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In This IssueNews and Announcements
On Thursday, January 31, a team from the Chicago-Kent Moot Court Honor Society took home top prize in the 58th annual National Moot Court Competition at the New York City Bar Association. The team, consisting of Joanna Brinkman (3L), Lalania Gilkey-Johnson (3L), and Rachel Moran (3L), coached by Professor Kent Streseman, scored a unanimous verdict from the 7-judge panel after a final round performance against the University of Colorado School of Law, which was coached by former Chicago-Kent professor, Gabrielle Marks Stafford. In addition, Rachel Moran won the award for Best Oral Advocate.
The National Moot Court Competition is the oldest and largest American moot court tournament. The law school of the winning team is presented with the Fulton Haight Award - a monetary value of $2,500 - funded by the Fulton Haight Fund of the Foundation of the American College of Trial Lawyers. In addition, the winning team is invited to the annual meeting of the American College of Trial Lawyers at which the Best Oral Advocate—this year, Rachel Moran —will address the College. This year's competition drew 189 teams, 28 of which advanced through regional qualifying tournaments last fall to the national finals. Joanna, Lalania, and Rachel went undefeated in six arguments, earning uniformly high marks from judging panels and fellow competitors. The winning argument questioned whether the 2nd Amendment protects an individual’s right to “keep and bear” arms for private use and asked whether the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act preempts a State from exercising its own public health and police powers to regulate the delivery of handgun ammunition. In addition to the national championship, the Moot Court Society performed superbly throughout the year. Last October, the teams of Rachel Adamczyk (3L) & Toni Odette (3L) and Margaret Battersby (3L) & Mike Ko (3L) finished first and second place respectively at the Appellate Lawyers' Association's Midwest Moot Court Competition, and swept the best brief and oral argument awards. In early November, two Moot Court Honor Society students received Best Oral Advocate Awards: Lalania Gilkey-Johnson in the regional round of the National Moot Court Competition and Sara Siegall (3L) in the National Health Law Competition. The Moot Court Society’s 2007-2008 record combined with last year’s Trial Advocacy championship, undoubtedly puts Chicago-Kent among the top law schools in the country for competitive advocacy. We are grateful to the faculty members and alumni who coached this team, including Sepideh Esmaili ’07, Cherish Keller ’06, Heather Kissling ’07, Brian Koppen ’07, Sonya Rosenberg ’07, Jeff Swatzell ’07, and Sarah Zielinski ‘07.
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services has selected Chicago-Kent’s Center for Access to Justice & Technology as the recipient of the 2008 Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access. The award honors “programs and projects dedicated to matching the unmet legal needs of the middle class and those of moderate incomes with lawyers who provide affordable legal information, services and representation.” The Center for Access to Justice & Technology at Chicago-Kent is dedicated to making justice more accessible to the public through the use of the Internet in teaching, legal practice, and public access to the law. The Center operates three law and technology initiatives, for which they were specifically honored for this award: A2J Author™ Project; Access to Justice Student Editorial Board; and Self-Help Web Center. These three initiatives provide tools, content and personal guidance to help thousands of self-represented litigants obtain access to justice. M. Catherine Richardson, chair of the ABA committee said that the Center is “an outstanding example of the practical application of technology to legal services in ways that create greater efficiencies and expand access to justice.” Ron Staudt, Director of the Center, and Professor of Law at
Chicago-Kent, will accept the award at a luncheon in Los Angeles on
February 8.
Despite the work of thousands of volunteers over the last two years since hurricanes and flooding devasted the Gulf Coast, the recovery process is far from complete. During their winter break, 20 students from Chicago-Kent joined more than 500 law students from around the country in New Orleans to participate in the national Student Hurricane Network volunteer program. Students worked on a variety of projects including: 
Students worked with ACORN to assist Diana (center) a resident of the
lower 9th ward, in clearing her lot so that she could begin the rebuilding
process.
To date, Chicago-Kent has sent more than 50 students to the Gulf Coast to participate in the recovery effort and gain real world public interest experience. The next trip is planned for Spring Break.
 The 2007 KJF Auction raised a record setting amount - nearly $30,000 - for their summer fellowship program. The Kent Justice Foundation (KJF), a Chicago-Kent student organization that promotes public interest law, encourages volunteerism and supports pro-bono work. Each year, a silent auction is held to support KJF and their summer fellowship program for students in public interest positions. This year’s Spring Auction will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2008 at Chicago-Kent. You can help support KJF through an in-kind donation to the Auction. If you have spare sports tickets, a restaurant gift certificate, or a service you can provide (e.g. allowing a student to shadow you for a day), please contact Katie Rock or Matt Towey, Auction Co-Chairs, at kjf@kentlaw.edu. Any donations are greatly appreciated.
Your Alumni E-Brief has a new look! We hope the design makes it easier for you to keep up with what’s new at the law school. The Office of Alumni Relations welcomes comments or suggestions at alums@kentlaw.edu.
It is that time of year again – time to solicit class notes for the spring 2008 Chicago-Kent magazine. This year we are moving to an electronic submission process. If you have a class note update, please log on to our Online Community at http://alumni.kentlaw.edu to submit your class note or send an email to alums@kentlaw.edu.
Save the Date
Los Angeles-Area Alumni Gathering Hosted by Scott Gautier ’97 and Kelly Frazier. RSVP by February 5, 2008 to alums@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5240.
