Chicago-Kent College of Law: Alumni E-Brief
Alumni E-Brief
Dean Harold J. Krent

From the Dean

School Year Wrap-up

As another school year comes to a close, Chicago-Kent welcomes nearly 375 J.D. and LL.M. graduates to the alumni community. The Class of 2010 will no doubt distinguish itself in the legal profession, but graduates will also benefit from a helping hand from fellow alumni. I encourage you to assist your newest colleagues in furthering their legal careers through your advice and support.

The 2010 Commencement ceremony will take place at the UIC Forum on Sunday, May 16. This year, we welcome not one, but two keynote speakers. Craig Donohue, LL.M. '89, CEO of the CME Group, which now oversees both the Chicago Board of Trade and the New York Mercantile Exchange, will provide the alumni address. U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin, the senior Senator from Illinois and the current Senate Majority Whip, will lend a perspective from the public sector. Alumni are welcome to attend the ceremony. Please click here for details.

The end of the school year also signals the end of Chicago-Kent's fiscal year. Your support, especially through the Chicago-Kent Annual Fund, remains an important source of unrestricted funds in the face of diminished endowment returns and a reduced operating budget. Our goal is to raise $250,000 for the Annual Fund before May 31, the end of the 2010 fiscal year.  

I am grateful to the 793 alumni who have so far contributed to Chicago-Kent this year, helping us to raise $215,000 for the 2010 Annual Fund goal.  If you are not among this group, I hope you will consider making a gift before May 31. Donations may be made online at www.kentlaw.edu/give or by calling the Office of Institutional Advancement at 312.906.5243. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Harold J. Krent
Dean and Professor of Law

In This Issue

News and Announcements

Richard W. Wright Named Distinguished Professor of Law

Distinguished Professor 
Richard W. Wright
Distinguished Professor
Richard W. Wright
The Illinois Institute of Technology Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Richard W. Wright as a Distinguished Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent. Distinguished professor is the highest faculty rank at the university, and is reserved for a small number of senior faculty members, nominated by their own faculties and deans and approved by a university-wide committee of existing distinguished professors and chairs.

A member of the Chicago-Kent faculty since 1985, Professor Wright's teaching and research focus on domestic and comparative tort law, jurisprudence, law and economics, and law and artificial intelligence. Prior to joining the Chicago-Kent faculty, he was a member of the faculty of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, where he received the Monrad G. Paulsen Award for outstanding contributions to legal education.

Professor Wright has also been a visiting professor at the University of Texas School of Law; a visiting lecturer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and the Universidad Torcuato di Tella Law School in Argentina; a visiting fellow at the University of Melbourne in Australia; and a visiting fellow at Brasenose College and visiting lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford in England.

Craig Donohue, LL.M. ’89 and U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin will speak at the 2010 Commencement on Sunday, May 16.


Tour China with Chicago-Kent in October

The Chicago-Kent Alumni Association is pleased to announce an extraordinary opportunity to travel with other alumni and earn 10 general CLE credits while you immerse yourself in China's rich history, culture and legal system.

The group is led by Skadden Arps partner and Chicago-Kent alumna Frances Kao '92 and John Rogers, an attorney and former president of the Midwest–US China Association, both of whom have long, in-depth and practical China experience. The journey of a lifetime begins in the culturally rich Chinese capital of Beijing, then to Xi'an (Qin dynasty, Terracotta warriors, and eastern terminus of the traditional Silk Road), and onward to Chengdu (capital of food famous Sichuan Province and the Panda Breeding Center) and finally to Shanghai, the commercial center of modern China.

