Chicago-Kent College of Law: Alumni E-Brief
Alumni E-Brief

From the Dean

National Champions!

I am thrilled to announce that Chicago-Kent’s fantastic streak of trial and appellate advocacy victories continues.  

This past weekend, the Trial Advocacy Team of Mark Griffin (3L) and Joshua Jones (3L) won the 33rd annual National Trial Competition, marking the second straight year that our trial ad team has garnered the national crown. Joshua Jones received the Best Oral Advocate Award and is the first student ever to be a member of two national championship teams. Mark and Joshua were coached by Chicago-Kent Professor and retired Illinois Appellate Court Justice David A. Erickson, attorney Margaret Firnstein '99 of Smith Amundsen, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Demetrios Kottaras '84, and George Domas '82, who was a member of the law school’s first Trial Team in 1981. The trial advocacy program is directed by Illinois Appellate Court Justice Warren D. Wolfson.

The Trial Advocacy win is the second national championship for Chicago-Kent this year. A few weeks ago, Chicago-Kent students Joanna Brinkman (3L), Lalania Gilkey-Johnson (3L) and Rachel Moran (3L) brought home first prize at the 58th annual National Moot Court Competition. Moran was also named the competition's best oral advocate. This team was coached by Professor Kent D. Streseman, and alumni coaches throughout the season included Sepideh Esmaili ’07, Cherish Keller ’06, Heather Kissling ’07, Brian Koppen ’07, Sonya Rosenberg ’07, Jeff Swatzell ’07,and Sarah Zielinski ‘07.  Never has one school won national titles in both trial and appellate advocacy in one year!

And if those accolades were not enough, the Chicago-Kent Trial Advocacy team of Matthew Casey (2L), Chanel Jefferson (3L), Rachel Moran (3L) and Brian Wojcicki (2L) added to our national honors by taking first place in the 3rd annual National Ethics Trial Competition. The team’s coaches included Nicholas Caputo '01 of the Gloor Law Group, LLC and Assistant Cook County State's Attorney, Anthony Lucafo '06.  And this past weekend, Ted Koshiol (2L) and Jessica Tyrus (2L) won the Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition in Madison, Wisconsin.  Incredible achievements, all.

These unprecedented wins for our advocacy teams speak to the strength of our students and the programs’ leadership, as well as the dedication and support from our alumni coaches. All the participants and coaches in the advocacy programs have done us proud.

Sincerely,

Harold J. Krent
Dean and Professor of Law


Lalania Gilkey-Johnson (3L), Joanna Brinkman (2L) and Rachel Moran (3L), winners of the 58th annual National Moot Court Competition

In This Issue

News and Announcements

1st Annual Public Interest Awards & Networking Reception: Tuesday, April 22

Please join us for this special event to honor Chicago-Kent alumni and students who better our communities through their work and commitment to Public Interest. Two outstanding alumni, Jane McBride ’95 and Julie G. Sollinger ’96, will receive the 2008 Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Award, and students in the Public Interest Law Program will be honored for their work and commitment to Public Interest. Click here for event details.

Julie G. Sollinger '96
Julie G. Sollinger '96
Marovitz Award Receipient
Jane McBride '95
Jane McBride '95
Marovitz Award Receipient

Julia Beveridge Awards

Two Chicago-Kent faculty members were named as 2008 recipients of the Julia Beveridge Award, awarded by the Illinois Institute of Technology:

  • Lori Andrews, Professor of Law, Director of the Institute for Science, Law and Technology
  • Felice Batlan, Assistant Professor of Law

IIT created the Julia Beveridge Awards in 1990 to honor outstanding women for exceptional contributions to the University community, profession, and society at large, with emphasis on originality, imagination, distinction, and their commitment to academic and career mentoring for young women.  The award is named for Julia Beveridge, a librarian of Armour Mission and as the first registrar of Armour Institute.

Chicago-Kent and American University in Kosovo Establish Graduate Law Program

Chicago-Kent and American University in Kosovo (AUK) have signed an agreement to establish a special graduate law study program where Chicago-Kent faculty will teach in Kosovo. The program will give AUK students an introduction to the American and international commercial legal systems, and to enable them to earn a master of laws (LL.M.) degree from Chicago-Kent.