San Diego-Area Alumni Gathering At Currant American Brasserie in the Sofia Hotel RSVP by February 5, 2008 to alums@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5240. East Coast
Florida Alumni Gathering Hosted by Mark Scott ’97  Roy '62 and Susan Palmer host the West Coast Alumni Gathering for the 5th year. RSVP by February 25, 2008 to alums@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5240. Fifth Annual West Coast Florida Alumni Gathering Hosted by Roy C. Palmer ‘62 and Susan Palmer RSVP by February 25, 2008 to alums@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5240. Complimentary valet parking available.
International Law Student & Alumni Reception Co-hosted by the Office of Career Services, ILSA, the ABA, and the LL.M./ New Lawyer Outreach Committee.  Phi Alpha Delta Judges’ Night Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity is pleased to recognize distinguished jurists and persons associated with the legal profession at its annual Judges’ Night. This year the Fraternity honors Collins T. Fitzpatrick, U.S. 7th Circuit Court Executive. If you received your invitation, please RSVP to (312) 263-1360, Ext 20. Co-hosted by the Chicago Alumni Chapter (President, John Norris ’83), the William Blackstone Chapter, and Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Professor Paul Finkelman Institute for Law and the Humanities: Paul
Finkelman, Albany Law School Professor Finkelman will present his paper, "Regulating the African Slave Trade." This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Chicago-Kent's Institute for Law and the Humanities and the Chicago-Kent Law Review. Institute for Law and the Humanities:
Gary Johnson, President, Chicago History Museum Gary T. Johnson was named the eighth president of the Chicago History Museum in August 2005 after 28 years as a lawyer and partner in the Chicago offices of Mayer Brown and Jones Day. He has a record of leadership in the civic arena, particularly in civil rights and legal services to the low-income individuals. From 2001-2003 he co-chaired the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and continues to serve on its executive committee. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Chicago-Kent's Institute for Law and the Humanities.
Professor Peter LeeTuesday, February 26, 2008 4:00 - 5:45 p.m. Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Room 305, Chicago, IL 60661 The 2008 Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium presents Professor Peter Lee, UC Davis School of Law. He will discuss his paper, "Flexibility and Rigidity in Definitions of Intellectual Infrastructure." This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Chicago-Kent and Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Document Management and Retention Policies
for Clients and Law Firms A unique full-day seminar for all attorneys, but especially for those working as business/corporate lawyers, corporate counsel, litigators, or law firm managers. Topics include document management, including record retention and archives, how to avoid e-discovery traps and technology issues, ethical considerations and Cyber Insurance Protection. Attendees are eligible for 6 hours IL-MCLE Credit, including 2.5 hours of Ethics Credit (pending approval). For more information, including cost and registration, please visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association. Navigating the ILSVP Process This seminar will provide judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys with helpful working knowledge of the Illinois Department of Corrections evaluation criteria for potential SVP respondents. It will also provide an overview of Illinois Department of Human Services evaluation criteria and treatment standards and the Treatment and Detention Facility policies and procedures Attendees are eligible for 5.0 General Hours of MCLE plus 1.0 Hour of Ethics Credit (pending approval). For more information, including cost and registration, please visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle. Co-sponsored by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. Using Technology to Organize and Present
Cases This seminar will illustrate how technology is used effectively to present information to juries and mediation panels, to manage complex litigation, to prepare and execute cross examination, and to assess feedback from focus group presentations. Attendees will see demonstrations of innovative technology in opening and closing argument presentations, direct examination of expert witnesses, and mediation presentations. Attendees are eligible for 7.0 General Hours of MCLE plus 1.0 Hour of Ethics Credit (pending approval). For more information, including cost and registration, please visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle. 
Professor Josef Drexl 18th annual Henry Morris Lecture in International
and Comparative Law: Josef Drexl Josef Drexl, Professor of Law, University of Munich, and Director
of the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and
Tax Law in Munich, Germany will speak as the the 18th annual Henry Morris
Lecture in International and Comparative Law. Past Event Highlights
Last month, Chicago-Kent was pleased to host two Cook County State's Attorney Candidates' Forums. On January 15, the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network, co-sponsored an event for candidates to discuss their plans to combat violence against women. On January 24, the candidates were back at Kent again to discuss the recently released Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice Report on Chicago’s Felony Courts in an event sponsored by the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Chicago Appleseed Fund.
 (l-r) Jules L. Lobel, Roy C. Palmer '62, Susan Palmer, and David D. Cole Constitutional scholars and co-authors David D. Cole and Jules L. Lobel discussed their award-winning book, Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror, at the inaugural Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize Lecture. The Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize was established in 2007 by Chicago-Kent alumnus Roy C. Palmer '62 and his wife, Susan, to honor an exemplary work of scholarship exploring the tension between civil liberties and national security in contemporary American society. Less Safe, Less Free is a critical analysis of the civil liberties and geopolitical implications of the Bush administration's "war on terror." Georgetown University law professor Cole represents immigrants and
U.S. citizens in cases involving claims of national security and terrorism
and has litigated several major First Amendment cases. University of
Pittsburgh law professor Lobel is an expert in emergency powers and
the laws governing wars and has litigated major cases involving the
application of international law in American courts, executive abuse
of power, and infringement of civil liberties. Subscription to this newsletter is maintained
by Chicago-Kent College of Law. Only administrators of the list may
post to the list and the list membership will be kept private. Change
your subscription settings here.
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| Chicago-Kent College of Law
Office of Alumni Relations 565 W. Adams St., Suite
310 Chicago, IL 60661 Tel: (312) 906-5240 Fax: (312) 906-5256 E-mail: alums@kentlaw.edu Web: www.kentlaw.edu/alumni |
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