As China emerges as a dominant world player, it is important for US lawyers to understand its dynamic to better represent their clients. This trip will allow participants to meet and interact with Chicago-Kent alumni who are practicing law in China and the CLE portion will be presented by top experts with both China and American perspective on relevant topics, including:

China
Alumni will visit the famous Terracotta warriors.
  • Practical Aspects of Working With International & Local Lawyers in the PRC
  • China's Historic Legal System and Impact on Development of Law in Modern China
  • Traditions of ADR in China and Issues Regarding Cultural Perceptions of Fairness
 
  • The WTO: Western promises and Chinese Perspectives
  • Development of Employment Law and Protection of Rights in the Workers' Paradise
  • Court-watching in Beijing and Chengdu
  • Contracting Practices and the Negotiation of Contracts in China

The group will depart Chicago Thursday, October 28 and arrive in Beijing on Friday, October 29. We return from Shanghai on Saturday, November 6 and arrive in Chicago on Saturday, November 6. For only $3500 per person plus airfare ($650 single supplement), this well-planned 9-day excursion will enable you to earn CLE credit and create extraordinary memories at the same time. Individuals, couples and families are welcome—the group will travel by comfortable modern coach bus and stay at 5 star hotels with all the amenities.

Information sessions will be held at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Room 583 on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, May 19 @ Noon - 1 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 22 @ 10:30 a.m. - Noon
  • Saturday, June 12 @ 10:30 a.m. - Noon
  • Tuesday, June 15 @ 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

To RSVP for an information session, please email Tara Anderson at tanderson@kentlaw.edu. Additional information about the program will be available at the sessions or online beginning May 14.


First Matt Lash '07 Memorial Scholarship Awarded
Daniel D’Addario '12 (center) the first Matt Lash Memorial Scholarship Recipient, is pictured with Cliff and Roberta Lash, parents of the late Matt Lash '07
Daniel D’Addario '12 (center) the first Matt Lash Memorial Scholarship recipient, is pictured with Cliff and Roberta Lash, parents of the late Matt Lash '07.

Chicago-Kent has awarded the first Matt Lash Memorial Scholarship. Established last year by the family of Matt Lash '07 and a group of his classmates, colleagues and friends, the scholarship supports Chicago-Kent students facing health challenges.

Daniel D'Addario, a 2012 J.D. candidate in Chicago-Kent's Intellectual Property Law Certificate program is the first Lash Scholarship recipient. In 1999, he was struck by a virus that left him completely paralyzed from the neck down. Despite this challenge, D'Addario went on to earn his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Fordham University. He then worked as a software developer for Phillips Research in Westchester County, NY and completed an internship at the Rogers and Hammerstein Organization in New York City before attending Chicago-Kent.

Matt Lash, for whom the scholarship was named, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer in 2000. Although his doctors gave him five years to live, Matt continued to push himself, and he achieved much. In addition to traveling the world, interning with the Detroit Tigers baseball team, and serving as a frequent guest speaker for organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the Children's Oncology Group, Matt earned his undergraduate degree as well as his J.D. with a Certificate in Labor and Employment Law, all the while undergoing numerous surgeries.

Despite his perseverance and enthusiasm for life, Matt lost his battle to cancer on April 30, 2008. Since the establishment of the scholarship fund in his name, more than $23,000 has been raised in his honor. For more information about Matt Lash Scholarship Fund or to make a gift in his honor, please visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/dev/lash.
Annual Fund Image


Did You Graduate in the Last Two Years? Share Your Thoughts!

Chicago-Kent is participating in the 2010 Vault Law School Student Survey. The information from this survey may be included in the 7th edition of the Vault Law School Buzz Book and will appear on the Vault.com website. Graduates from 2008, 2009, and 2010 are invited to participate in this survey, which will help countless prospective students make key choices during the law school application process.

Take Survey >>

In completing this survey, we encourage you to be candid as your identity will remain anonymous. During the course of the survey, you will be asked for certain information that you feel makes you identifiable to your school; however, any responses we quote will not be paired with any information that will allow your school to identify the quoted student. The survey deadline is Friday, May 14. Please note that Chicago-Kent is listed under the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Connect with Alumni in your Area

Want to catch up with alumni in your geographical region? Join your regional group page on the Alumni Online Community.