The program is designed to help Kosovo develop a corps of young lawyers with exposure to American and other international legal regimes that will, in turn, support and strengthen the country’s commitment to the rule of law.  

“The partnership between Chicago-Kent and American University in Kosovo can empower the best young people to overcome the culture of the past and enable Kosovo to become a model of the rule of law,” said Chicago-Kent professor and former dean Henry H. Perritt, Jr., who will oversee the new program.

Professor Perritt has been extensively involved in Kosovo for more than a decade. In 1998, he established “Operation Kosovo,” a multidisciplinary program that began using Internet and database technology to assist Kosovo refugees and help provide technical legal assistance to help leaders construct a rule of law and create an effective set of legal institutions. Professor Perritt is the author of two forthcoming books about Kosovo’s struggle for independence.

What Defines a Great Law School?
Support Chicago-Kent

Have you made your tax deductible gift to Chicago-Kent this fiscal year?  If so, thank you! If not, you can still participate!  All gifts, whether $10, $100 or $1000, help Chicago-Kent to support its students, faculty, programs and facilities. Gifts received before May 31 will count toward our 2008 15% alumni participation goal.

Give online at: www.kentlaw.edu/give
.



In ISBA News…

Ballots were recently distributed for the Illinois State Bar Association Elections. Don’t forget to be active in both your local and state bar associations!

Chicago-Kent alumnus and president of the Chicago-Kent Alumni Board of Directors John G. Locallo ’86 is an incumbent on the Board of Governors and is running for re-election.


Blog!

Now you can create your own Blog on the Alumni Online Community, sharing your news and pictures with friends and fellow alumni. To start, visit http://alumni.kentlaw.edu and click on "My Profile and Blog" in the Navigation Bar. On your profile page, click "Add Content" and start blogging!

Not yet a part of the community?
Request your login information.

Save the Date

Social Events - Chicago

Annual Intellectual Property Alumni Reception
Thursday, April 3, 2008
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60661

The Intellectual Property Law Society, Office of Alumni Relations, and Career Services Office cordially invite you to attend the 2008 Chicago-Kent IP Alumni Reception. Come meet the current crop of students and reflect on your days as a student at Chicago-Kent. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.

RSVP to ipls@kentlaw.edu by April 2, 2008.

A Memorial Tribute to Dean Emeritus Fred Herzog
Monday, April 7, 2008
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60661

In honor of his long, distinguished career, his contributions to Chicago-Kent and the Chicago legal community, and a special induction into the IIT hall of fame, please join us for a memorial tribute in honor of Fred Herzog, Dean and Professor Emeritus.

RSVP to alums@kentlaw.edu or call (312) 906-5240.

Education Law Society Meeting
Thursday, April 10, 2008
5:15 - 5:45 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

A group of students are forming an Education Law Student and Alumni Organization. If you are interesting in being involved in the planning of this group, please attend the meeting or contact Mark Hoffman (3L) at mhoffman@kentlaw.edu.

Phi Alpha Delta Alumni Happy Hour
Thursday, April 17, 2008
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Cactus Bar and Grill, 404 S. Wells, Chicago, IL 60607

The Chicago-Kent Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta invites Chicago-Kent alumni to a happy hour social and networking event at Cactus Bar and Grill in the South Loop. Enjoy $3 appetizers and $4 frozen drink specials.

Questions? Contact slee@kentlaw.edu.

IIT Family Event at Morton Arboretum
Saturday, April 19, 2008
9:00 a.m.
The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532

The IIT Alumni Association invites you to a family event at the Morton Arboretum. Start the day at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast in the Gingko Room, followed by tram tours on the Acorn Express for the first 100 guests. Spend time at the Children's Garden and take on the challenge of the Maze Garden. Admission to the Arboretum is complimentary for this event.

For more information and to register online, please click here.

The Environmental Law Society Celebrates Earth Week
Monday, April 21 – Friday, April 25, 2008
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

Earth Week Logo

Mon, April 21

Kick-off raffle in the lobby to raise funds for the ELS Fellowship. 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Organic Pizza and Beer!
Tues, April 22
Lecture: “The Effects of Factory Farming on the Environment.” Co-sponsored by the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Wed, April 23
Lecture: “Combatting Climate Change: Technical, legal, and economic aspects of regulating greenhouse gas emissions.”
Thur, April 24
Lecture: “Eco-Friendly design and development in the Chicago real estate market.” Co-sponsored by the Real Estate Law Society.
Fri, April 25
Chicago-Kent Environmental Service Projects: Friends of the Forests, The Gaia Movement, and Foster Street Beach Clean-Up.

