From the Dean Ralph Brill Visiting Professor I am pleased to announce that Terri LeClercq has been named Chicago-Kent’s Ralph Brill Visiting Professor. Ms. LeClercq, a prolific scholar and nationally recognized authority on legal writing, research and drafting, will visit the law school during the week of February 22 to participate in a variety of activities with Chicago-Kent faculty and students.   Like Professor Brill, Ms. LeClercq has been instrumental in revolutionizing the field of legal writing. It is fitting to honor her as the first Ralph Brill Visiting Professor in recognition of her scholarly efforts. The Ralph Brill Visiting Professorship is a component of the Ralph Brill Faculty Chair Program, established in 2008 with more than $1.5 million in cash and pledges contributed by more than 400 Chicago-Kent alumni and friends. We hope to welcome the first permanent chair holder this fall. I am also thrilled to relay that Edward Lee, a renowned Intellectual Property professor at Ohio State University, has agreed to join our faculty and head the IP Program starting next fall.  He has written widely on copyright and the Internet, including a casebook on International Intellectual Property.  We eagerly await his intellectual energy. Finally, you should have recently received a copy of the 2009 Dean’s Report in your mailboxes. I encourage you to peruse the publication to learn about the fantastic scholarly activities of some of my colleagues. Read about (among others) Bernadette Atuahene’s initiative to create an academic film from her work on land restitution in South Africa, William Birdthistle’s participation in a pivotal Supreme Court case examining compensation for mutual fund directors, and Mark Rosen’s innovative reexamination of the iconic issue of state action in Shelley v. Kraemer. You should be proud of all the innovative work that our faculty produces. Sincerely, Harold J. Krent Dean and Professor of Law

Terri LeClercq has been named Chicago-Kent’s Ralph Brill Visiting Professor.

In This Issue

News and Announcements

Young Alumni Council Kick-Off

The Young Alumni Council was created in Fall 2009 to strengthen bonds among recent graduates of Chicago-Kent. The council is "kicking-off" its formation with a great opportunity to network for young alumni of Chicago-Kent.

Mix and mingle with fellow alumni and learn how to get more involved with the law school and the Council at Midtown Kitchen & Bar on Thursday, February 18 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. A $20 admission fee gets you appetizers and drinks.

If you graduated within the last 10 years, we invite you to consider joining the Young Alumni Council. For more information, visit www.kentlaw.edu/alumni/board/youngalumni.html.

Public Interest Award Nominations

Each year, the Alumni Association celebrates alumni who devote their careers to the public good and demonstrate outstanding public service leadership with The Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Award. The award includes a stipend intended to offset the cost of law school loan repayment or alumni who take lower-paid public interest positions.

Alumni working in the public interest sector who have graduated in the last 15 years are eligible. Nominations are accepted until Friday, February 5, 2010.

The award will be presented at the annual Public Interest Awards Night on Thursday, April 22, 2010.

IIT Honors Professor Nahmod with Civil Rights Award

IIT has established an award honoring Prof. Sheldon H. Nahmod for his work in civil rights and civil liberties.

Illinois Institute of Technology established an annual award honoring Chicago-Kent Distinguished Professor Sheldon H. Nahmod for his work in civil rights and civil liberties. The award is sponsored by IIT’s Office of Multicultural Student Services.

Students from IIT and Chicago’s Gage Park High School will receive the first Sheldon H. Nahmod Civil Rights Award for their project to create a memorial about the equal housing marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Chicago in 1966.

Working as part of IIT's Interprofessional Projects program (IPRO), a multidisciplinary program where students apply their knowledge to real-world problems, the students are using modern technology to create kiosks in the Marquette Park area where the marches took place. Work on the project is ongoing. Once completed, visitors to the site will be able to download video of the marches, oral histories and documents.

A member of the Chicago-Kent faculty since 1978, Professor Nahmod is a noted expert on constitutional law, civil rights and the law of Section 1983 of Title 42 of the United States Code, perhaps the most important federal civil rights/civil liberties statute ever enacted. For nearly three decades he has convened the Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation Conference at Chicago-Kent.

Get Involved: Become an Alumni Ambassador

Help us recruit the best and brightest law students to Chicago-Kent by serving as an Alumni Ambassador.

