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

From the Dean

What Can Chicago-Kent Do For You?

In mid-February, you should have received an email asking “What can Chicago-Kent Do For You?” If you don’t recall that message, click here to view the email.

Chicago-Kent endeavors not only to keep alumni connected with the law school, but to ensure connections among alumni, as you and your fellow alumni are excellent resources as colleagues, mentors, business associates, and friends.

To this end, I am proud to announce our newly renovated Alumni Online Community. Some of the new features include:

  • Advanced Alumni Directory Search: Using our “Advanced Search” function, you can search for fellow alumni by firm name, practice area, and other business information.
  • Update your Personal Profile: Every alumnus now has a personal page where you can upload your photos, send in class notes, update your address, and decide what information you want to be displayed.
  • Get Involved: With the click of a button, you can sign up to be an Alumni Advisor to mentor current students or discover other Chicago-Kent volunteering opportunities.
  • Online Chat and Email Functions: Send an old classmate an email or have a live chat with them on the community.
  • Coming Soon: In the next few months, you’ll have the opportunity to Blog, post a note in the Classified Ads Section, and join individual Alumni Activity Group pages such as Trial Advocacy alumni.

To get started, visit http://alumni.kentlaw.edu. We hope you will see the Alumni Online Community not only as a site to connect you to Chicago-Kent, but as an Alumni, Professional and Social networking site as well.

I wish you the best and hope to see you at one of our upcoming events this spring.

Sincerely,

Harold J. Krent
Dean and Professor of Law


In This Issue

News and Announcements

BLSA Mock Trial Team Participates in Midwest Thurgood Marshall Competition

For the first time, a Chicago-Kent Black Law Student Association (BLSA) team participated in the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition at the Midwest regional in Cincinnati in January. Students Mitzi Wilson (3L), Robert Patillo (2L), Melissa Knazze (2L), and Brandon Gibson (3L) were coached by Associate Judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County: Adjunct Professor the Hon. Israel A. Desierto ’90, Adjunct Professor the Hon. Maxwell Griffin, Jr., and the Hon. Donald R. Havis.

The Marshall Competition was instituted in March 2002 by the National Black Law Students Association. A total of eight teams participated in this year’s regional event. The top two teams will compete at the National Competition in Detroit in March.

The Hon. Maxwell Griffin, Jr. noted that “the students made a strong showing despite the fact that none had prior competition experience. Their talent, dedication and sacrifice made them a force to be reckoned with in the competition.” He added that Chicago-Kent plans to compete next year, and, with more experience, hopes to “advance to the National BLSA competition and continue the Chicago-Kent tradition of excellence in trial advocacy.”

The BLSA Mock Trial team was financially supported by SmithAmundsen LLC. Last year, the firm made a five-year commitment to support diversity initiatives at Chicago-Kent, which includes support for the team representing Chicago-Kent at the Thurgood Marshall National Mock Trial Competition. Since its inception in 1997, SmithAmundsen LLC has grown to approximately 120 attorneys, including more than 20 Chicago-Kent alumni, and has earned a reputation as one of Chicago’s premier litigation firms.

Photo at left: (Front, L-R) BLSA Mock Trial Team Members Mitzi Wilson, Melissa Knazze, Brandon Gibson and Robert Patillo. (Back, L-R) Director of the Chicago-Kent Trial Advocacy Program Judge David Erickson with Coaches Judge Maxwell Griffin Jr., Judge Donald R. Havis, and Judge Israel A. Desierto ’90.


In the News: Operation Kosovo

Chicago-Kent professor Henry Perritt's organization, "Operation Kosovo," was profiled in the February 25th Chicago Tribune following the declaration of independence in that country. Operation Kosovo is an initiative started a decade ago to promote the rule of law, democracy, civil society and economic development in Kosovo. The Tribune noted that over the past 10 years, Professor Perrit has sent Chicago-Kent and IIT students to Kosovo “to work on various nation-building projects, from economic development, to helping war-crimes tribunals, to promoting local tourism." Read the full article at ChicagoTribune.com>>

Click Image to Englarge - Dean Krent, Jill Roberts,  John Locallo Dean Hal Krent, Jill Roberts, and John Locallo '86
Photo courtesy of John Locallo and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Public Interest Student Wins ISBF Scholarship

A third year Chicago-Kent student, Jill Roberts, was recently awarded a $3000 scholarship from the Illinois State Bar Foundation (ISBF). Dean Hal Krent and Alumni Board of Directors President John G. Locallo ‘86 presented Jill with the check last month. Jill’s award was a portion of $39,000 the ISBF awarded to students at 13 law schools in Illinois.