Click here to view details of these events. Questions? Contact blamble@kentlaw.edu.

2008 Public Interest Awards and Networking Reception
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
5:00 p.m. Awards, Reception Immediately Follows
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

Please join us for this special event to honor Chicago-Kent alumni honorees with the 2008 Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Award. Awards will also be given to students who better our communities through their work and commitment to public interest. For more information please visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/alums/publicinterest/.

Manic Monday @ Rockit

RSVP to alums@kentlaw.edu or 312.906.5240 by Friday, April 18.

Manic Monday @ Rockit
Monday, April 28, 2008
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard, Chicago, IL 60661

Add a kick to your Monday with a special beer tasting, Hosted by Billy Dec ’99, Tarek Fadel ’03, and Paul Miller ‘00 at Rockit Bar & Grill.

RSVP to alumni@iit.edu by Wednesday, April 23.



Lectures

Needle in the Haystack: Finding Accurate Information to Guide Women’s Health Policy
Monday, April 7, 2008
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60661

Join the Society of Women in Law and the Institute for Science, Law and Technology for a lunch event with Judy Norsigian, Executive Director of Our Bodies, Ourselves. A book signing of her new book, Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth, will follow. 

RSVP to jcraig@kentlaw.edu. For more information please visit http://www.kentlaw.edu/islt/.

Josef Drexl Professor Cynthia Estlund
30th annual Piper Lecture: Corporate Self-Regulation and the Future of Workplace Governance
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Gov. Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium, Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

The Institute for Law and the Workplace presents the 30th annual Kenneth M. Piper Lecture, "Corporate Self-Regulation and the Future of Workplace Governance."

Lecturer: Cynthia Estlund, Catherine A. Rein Professor of Law, New York University School of Law

Commentators: Marshall B. Babson, Hughes Hubbard & Reed and Ron A. Bloom, United Steel Workers

Attendees are eligible for 1.5 General Hours of MCLE Credit. This event is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle

Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium: “The Federal Circuit and the Doctrine of Equivalents."
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
4:00 - 5:50 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Room 305, Chicago, IL 60661

The 2008 Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium presents Professor R. Polk Wagner, University of Pennsylvania Law School. He will discuss his paper, "The Federal Circuit and the Doctrine of Equivalents."

This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Chicago-Kent and Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Questions? Contact Patricia O’Neal at poneal@kentlaw.edu.

Diabetes: Solutions for the 21st Century, Research, Economics, Policy and Ethics
Friday, April 18, 2008
9:30 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

This conference will draw on experts from key disciplines to review latest developments in research, clinical practice and public policy, with a focus on health economics approaches and ethical implications. This event is free. Lunch will be provided and a reception will follow the day's conference. Click here to view a fill list of presenters.

RSVP to diabetes@kentlaw.edu or 312.906.5337.

CLE Opportunities

FMCS Midwest Arbitrators' Symposium
Friday, April 11, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS), in cooperation with the Institute for Law and the Workplace at Chicago-Kent College of Law, will present its bi-annual Midwest Symposium for FMCS arbitrators.  

Attendees are eligible for 6.0 hours of MCLE Credit; including 1.0 hour of ethics credit (pending approval). Please note: Admission is restricted to labor arbitrators.  For more information and to register, visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle.

25th Annual Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation Conference
Thursday and Friday, April 24 - 25, 2008
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

Liability arising out of §1983 presents a continuing challenge for all municipal lawyers, private practitioners, and litigators who try cases in this dynamic area. Keeping up with this ever-changing environment is critical. Presented by eminent legal scholars and leading practitioners for municipal and state attorneys, plaintiffs' attorneys and criminal defense attorneys, you will learn both the fundamentals and more advanced aspects of §1983 practice and trial skills, and analyze the latest judicial decisions.

Attendees are eligible for 11.0 hours of MCLE Credit, including 1.0 hour of ethics credit (pending approval). For more information and to register, visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle.

