Next month, the Chicago-Kent community looks forward to welcoming UCLA Professor Judea Pearl for a discussion about a topic close to him, Muslim-Jewish Dialogue and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. After terrorists kidnapped and murdered his son, Daniel Pearl, in Pakistan in 2002, Professor Pearl created a foundation in his son’s name and has traveled widely to share with others his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is a free event and we invite alumni to attend. For more information or if you wish to attend, please RSVP to the Office of Alumni Relations.

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 encourage continued participation, we are offering a prize to every 25th person this month who requests a username and password AND logs on to the new online community. The Office of Alumni Relations will send you a Chicago-Kent baseball hat (a $20 value) just for trying it out. If you are a winner, you will be notified immediately. To request your username and password, click here, otherwise, log on to the online directory by visiting http://alumni.kentlaw.edu/home/index.asp.

Finally, I am pleased to relay wonderful news that two alumni close to our Law School community have been recognized as recipients of significant awards. Planned Parenthood recently honored Barry S. Maram ’71, Director, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, with the 2007 Richard J. Phelan Profile in Courage Award for his dedication to expanding access to family planning services and his leadership in collaborating with health care providers to ensure that their needs are efficiently met. Best wishes are also in order to Lester H. ’71 and Nancy McKeever, who will be recognized this month at the DuSable Museum's annual "Night of 100 Stars" African-American History Makers awards gala.

All the best for a healthy and prosperous 2007,

Harold J. Krent
Dean and Professor of Law

Attention Intellectual Property Alumni – We are looking for You!

The Chicago-Kent IP Program moved up to 9th position in the latest US News rankings of Intellectual Property Programs, making Chicago-Kent the only school in the Midwest in the top ten. Chicago-Kent founded one of the first programs in IP law in the United States more than two decades ago and is nationally recognized as a leader in the field. As the importance of IP law has expanded, the program has continued to reflect and anticipate the constant challenges of contemporary IP practice.

Whether your interests lie in scientific and technological innovation, marketing and advertising, or entertainment and the arts, Chicago-Kent's Program in Intellectual Property Law offers an educational experience that emphasizes both academic excellence and a commitment to training the top IP lawyers of tomorrow.
As the program continues to grow, we want to engage our alumni in the many substantive programs the Law School has to offer. To do so, the Office of Alumni Relations is looking to identify which alumni work in Intellectual Property law, so that we may communicate to you about our IP programs and how you, too, can get involved.

If you are a Chicago-Kent alum currently practicing in Intellectual Property, please click here to complete a brief form.

Take a Break Needs You!

The Alumni Board of Directors Mentorship Committee is looking for volunteers to participate in our alumni/student roundtables this semester. Panel discussions centered around various legal disciplines, philosophies and networking opportunities give students an inside look at the profession. The very popular Take a Break gives students the chance to consider their own careers, and ask the questions they have always wanted answered.

Sessions are moderated by a member of the Alumni Board, and volunteers are asked to speak about their careers before the session is open to Q&A. Each Take a Break is informal, and begins at noon and lasts for about 60-90 minutes. Volunteers from all classes are encouraged to take part in these or future topics.

We are looking for volunteers for these upcoming Take a Break topics:

Tuesday, February 6 – Intellectual Property
Tuesday, February 13 – Government Practice
Tuesday, March 20 - Big firm/small firm and "Going out on your own"

To RSVP with your interest to participate, email Barbara Matthopoulos, director of alumni relations, or phone (312) 906-5245.

Get involved in future Take A Break programs by sending us your suggested topic and contact information to the Office of Alumni Relations.

Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
Judges’ Night Reception
Wednesday, February 7
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

This year the Fraternity honors

PAD Sister, Mary Ann G. McMorrow, Retired
Illinois Supreme Court
and
Chief Judge James F. Holderman
U.S. District Court
for their contributions to the legal community.