In addition to having a solid academic record, Jill is president of the Kent Justice Foundation and has volunteered with several Public Interest organizations across the city, including the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing and the Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic. Following her graduation this spring, she will serve as a judicial law clerk for the Department of Justice, Executive Office of Immigration Review.


New issue of the Seventh Circuit Review

Students enrolled in the Seventh Circuit Review Honors Seminar during the fall 2007 semester wrote and edited the articles that appear in the latest issue of the Seventh Circuit Review. Visit the journal's Web site at www.kentlaw.edu/7cr to read the students' articles analyzing recent opinions published by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and to learn more about the online journal.

Send Us Your Class Notes!

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.


Do you want to attend an upcoming event at Chicago-Kent but have no time to write down all the information?

Now you can upload individual event information from the Online Community to your MS Outlook Calendar, which can then be synced with your PDA. To start, visit http://alumni.kentlaw.edu. 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 should upload automatically into your calendar.

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

Save the Date

Social Events - Chicago

Kent Justice Foundation’s Spring Auction
Thursday, March 27, 2008
4:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

The Kent Justice Foundation (KJF) is 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. Please join us to support this worthy cause.

RSVP by March 24 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. Any donations are greatly appreciated.

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 March 28, 2008.

2008 Public Interest Awards and Networking Reception
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
5:00 p.m.
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 Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Award for Public Service. Awards will also be given to students who better our communities through their work and commitment to public interest. A reception will immediately follow the awards ceremony. For more information please visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/alums/publicinterest/.

RSVP to alums@kentlaw.edu or 312.906.5240.

Earth Week Logo

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

Save the Dates (more details to follow):

Mon, March 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, March 22 Lecture: “The Effects of Factory Farming on the Environment.” Co-sponsored by the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Wed, March 23 Lecture: “Combatting Climate Change: Technical, legal, and economic aspects of regulating greenhouse gas emissions.”
Thur, March 24 Lecture: “Eco-Friendly design and development in the Chicago real estate market.” Co-sponsored by the Real Estate Law Society.
Fri, March 25 Chicago-Kent Environmental Service Projects: Friends of the Forests, The Gaia Movement, and Foster Street Beach Clean-Up.

Details on these events will be posted soon at www.kentlaw.edu/student_orgs/els/ and the Alumni Online Community.


Lectures
Peter Lee Professor R. Polk Wagner

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.

CLE Opportunities

Using Technology to Organize and Present Cases
Friday, March 7, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

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 Credit (including 1.0 Hour of Ethics Credit). For more information, including cost and registration, please visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle.

Josef Drexl Professor Josef Drexl

18th annual Henry Morris Lecture in International and Comparative Law: Josef Drexl
March 11, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60661

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.

Attendees are eligible for 1.0 General Hour of MCLE Credit. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information visit: www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle.

30th annual Piper Lecture: Corporate Self-Regulation and the Future of Workplace Governance

Josef Drexl Professor Cynthia Estlund
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.

Past Event Highlights

Cary Glenner ’81 Speaks at Dean’s Rountable Program

The 2008 Dean’s Roundtable series kicked off on February 20 with Cary S. Glenner ’81. Glenner is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Tucker Development Corporation, one of Chicago’s premier mixed-use and retail real estate developers. He also currently serves as President of the City of Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Roundtable program was introduced by Dean Hal Krent to allow for student interaction with alumni in an informal lunch setting. It highlights alumni who utilize their legal education in careers outside the legal profession.

Ron Staudt
Ron Staudt and M. Catherine Richardson, Chair of the ABA's Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services.

Chicago-Kent Center Honored by ABA for Expanding Access to Justice

Chicago-Kent's Center for Access to Justice & Technology (CAJT) was selected as the recipient of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2008 Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access. The award honors those programs matching unmet legal needs of the middle class with lawyers who provide affordable legal services.

Chicago-Kent professor and center director Ron Staudt accepted the award at a luncheon co-sponsored by the National Conference of Bar Presidents and the National Association of Bar Executives on February 8 during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Los Angeles.

"We are delighted to receive this award. It recognizes the creative hard work of Chicago-Kent students who are using technology in new ways to make a great contribution to the delivery of legal services for low and moderate income people," said Professor Staudt.


California Alumni Gatherings

Dean Hal Krent and Director of Alumni Relations Tara Anderson met with alumni in Los Angeles and San Diego on their recent trip to California. Scott Gautier ’97 and Kelly Frazier generously hosted a gathering for Los Angeles area alumni at their home in Manhattan Beach. In San Diego, alumni enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at Currant American Brasserie in the historic Sofia Hotel. Thank you to all the alumni who came out to these events—we enjoyed catching up with you!

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