27th Annual Federal Tax Institute
Thursday and Friday, May 1 - 2, 2008
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

Nationally recognized tax advisors provide a comprehensive update at an advanced level of discussion on recent developments and their impact on tax planning, compliance and controversy techniques.

Attendees are eligible for 11.0 hours of MCLE Credit, including 1.0 hour of ethics credit (pending approval). For more information and to register, visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle.

Past Event Highlights

KJF Spring Auction

The Kent Justice Foundation (KJF) held their annual Spring Auction on March 27, 2008. The event raised over $23,000, with funds to benefiting the KJF Summer Fellowship Program, proving financial aid to students who take unpaid/low-paying summer public interest jobs.

The Kent Justice Foundation would especially like to thank the following alumni and friends of Chicago-Kent who donated items for the annual auction, including several who offered to host networking lunches for students interested in specific areas of the law. 

Laurel Bellows
Michael Demetrio ’79
John Locallo, ’86, ’92 LLM
The Hon. Peter Birnbaum ’83
Tarek Fadel ’03
Paul Miller ’00
Charles Brizzolara ’57
Robert Fink ’02
The Hon. Ilana Rovner ’66
The Hon. Dorothy Brown ’96
Shaena Fazal ’00
Gregory Shugar ‘98
The Hon. Anne Burke ’83
Ian Greengross ’95
Rafael A. Vargas ’07
Fay Clayton ’78
Lindsay Hansen Anderson ’05
Lisa Yee, ’97
Howard Davis ’80
Marc Kadish & Mayer Brown LLP
Prof. Geri Yonover ‘83
Bruce Kohen ’79
Luncheon Recognizing Scholarship Donors
Scholarship Luncheon
Kara Schuur (2L), Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. Scholar, had the opportunity to meet one of the donors of her scholarship, the Hon. Peter Birnbaum ’83, at the Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon.

On March 13, 2008 scholarship donors and student award recipients met at the 22nd annual Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon. The Luncheon brings Chicago-Kent students together with the donors of their scholarships.  More than seventy people attended and had the opportunity to hear the impact of these scholarships from Lalania Gilkey-Johnson (3L), an Edmund W. Burke Memorial Scholar, and Lester McKeever ’71, a donor to the Robert S. Abbott Scholarship. View photos of the event at http://alumni.kentlaw.edu/scholarship_luncheon.

Law Week 2008

On March 24, 2008, the Chicago-Kent Student Bar Association presented its annual awards at its “State of the Law School” evening as part of Law Week 2008. Professor Ron Staudt was honored with the Ralph Brill Award for his service to Chicago-Kent since 1978. Professor Kent Streseman, Director of the Ilana Diamond Rovner Appellate Advocacy Program, received the Faculty of the Year award. Other Law Week events included a Diversity Day address by the Hon. Dorothy Brown ’96.



Florida(l-r) Alfonso Herrera, Rosalba Figueroa ’02, Dean Hal Krent, Jane Freeman, Kristin Miller, and Jason Miller ‘02 enjoyed lunch at the home of Roy C. '62 and Susan Palmer in Sarasota.

Florida Alumni Gatherings

Dean Hal Krent and Assistant Dean Lisa Turley met with alumni in Miami and Sarasota on their recent trip to Florida. Mark Scott ’97 hosted a gathering for East Coast Florida alumni at his home in Coconut Grove. In Sarasota, West Coast Florida alumni met for the fifth year in a row at the home of Roy Palmer ’62 and Susan Palmer. Thank you to our generous hosts and to all the alumni who came out to the events—we enjoyed catching up with you! For pictures, visit http://alumni.kentlaw.edu/florida.

Alumni Speak to Students about Alternative Summer Opportunities

The latest “Take a Break” speaker series invited an alumni panel to speak to students about alternative summer opportunities. The event was moderated by Alumni Board of Directors member, Paul Miller ’00. Panelists included Kevin J. Connor ’87, General Counsel, Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, Tim Ritchey ’05, Associate at Peck, Bloom, Austriaco & Mitchell, and Renata D. Stiehl ’01, Senior Staff Attorney at the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic. Thank you to our four alumni for taking the time to share your experiences with students.


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