There are regional groups for most North American Metropolitan areas, as well as Beijing and Shanghai groups, a Central/South America group, and a general International group. Once you’ve joined your group, you can post discussions, photos, and videos or plan your own regional get-together!

To get started, visit www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/groups and type in your city, state or country.

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

Save the Date

Social Events - Chicago

2010 Commencement
Sunday, May 16, 2010
2:30 p.m. (Doors open at 1:30 p.m.)
UIC Forum, 725 W Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60608

Please join us for the 2010 Commencement ceremony at the UIC Forum. This year we are excited to welcome two keynote speakers: alumni keynote Craig Donohue, LL.M. ’89, CEO of the CME Group, and keynote U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin. A champagne reception will immediately follow the ceremony.

Alumni wishing to attend should RSVP to commencement@kentlaw.edu by Friday, May 7. (A ticket is required for entry.) For more information and directions visit www.kentlaw.edu/commencement.


Chicago-Kent Night with the White Sox
Tuesday, May 19, 2010
7:10 p.m.
U.S. Cellular Field, 333 W 35th St, Chicago, IL 60616

Join us to watch the Sox take on the Anaheim Angels at U.S. Cellular Field. On this special night the White Sox are offering half-priced tickets to Chicago-Kent alumni and their family & friends. Tickets regularly priced at $39, $35 and $20 are available for $19.50, $17.50 and $10.

Ticket orders must be submitted to the Chicago White Sox by Sunday, May 9. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/whitesox.


Trial Advocacy Alumni Dinner
Thursday, June 10, 2009
6:00 p.m. Dinner ~ 7:00 p.m. Awards
Pegasus Restaurant, Rooftop, 130 S Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60661

Please join us for the annual Trial Advocacy Alumni Dinner and awards ceremony at Pegasus in Greektown. Free valet parking will be available.

RSVP to alums@kentlaw.edu by Tuesday, June 8.

Class of 2000, Ten-Year Reunion

Class of 2000 Ten-Year Reunion
Saturday, June 12, 2010
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Spectrum Bar and Grill, 233 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60661

Class of 2000: Celebrate your ten-year reunion at Spectrum Bar and Grill in Greektown. Price: $40/person, includes three hours of open bar and appetizers.

RSVP online at www.kentlaw.edu/alumni/reunion/2000.html


Cubs
Washington D.C. Alumni Gathering
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Washington, D.C.

Alumni in Washington D.C., Baltimore, and northern Virginia: Please save the date for a D.C. Alumni Gathering on June 17. Time and Location TBA.

RSVP to alums@kentlaw.edu by Monday, June 14.


Alumni Night @ Wrigley Field: Tickets on Sale July 19
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
5:00 p.m. Pre-Game Gathering ~ 7:05 p.m. Game
Cubby Bear, 1059 W. Addison, Chicago, IL 60613

Save the date for our annual Alumni Night @ Wrigley Field. Enjoy a pre-game gathering at the Cubby Bear, which includes dinner and drinks beginning at 5:00 p.m. then, watch the Chicago Cubs take on the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field.

Tickets go on sale Monday, July 19 at 9:00 a.m. CST. Each alumnus is limited to 2 tickets. This event always sells out so we encourage you to get tickets early!


Social Events - Regional

Tour China with Chicago-Kent in October: Info Sessions
See dates below.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Room 583, Chicago, IL 60661

The Alumni Association is pleased to announce an extraordinary opportunity to travel with other alumni and earn 10 general CLE credits while you immerse yourself in China’s rich history, culture and legal system. The group will depart Chicago Thursday, October 28 and return on Saturday, November 6. Information sessions will be held at Chicago-Kent College of Law on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, May 19 @ Noon – 1 pm
  • Saturday, May 22 @ 10:30 am – Noon
  • Saturday, June 12 @ 10:30 am – Noon
  • Tuesday, June 15 @ 5:30 – 7:00 pm

To RSVP for an information session, please email Tara Anderson at tanderson@kentlaw.edu. View more information.