Chicago-Kent College of Law
10th Floor, Event Room

Cost: $20 for members/guests; $10 for students if your reservation is made by Monday, February 5th, or $25 and $15 if paid at the door
(No charge for Judges and their guests, Chicago-Kent students, Chicago-Kent Faculty or Chicago-Kent Guests)

To RSVP, contact John K. Norris ’83 via email at johnknorrisattorney@msn.com

ATTENTION DC AREA ALUMNI

A Spotless Mind?
Policy, Ethics & the Future of Human Intelligence
Hosted by the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future (IBHF) at Chicago-Kent
Friday, February 16
8:30 AM– 5:00 PM
National Press Club
529 14th Street N.W. Washington, D.C.

Is a machine-dominated society á la The Matrix or a Borg-esque collective intelligence looming in humanity’s future?

Emerging technologies in the areas of neuro-enhancement and artificial intelligence promise to alter drastically: our ability to augment human intellectual and sensory capacity; the role of machines; and how we connect, communicate, and share information. But, will such changes bring about the panacea promised by their proponents, or will they be akin to opening Pandora’s Box? Even before such interventions become possible, their exploration should not be left to the realm of science fiction writers and pop-culture movie moguls. Rather society as a whole must engage both science fact and science fiction in confronting the issues presented by these technologies – from who gets them to how they should be used.

RSVPs are required. There is no charge for the event. For more information, or if you wish to attend, respond to the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future
via phone at 312.906.5337

The Chicago-Kent chapters of the American Constitution Society
and the Federalist Society welcome Chicago-Kent alumnus
Congressman Peter J. Roskam (R-IL)
Tuesday, February 20
3:30 PM - Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Congressman Roskam, a member of Chicago-Kent’s class of 1989, will discuss the agenda for the 110th Congress, his experience as an Illinois legislator, and his time at Chicago-Kent.

This program is free and alumni are invited to attend. For more information or to RSVP, email Barbara Matthopoulos, director of alumni relations, or phone (312) 906-5245.

Muslim-Jewish Dialogue and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Dr. Judea Pearl, President, Daniel Pearl Foundation
Wednesday, March 7
3:00 PM - Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Reception to Follow

UCLA Professor Judea Pearl, President of the Daniel Pearl Foundation and co-editor of I am Jewish (2004), will discuss how a reconciliation of these two Abrahamic faiths can be achieved through respectful dialogue. After his son, Wall Street Journal reporter and musician Daniel Pearl, was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan by terrorists in 2002, Dr. Pearl formed the non-profit organization in Daniel’s name to promote cross-cultural understanding, diminish ethnic and religious hatred, encourage responsible and creative journalism, and unite people through the universal language of music.

We encourage you to attend this extraordinary speaking engagement, which is co-sponsored by UIC. There is no charge and alumni are encouraged to attend. To RSVP, email the Office of Alumni Relations or phone (312) 906-5240.

ATTENTION FLORIDA ALUMNI

Alumni - Save these dates for our upcoming Florida-area alumni events:

West Coast Florida Alumni Gathering
Saturday, March 17
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Hosts Roy C. '62 and Susan Palmer invite you to join them for lunch and entertainment at their Sarasota home.


East Coast Florida Alumni Gathering
Sunday, March 18
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Mark Scott '97 will be hosting a cocktail reception for alumni at his home in the Miami area.

For more information or to RSVP to these events, email Lisa Turley, Assistant Dean for Institutional Advancement, or phone (312) 906-5241.




INSTITUTE FOR LAW AND THE WORKPLACE
The 29th annual
Kenneth M. Piper Lecture
Religion and the Workplace
Tuesday, March 27
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM - Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Lecturer: Thomas C. Kohler, Concurrent Professor of Law and Philosophy, Boston College Law School

Commentary: Kim Bobo, Executive Director, Interfaith Worker Justice

Robert D. Campbell, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, NiSource Inc.

The public is cordially invited to attend the lecture. No registration is required.

Click here to view/print the detailed program brochure or for more information, visit http://www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle/piper/index.html or phone (312) 906-5090.

We want your news!

Be sure to send us any news about your career highlights, new employment or organizational appointment, and we will gladly post in the Class Notes sections of our Web site and Online Community!