Starting this month, Alumni Ambassadors contact admitted students who haven’t confirmed their attendance to Chicago-Kent in the fall. The purpose is to introduce the school through the eyes of alumni and answer any questions from the potential students. Alumni experiences and memories can have a profound influence on a potential student, so this correspondence is an important tool in giving students a one-on-one experience to make informed decisions about law school.

Contact to admitted students occurs during February and March 2010. Become an Ambassador by February 1, 2010. Learn more about the program!

Iustitiam Servaverunt: Celebrating Judges

Nicknamed the "Judges Wall," Iustitiam Servaverunt is an 11' x 24' stainless steel sculpture created by Midwest sculptor Lauren Gray that has been on permanent display in the lobby of the law school at 565 West Adams Street in Chicago since September 2006. The work contains quotes on law and justice from a variety of historical and legal figures, and 68 translations of “truth,” “justice,” “liberty” and “rule of law” in 31 languages, including Sanskrit, Yoruba, Ojibway, Braille and American Sign Language.

Smaller sections of the sculpture include quotes from historic and legal figures such as Socrates, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Alexandr Solzhenitsyn and U.S. Supreme Court justices Benjamin Cardozo, Earl Warren and Thurgood Marshall. Jurist and legal scholar Chancellor James Kent, for whom the law school is named, also is quoted, as are alumni Hon. Abraham Lincoln Marovitz '25 and Hon. Ilana Diamond Rovner '66.

Iustitiam Servaverunt also bears the names of more than 200 Chicago-Kent alumni who have become judges. Additional names will be etched onto panels as subsequent Chicago-Kent alumni become judges and as the names of more alumni judges from the school’s early history become known. Please click here to view our alumni judges on the wall.

Apply to Serve on the 2010-2011 Chicago-Kent Alumni Board of Directors

The Chicago-Kent Alumni Board of Directors is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 year. The Alumni Board of Directors represents the Chicago-Kent alumni community by overseeing and supporting various programs and events. The Board is dedicated to the goal of strengthening bonds between the law school and its students and graduates, and serves as a voice for the Chicago-Kent alumni community.

If you are interested in applying or nominating a fellow alumnus/a, please return the application by Thursday, April 1, 2010.  If you have questions, please contact Tara Anderson, Director of Alumni Relations at (312) 906-5245 or tanderson@kentlaw.edu.

Nominate a Professor for the Best Law Teachers Survey

Those of you who had a favorite Chicago-Kent professor are invtied to nominate him or her for the Best Law Teachers survey at http://washburnlaw.edu/bestlawteachers/ by Tuesday, March 30.

The study, conducted by Professor Michael Hunter Schwartz at Washburn University School of Law, seeks to discover what principles and methods make the best professors. Harvard University Press will publish Schwartz’s findings in a book due out in 2011, entitled What the Best Law Teachers Do.

Upload alumni events to your personal calendar: Did you know that you can upload individual event information from the Online Community to your MS Outlook Calendar, which can then be synced with your PDA or Smartphone? View upcoming alumni events at www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/events. Click the square yellow icon next to your chosen event and save it as an iCalendar file. With your Outlook open, double click the downloaded file and it will upload directly into your calendar. Not yet a part of the community? Request your login information.

Save the Date

Social Events - Chicago

The Alumni Association has once again teamed up with the Chicago-Bulls to offer half-price tickets for alumni, students, faculty, staff and their friends and family. On February 10, watch the Bulls take on the Orlando Magic, or see them up against the New York Knicks on February 16. Tickets which are regularly priced at $60 and $40 are available for only $30 and $20!

Visit www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/bulls to purchase tickets by Wednesday, February 3.

Young Alumni Council Kick-Off
Thursday, February 18, 2010
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Midtown Kitchen & Bar, 203 North LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60601

The Young Alumni Council is "kicking-off" its formation with a great opportunity to network for young alumni of Chicago-Kent. Mix and mingle with fellow alumni and learn how to get more involved with the law school and the Council.

Price: $20/person, includes appetizers and drinks. RSVP at www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/youngalumni by Monday, February 15.  

