I bring spectacular news. Chicago-Kent College of Law students Joshua Jones and Keya Rajput are the winners of the 32nd annual National Trial Competition, the premier trial advocacy tournament in the United States. Rajput, a third-year student at Chicago-Kent, also received the competition’s Best Advocate Award, which Jones had garnered in the regional competition, also won by Chicago-Kent. Sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers, the trial competition involved more than 1000 law students competing on 280 teams. A great end to a wonderful season. Kudos to Director and Appellate Court Justice Warren D. Wolfson, Associate Director and Judge David A. Erickson, and fellow coaches Margaret Firnstein ’99 and Nicholas A. Caputo ‘01.

Meanwhile, the Moot Court team of Joanna Brinkman (2L), Brian Koppen (3L), and Rachel Moran (2L) advanced to the final four in the ABA's National Appellate Advocacy Competition, in which 178 teams from around the country participated.. The team posted solid wins in the preliminary rounds against strong teams from Georgetown and Ohio State, then handily won their quarterfinal round. In the semifinals, the team narrowly lost to an excellent team from BYU that went on to win the national championship. In addition, Rachel Moran was honored as the ninth-best speaker in the national tournament. The Chicago-Kent team had won the regional event. This adds to a season in which our teams reached the semifinals in seven of the eleven competitions entered, and in which we earned three Best Brief awards. Congrats to the team's Director, Professor Kent Streseman, for such an outstanding season.

You are all invited to a reception to honor the successful Trial Ad and Moot Court programs on Thursday, April 19, from 5:00pm – 7:00pm in our Student Lounge. I hope that you can make it – the programs have made us proud. To RSVP, email our Office of Alumni Relations, or phone (312) 906-5240.

I also wanted to apprise those of you who are rankings oriented that U.S. News once again ranked us as the third best law school in the Chicago area, (and our IP program as best in the Midwest), and that the Vault Survey ranked us as the fourth most underrated law school in the country (Emory was first). Although I wish that our reputation were more widespread, I am gratified that hiring partners of firms and corporate counsel have recognized the quality and skills of our young graduates.

I wish you well and look forward to seeing you at upcoming alumni events.

Sincerely,

Harold J. Krent
Dean and Professor of Law

ISBA Elections

Ballots have recently been distributed for the ISBA Elections, and two Chicago-Kent alumni who are incumbents on the Board of Governors are running for re-election:

John G. Locallo ‘86

Kevin E. O’Reilly ‘92

Both John and Kevin have been active with the Alumni Board of Directors, with Kevin O’Reilly as the immediate past president and John Locallo beginning his term as president of the Board in Fall 2007.

Annual Giving

Help us raise Chicago-Kent’s alumni participation in annual giving. This year, our goal is to increase the giving participation rate among alums to 15%. Direct your gift to a program or area that is important to you, for example ILW, KJF, the Brill Chair. Every gift counts and is important to reaching this goal. You can make your gift online at or by responding to the annual giving correspondence you received recently in the mail.

All gifts received before May 31, 2007, will count toward the participation goal. Please consider making a gift today.

____________________________

"What History Teaches Us About International Protection of Intellectual Property Rights: The Case of Least Developed Countries" - Chicago IP Colloquium
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
4:00 PM - 5:50 PM
Chicago-Kent College of Law - Room 305

Professor James Thuo Gathii of Albany Law School will present his paper, "What History Teaches Us About International Protection of Intellectual Property Rights: The Case of Least Developed Countries" as part of the Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium's spring 2007 speaker series. Colloquium presentations are open to student Colloquium Fellows, Chicago-area IP law faculty and IP practitioners. Papers from present and past colloquia are available at www.chicagoip.com, along with information about how to become involved with the Chicago IP Colloquium.

For more information, please contact Patricia O’Neal, poneal@kentlaw.edu.

"The Agenda for the New Congress" -- U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Wednesday, April 11
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Chicago-Kent College of Law - Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium

The Chicago-Kent chapter of the American Constitution Society and the Chicago-Kent Lambdas are pleased to announce a discussion with U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky. This talk is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky has been the Democratic Representative for the 9th Congressional District of Illinois since 1998. She is a member of the House Democratic Leadership, serving as Chief Deputy Whip, as she did in the 2002 election cycle, and on the House Steering Committee, the committee that helps determine members’ committee assignments.

For more information, please contact Daniel Attaway, ACS@kentlaw.edu

Minority Networking Reception
Friday, April 13
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
10th Floor Event Room - Chicago-Kent

The Office of Alumni Relations, along with the Black Law Students, Hispanic-Latino Law Students, the South Asian Law Students and the Asian-Pacific Islander Law Students Associations cordially invite you to attend the first ever of its kind Minority Networking Reception.
Network with fellow alumni and friends, and learn about the many initiatives our students are involved in.

Please RSVP by April 9 to (312) 906-5240 or click here.

Law and Economic Development in Latin America: A Comparative Approach to Legal Reform
Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 15
Chicago-Kent College of Law

This two-day symposium brings together leading academics from both law and economics, as well as policy makers and business leaders who work in or with Latin America, to identify and analyze some of the critical problems that confront Latin America today. The goal is to have each speaker present ideas, analysis and critical thinking drawing on his or her unique experience and scholarship, then to generate a spirited dialogue with the other participants (and the audience) with a view to gaining new insights and perspectives. At the same time, we hope to spawn a dynamic in this symposium in which practice will inform theory and theory will illuminate practice.