CLE Opportunities

29th Annual Conference on Not-For-Profit Organizations
Thursday, June 3, 2010
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St., Ogilvie Auditorium, Chicago, IL 60661
 

The conference features a comprehensive program at a mid-to-advanced level of discussion on the most current developments in taxation, legislation and regulation affecting not-for-profit organizations in Illinois.

Attendees are eligible for 6.75 hours of MCLE Credit, including 1.0 hour of ethics credit. Click here to register or download a brochure and printable registration form.

Past Event Highlights

View More Photos >>
Mariangela Monteiro '04 and Daniel Belko '99 received the 2010 Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Awards.
2010 Public Interest Awards Night

On Thursday, April 22, Chicago-Kent honored alumni and students who better our communities through their work and commitment to public interest law. Congratulations to Daniel Belko '99 and Mariangela Monteiro '04, the 2010 Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Award recipients.

The Chicago-Kent Environmental Law Society shared their accomplishments over the past year, and we especially thank Cameron Davis ’92, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, for addressing attendees.

In other public interest law news, the Alumni Association is pleased to announce that Anna Lusero '10 has been named Chicago-Kent's first Equal Justice Works Fellow. The Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program creates partnerships among public interest lawyers, nonprofit organizations, law firm/corporate sponsors and other donors in order to afford underrepresented populations effective access to the justice system.

Anna will be working with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago in collaboration with Working Hands Legal Clinic (a non-profit headed by alumnus, Chris Williams '04). Anna's project, which will span two years, will focus on obtaining U Visas for Immigrant Victims of work-related crimes such as sexual assault, false imprisonment, and battery, to indentured servitude, intimidation, and wage and hour violations.

The Alumni Association is proud that our alumni and students continue to uphold the Chicago-Kent tradition of tradition of legal activism and public service.

View More Photos >> Christopher Rothwell '12 and Kelvin Bulger '88 at the 4th annual Diversity Networking Reception.


4th Annual Diversity Networking Event

On Monday, April 13, Chicago-Kent hosted the fourth annual Diversity Networking Event, bringing together about 60 alumni, students and friends to network, socialize, and discuss Chicago-Kent’s diversity initiatives. The event was co-hosted by the Alumni Association, the Asian Pacific Islander Law Students, the Black Law Students, the Chicago-Kent Lambdas, the Hispanic-Latino Law Students, and the South Asian Law Students Associations.

Photos are available on the Alumni Online Community at www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/diversity10.


Young Alumni Council Hosts Speed-Networking Event

The Chicago-Kent Young Alumni Council hosted an evening of “open-room” Speed-Networking at Rock Bottom Brewery on Thursday, April 29. Over 50 young alumni mingled at the event, which allowed them to meet a new person every five minutes. The Young Alumni Council was created in Fall 2009 to strengthen bonds among recent graduates of Chicago-Kent. If you have ideas for future young alumni events, please contact youngalumni@alumni.kentlaw.edu.


Sports and Entertainment Law Society hosts WTTW's Joel Weisman '69 and ESPN's Lester Munson

View More Photos >>
Ian Greengross '95, Tom Field '01 and Jesse Footlik '11 socialized at the Sports & Entertainment Law Reception on April 21.

On Tuesday, April 20, Joel Weisman ’69, Host and Senior Editor of WTTW’s Chicago Tonight, volunteered as a guest speaker for the Chicago-Kent Sports & Entertainment Law Society. Mr. Weisman talked to students about his career in entertainment law and provided tips on getting into the field.

The next day, the Society hosted Lester Munson, Senior Writer and Legal Analyst for ESPN. Munson spoke to a crowd of over 70 alumni and students and was introduced by Chicago-Kent adjunct professor of sports law, Eldon L. Ham ’76. Munson’s talk explored whether celebrity athletes—particularly those accused of violence against women—can receive a fair trial.

A sports and entertainment law alumni and student reception, co-hosted by the Alumni Association, followed Wednesday’s event. Photos are available on the Alumni Online Community at www.alumni.kentlaw.edu/sels10.


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