Evening Student/Alumni Reception
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., 10th Floor Chicago, IL 60661

Former evening students are invited to reconnect with old classmates and colleagues while providing informal advice and guidance to current evening students. You know better than most how hard it can be to balance a full-time job, classes and a life. Current evening students face the same issues, such as “When should I transition from a legal to a non-legal career?”; “How can I get experience in the legal field without having to give up my fulltime job?”; “How do I make time for extracurricular and bar association involvement?” Please join us to share your experiences and socialize. Refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to Pascale Bishop at pbishop@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5207 by Monday, February 22.

Professor Micki Piatt will receive the Distinguished Faculty Award at the IP Law Society Award Reception.

Intellectual Property Law Society Alumni and Faculty Award Reception
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
6:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60661
 
The Chicago-Kent Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) and the Alumni Association cordially invite you to our annual Alumni and Faculty Award Reception. Chicago-Kent Professor and Executive Director of the Program in Intellectual Property Law, Mickie A. Piatt, will be honored with the Distinguished Faculty Award, while Dr. Emily Miao ‘97, Partner at McDonnell, Boehnen, Hulbert & Berghoff, L.L.P., will receive this year’s Distinguished Alumna Award.

RSVP to ipls@kentlaw.edu by Thursday, March 18.

Kent Justice Foundation Spring Auction
Thursday, April 8, 2010
4:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

RSVP to kjf@kentlaw.edu.

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 kjf@kentlaw.edu. All donations are greatly appreciated.

2010 Public Interest Awards Night
Thursday, April 22, 2010
5:00 p.m. Awards, Reception to follow
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

Please join us as we honor the 2010 Marovitz Public Interest Award recipients.

Nominations for the Marovitz awards are accepted until Friday, February 5. For more information, visit the Public Interest Awards page.

Social Events - Regional

Alumni in the Dallas, TX area are invited to an IIT Alumni Gathering.

Dallas Alumni Gathering
Friday, February 12, 2010
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sambuca Uptown, 2120 McKinney Ave., Dallas, TX 75201

Don't miss your chance to catch up with old friends or meet new ones at the Illinois Institute of Technology's alumni gathering in Dallas. With more then 1300 IIT alumni, including Chicago-Kent alumni, living in Texas, it's time to get together for food, drinks, and fun!

Cost:  $25 per person, includes appetizers and two drinks.
For details and to RSVP by Monday, February 8, visit http://alumni.iit.edu/dallas.

Indian Alumni Events in Mumbai
Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai 400 001, India

Alumni in Southeast Asia: Please join Dean Harold J. Krent and IIT President John Anderson during their visit to Mumbai and meet with fellow alumni in the region at either or both of these events:

Friday, February 26, 7:00 p.m.
The IIT Indian Alumni Association will host an alumni welcome dinner.

Saturday, February 27, 6:30 p.m.
Alumni are invited to a reception and banquet.

For more information, visit http://alumni.iit.edu. RSVP to tkincade@kentlaw.edu by Monday, February 22.

Join Dean Krent and the Alumni Association for a brunch hosted by Roy ‘62 and Susan Palmer at their home in Bradenton.

RSVP by Wednesday, March 17 to alums@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5240.

Sixth Annual East Coast Florida Alumni Gathering
Monday, March 22, 2010
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
1770 Micanopy Ave., Miami, FL 33133-3323

Join Dean Krent and the Alumni Association for a cocktail reception hosted by Mark Scott ‘97 at his home in Miami.

RSVP by Wednesday, March 17 to alums@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5240.

Tour South Africa with the IIT Alumni Association
Wednesday, April 21 – Monday, May 3, 2010

The Illinois Institute of Technology Alumni Association invites you to join them on their Treasures of South Africa tour in April 2010. Especially for IIT alumni, their families and friends, the trip offers luxurious accommodation, tours by knowledgeable local guides and preferred access to popular attractions, all at an exceptionable value. Destinations include Cape Town, Robbin Island, Johannesburg and a three-night safari in the private Thornybush Game Reserve.

Treasures of South Africa is operated by AHI travel, a nearly 50-year old company with a history of innovative travel programs and exceptional service.

Please click here to view the full trip brochure. Spaces are extremely limited!

