the Current Students Portal page and clicking on the Spring 2015 Quick Guide link.

•Changes to Schedule. Please note the following changes, corrections, additions, and cancellation. A revised version of the schedule incorporating these changes has been posted on the Spring 2015 Quick Guide page.

Changes/Corrections:

-ADR in the Workplace (427-01) (intensive class): Priority for this class will be given to students seeking the Labor and Employment Law Certificate.

-Madrid System for Int'l Registration of Marks (287-01) (intensive class): This class will meet 9:00-12:00 noon each day from Monday, January 12 through Friday, January 16 (previously, the precise hours each day had not been determined).

-Semester Law Firm Associate Program (570-01): The class session for this externship will meet Thurs. 4:00-5:30pm (not 4:00-4:55pm).

-Strategic Problem-Solving and the Law (169-01): If you enroll in the course and later decide not to take it, you must drop it no later than Monday, December 22, or you will be charged full tuition for the course unless another student takes your seat. Priority for this class will be given to students seeking the Praxis Certificate.

-Strategies in Intellectual Property (309-81): This course was previously listed as open only to I.P. Certificate students. It is now open also to non-Certificate students who have taken at least one I.P. course and receive permission from Prof. Schwartz. It is also open to LL.M. students with permission of Prof. Schwartz.

-Trial Advocacy 1 (Friday morning section): The course number for this section is 555-02 (not 555-01).

Additions:

Futures and Derivatives Law and Regulation (2 credits)
167-51
Prof. Ann Cresce
Thursdays 6:00-7:50pm
Exam: Thurs., 5/7/14, 6:00pm
Description: This course provides students with an introduction to the law governing the futures and derivatives markets.  Topics include the history of the futures markets and their regulation, the mechanics of trading and clearing futures and other derivatives instruments, the use of these markets for hedging, speculation and price discovery, the organization of contract and derivative markets and the dramatic and on-going reforms called for by the Dodd-Frank Act and the practical application of related regulations.

Intellectual Property Law Survey (3 credits)
148-81
Prof. Xiang
Tuesdays/Thursdays 4:00-5:25pm
Exam: Sat., 5/9/14, 1:15pm
Description: This course provides a basic general overview of major U.S. intellectual property laws: copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. It explores (1) the historic development, underlying policies, and fundamental concepts of these laws, and (2) how these laws interrelate and interact with each other.  The course may include a simulation project where students learn to assess the patentability of an invention, assert a claim over own creative content, and/or protect a trademark or a trade secret.  If time allows, we may also discuss the current hot issues in these laws and/or these laws' interactions with international intellectual property law regimes. This course is especially well-suited for students who do not necessarily want to practice in intellectual property, but who want some familiarity with I.P. laws given their importance for businesses.  No science or technical background is required. No prior I.P. course is required or expected. This course is not open to students who have taken two or more I.P. courses such as courses in Patents, Copyrights, or Trademarks & Unfair Competition. However, students who take this class will be allowed to take these and any other I.P. courses later if they wish.

Madrid System for International Registration of Marks (1 credit)
287-01
Prof. Mariano Municoy
The class will meet Monday, January 12 - Friday, January 16, for three hours each day; the exact times will be announced later. There will be a take-home exam early in the Spring semester.
Description: There is no prerequisite for this class. The class will analyze what is currently known as the “Madrid System” for the international registration of marks (the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks of 1891 and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement adopted in 1989). The procedures to achieve the registration and maintenance of a mark in the International Register administered by WIPO will be reviewed in detail as well as the relationship of the Madrid System with other international IP agreements. Additionally, the factors to be considered when assessing the pros and cons of using the Madrid System instead of the alternatives (national or regional registration systems) will also be covered.

U.S. Supreme Court Theory and Practice (2 credits)
147-01
Prof. Michael Scodro
Thursdays 6:00-7:50pm
No final exam
Description: This class examines many facets of the U.S. Supreme Court, including practice before the Court at the certiorari and merits stages, oral argument, the methods by which the Court processes cases, and popular and scholarly debates over the Court’s role. In addition to class participation, students are graded on a legal brief (generally 15-25 pages in length) and on their performance in a moot court.

Cancellation:

International Patent Law: This course/seminar has been canceled due to lack of enrollment.

•Graduating Students: Reduced Loads and Tuition Discounts. Students graduating at the end of the Spring 2015 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 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 contact me by email no later than Friday, January 30, 2015, and I will arrange for the credit to be applied to your account. Please note: Any credits taken above the 87 credits required for graduation are not eligible for federal financial aid.

U-Pass Notice. Your Ventra U-Pass card is effective through Friday, December 20. 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 20 (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. Upon confiscation, a student will not be eligible for another U-Pass until Fall 2015.

Academic Calendar for 2015-2016. The academic calendar for next academic year (2015-2016), as adopted by the faculty, is available here.

Certificate in Business Law. Students in the Business Law certificate program who will graduate in May 2015 should submit an Application for the Certificate in Business Law as soon as your Spring semester schedule is finalized, but no later than January 31, 2015. Applications are available from Nicole Lechuga, outside room 827, or by clicking here.

Joke of the Week. "A band of 937 yodelers in Germany set a new world record for the largest simultaneous yodel by holding their melody for a full minute. The yodelers inadvertently set another world record, for Worst Minute." (Jimmy Fallon)

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