For more information about the conference, including a full agenda, list of distinguished speakers, and online registration, visit www.kentlaw.edu/latinamerica.

Institute for Law and the Workplace Annual Reception
Wednesday, April 18
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
10th Floor Event Room - Chicago-Kent

Join us as we celebrate ILW, a national center for research, training, dialogue, and reflection on the law that governs the workplace.

Please RSVP by Friday, April 13 click here or call Mark Boeck at (312) 906-5236.

"What Section 102(b) Excludes from Copyright Protection and Why" - Chicago IP Colloquium
Tuesday, April 24
4:00 PM - 5:50 PM
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
25 East Pearson, Rubloff Reception Room
Chicago, IL.

Professor Pamela Samuelson of University of California, Berkeley, School of Law will present her paper, "What Section 102(b) Excludes from Copyright Protection and Why" as part of the Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium's spring 2007 speaker series. Colloquium presentations are open to student Colloquium Fellows, Chicago-area IP law faculty and IP practitioners. Papers from present and past colloquia are available at www.chicagoip.com, along with information about how to become involved with the Chicago IP Colloquium.

For more information, please contact Patricia O’Neal, poneal@kentlaw.edu.

24th annual Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation Conference
Thursday, April 26, 2007
8:00am- 5:30pm
Chicago-Kent College of Law - Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium

On Thursday and Friday, April 26-27, 2007, the law school will present Professor Sheldon Nahmod's 24th annual conference on Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation. The conference features nationally prominent law professors and practitioners who offer instruction on both the fundamentals and the more advanced aspects of §1983 practice and trial skills, and analyze the latest case decisions. For more information and to register, visit Continuing Legal & Professional Education or email clestaff@kentlaw.edu.

Lori Andrews is Coming to a City Near You

Chicago-Kent Professor Lori Andrews will be visiting several cities in the coming weeks as she tours to promote her new book, The Silent Assassin. Please plan on joining her in the following cities:

April 8, 2007 - 1:00 pm
Rose Theatre
235 Taylor St
Port Townsend, Washington 98368
info@athens-pt.org

April 17, 2007 - 4:00 pm
Genetics and Ethics Lecture at Loyola University
The Crown Auditorium
1125 West Loyola Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60626

April 27, 2007 - 6:00 pm
Murder by the Book
2342 Bissonnet Street
Houston, Texas 77005

Special Alumni Events to be held:

May 24, 2007 - 7:00 pm
Partners in Crime
44 Greenwich Avenue
New York, New York 10011

May 31, 2007 - 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Kate’s Mystery Books
2211 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140

More Details to follow!

Request your Online Directory Username and Password

We have received a great deal of feedback from alumni using the alumni online directory and community and want to encourage more of you to do so. The directory provides a convenient way to update your contact information and to submit your latest personal and professional news.

To request your username and password, click here, otherwise, log on to the online directory by visiting the Chicago-Kent Online Community.

News from the Career Center

INTRODUCING THE NEW ALUMNI ADVISOR NETWORK

Remember when you were a law student, wondering what it was going to be like to actually practice law someday? Remember trying to figure out what different areas of law are really like? Or, perhaps you were thinking of an alternative career? Whether you practice law or have taken your career in a different direction, your professional experience can be an invaluable resource for Chicago-Kent students, as well as alumni seeking a lateral move or career change. In an effort to foster the sharing of information among alumni and students, we have moved our Alumni Advisor Network to a secure, searchable database on our on-line Symplicity career management system. This database can be used to seek the advice of volunteer advisors about practice areas, networking, and job search strategies.

One of the Career Services Office most valuable and utilized career resources is the Alumni Advisor Network. Many alumni wonder how they can give back to the Law School. Becoming an Alumni Advisor is an excellent way to do so. As an Alumni Advisor, all you have to do is agree to make your contact information available to students who may want to ask you career-related questions. In doing this, you will not only help C-K law students and recent graduates in their professional development, you will also stay connected to the Law School, its students, and alumni.

We hope you will consider joining the hundreds of other alums who previously signed up for the Alumni Advisor Network. If you previously signed up as an Alumni Advisor, we ask that you please submit your current information into the new Symplicity system. Please visit the career services office Web site.

Any questions regarding this service can be emailed to Elizabeth Pohlman McQuillen, Director of Career Services.

CONTRACT ATTORNEY RESUME BOOK

Are you a new grad seeking a temporary position while you search for a full-time an entry level position? Are you a more seasoned attorney seeking a temporary arrangement while in transition between legal jobs? Are you someone looking to transition to an alternative career but seeking temporary legal work to produce income while making this transition? Or are you an employer seeking temporary help?

In the past several years many legal employers have begun to routinely hire “contract” attorneys to help with large complex cases and many lawyers have turned to these types of positions for a variety of reasons. Through Chicago-Kent’s Symplicity career management system, Chicago-Kent alumni who find themselves interested in pursuing contract work can add their resume to an on-line password protected Contract Attorney Resume Book which is searchable by employers looking to fill a short-term or temporary need. Individuals interested in submitting a resume will “opt in” to the resume book. They may remove themselves from the database at any time by simply deleting their entry in the book. Upon request, employers will be provided a password which will enable them to search the Contract Attorney Resume Book by practice area and other criteria. Employers will have access to the book beginning June 1, 2007.

Alumni interested in submitting their resume to the Contract Attorney Resume Book should follow the instructions provided on the CSO Web site.