Lectures & Conferences

Prof. Amos Guiora will lecture on the Goldstone report.

The Office of International Law and Policy presents a lecture by Amos N. Guiora, Professor at S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, on the defense of human rights in Israel, the evolution of the rules of war and international law, and the political and legal impact of the recent Goldstone report. Professor Bart Brown and Dean Lydia Lazar will moderate a discussion.

Professor Guiora will be signing copies of his book: Freedom from Religion: Rights and National Security (Oxford University Press, 2009), which will be available for sale after the talk.

RSVP to Lauren Reinhalter at lreinhalter@kentlaw.edu or (312) 906-5134 by Wednesday, February 24. Bring a brown bag lunch, or pre-order a box lunch when you RSVP. Drinks will be provided.

Prof. Oren Bracha will speak on copyright laws in the film industry.

Chicago IP Colloquium Speaker: Professor Oren Bracha
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
4:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Rm. 305, Chicago, IL 60661

Oren Bracha, Professor at the the University of Texas School of Law, will speak as part of the 2010 Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium. His paper, "Motion Pictures: The Development of Modern American Copyright and the Film Industry," will be discussed.

The Colloquium is jointly sponsored by Chicago-Kent and Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Visit the Colloquium’s Web site for more information regarding the speaker series.

CLE Opportunities

The new Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct became effective on January 1, 2010. Do you know how your obligations have changed? What do you do when there is no clear answer?  Chicago-Kent Professors Carolyn Shapiro and Vivien Gross will lead a spirited discussion of the new rules and their practical application, focusing on real world scenarios.

Attendees are eligible for 2.0 hours of IL MCLE Professionalism credit.
Cost: $25 for Chicago-Kent Alumni (a 50% discount!) Click here to register by Thursday, February 4 or download a brochure and printable registration form.

Document Management and Retention Policies for Clients and Law Firms
Friday, March 12, 2010
8:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

A unique full-day seminar for all attorneys, but especially for those working as business or 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. This event is co-sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association.

Attendees are eligible for 6.0 hours of IL MCLE credit, including 2.5 hours of professional responsibilty credit. Register online through the Chicago Bar Association or download a printable registration form.

Piper Lecturer
Joan C. Williams

Attendees are eligible for 1.25 hours of FREE IL MCLE credit. No registration is needed, however please click here to download an event brochure.

Past Event Highlights

2009 Alumna Wins Intellectual Property Award

Dolores Hanna '52 and Ansonia Sood '09

Ansonia Sood ‘09 was the recipient of the 2009 Dolores K. Hanna Trademark Prize. The prize was established in 2006 at Chicago-Kent by the law firm of Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, LLC to honor Hanna, who served as the firm’s special trademarks counsel. It is awarded each year to a Chicago-Kent student based on outstanding performance in an intellectual property course in the previous year.

Sood earned a JD with a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law from Chicago-Kent in 2009. During law school, she served as associate editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property, worked as a legal intern in the Law Offices at Chicago-Kent, was a patent law extern at the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, and was a summer intern in the intellectual property practice at the Concord, MA, law firm of Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds. Sood plans to return to Hamilton Brook as a full-time associate later this year.

During her career spanning more than five decades, Dolores K. Hanna '52 practiced at the law firm of Hill & Simpson and also served as trademark counsel for Kraft, Inc. She chaired the federal Trademark Review Commission and recommended changes that were enacted into the Trademark Law Revision Act of 1988. Hanna has served as president of the International Trademark Association, the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, the Women’s Bar Foundation, and the Cook County Court Watchers. Retired from active practice since June 2006, Hanna has been the recipient of countless awards; last month she received the Esther Rothstein Award from the Women's Bar Association of Illinois.

Alumni Guide: Your Window to the Chicago-Kent Community

The Alumni Association encourages you to make use of the Chicago-Kent Alumni Guide. The guide was created to help you connect with your alma mater and fellow alumni, as well as to acquaint you with the many opportunities and ways to get involved with Chicago-Kent.

Many of you have already received a copy of the red booklet in your mailboxes, however, for easy reference, our alumni guide is online at www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/guide.

We encourage you to use this guide to get connected and get involved to strengthen the bonds, and promote the successes, of your Chicago-Kent community.