Illinois Commerce Commission Relationship
The Dean met with the Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission, who
expressed support for the idea of an ongoing relationship with IIT to explore
the implications of regulatory reform in the electricity, telecommunications,
and gas industries.
Judicial Ratings Available
One of the problems with judicial elections is the difficulty most voters
have in obtaining information about judicial candidates. I am pleased
to announce that Cook County Court Watchers' Judicial Ratings Summary is
available on our Web server at www.kentlaw.edu/legal_resources/cccw/.
We are indebted to Court Watchers, to Dean Deutsch and to Susan O'Brien
and John Young for making this civic information more widely available.
Dean Henry H. Perritt, Jr.
Previous
Announcements from Dean Perritt
Week of October 19, 1998
21st Annual Commodities and Derivatives Law Conference
The Twenty-first annual Chicago-Kent Commodities and Derivatives
Law Conference was held this week at the Sheraton Hotel. Under the
direction of Ms. Gloria Mathews, the conference is part of the activities
of the Center for the Study of Law and Financial Markets. Several
hundred people attended the two-day session. Brooksley Born, Chair
of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, spoke at the opening panel,
and Senator Richard Lugar was the luncheon speaker.
NCAIR Grant
The National Center for Automated Information Research has given Chicago-Kent
a major grant for a joint project with the National Center for State Courts
entitled "The Justice Web Collaboratory," which will include a judge-link
Web site, exploration of pro-se representation aided by the Web, and exploration
of XML database formats. The project will proceed under the direction of
Professor Ron
Staudt.
Week of October 12, 1998
Update on Jacob Corre'
I am pleased to report that Professor Corre' was discharged from the hospital
on Tuesday, October 6 into the Rehabilitation Unit at 345 E. Superior,
Room 418.
New Graduation Date
The date of graduation has been changed from Saturday, May 22, 1999. The
new date is Sunday, May 23, 1999, and will be held at the McCormick
Place. Please change this date on your calendar.
Week of October 5, 1998
Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences
Committee on Global Networks and Local Values
Dean Perritt participated in the second meeting of the National Academy
of Sciences committee on Global Networks and Local Values, on which he
is one of twelve members equally divided between Germany and the United
States.
Presentation to the Great Lakes Supreme Court Justices
Dean Perritt and Professor Staudt made a presentation to the Great Lakes
supreme court justices on the impact of the Internet on law and judicial
decision making.
Jacob Corre's Condition
I'm pleased to report that Professor Corre's condition has improved greatly
since my last update. He has been moved out of the intensive care
unit and is conscious, talking, and displaying more of his usual intelligence
and wit. His recovery will undoubtedly take some time, but we are
all very encouraged about his progress. Cards may be sent to:
Jacob Corre'
Northwestern Hospital
Fourth Floor
Passavant Pavilion
303 East Superior
Chicago, IL 60611
Dean's Office Seeks Research Assistant
Dean Perritt's office is seeking a student for a Research Assistant position.
Job responsibilities will be a mixture of special projects and general
research and writing. If interested, please contact I.V. Ashton, Director
of Institutional Projects and Executive Assistant to the Dean.
Week of September 28, 1998
Meeting with Albanian Ambassador to the United States
Dean Perritt and Assistant Dean Rudnick met on Wednesday with the Albanian
Ambassador to the United States who expressed appreciation and support
for Operation Kosovo.
Meeting with Counselor for Legal Affairs of
the Embassy of the People's Republic of China
Dean Perritt and Assistant Dean Rudnick met on Wednesday with the Counselor
for Legal Affairs of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China to explain
Chicago-Kent's China Bridge project.
Week of September 21, 1998
Illinois Bar Association Award for Project Bosnia
The Illinois Bar Association
will be awarding the Project
Bosnia IPRO with the Access to Justice Award. The award will
be presented at a luncheon being held on November 19, 1998, at the Palmer
House.
Jacob Corre'
Jacob Corre' was hit by a bus while riding his bicycle late Tuesday afternoon.
He has head, shoulder, right arm, and rib injuries, and is in intensive
care at Northwestern Hospital.
I have been to the hospital and have seen Jacob briefly, and talked
with his family. His injuries are very serious and I know everyone
in the Chicago-Kent community joins me in hoping that he recovers completely
and quickly.
The hospital has requested that you do not call for information.
Also, the hospital cannot accommodate flowers or packages in the intensive
care unit. The family can, however, receive cards and letters at:
Corre Family
Intensive Care Waiting Room, 7th Floor
Northwestern Hospital
Olson Pavilion
710 North Fairbanks
Chicago, IL 60611
Operation Kosovo Web Site
Chicago-Kent's Operation Kosovo
gained international exposure and recognition this week through a CNN
Interactive edition story about Kosovo's refugee crisis. This
CNN Internet site is viewed
daily by millions of readers. The CNN story included the Operation
Kosovo site as one of six "related sites" on the subject. Other related
sites included the United Nations, and the International Red Cross.
Week of September 14, 1998
Meeting with Vice President for Information Technology
at Northwestern University
Dean Henry H. Perritt, Jr. meet with Morteza R. Rahimi, Vice President
for Information Technology, Patricia H. Todus, Associate Vice President,
and Patricia Widmayer, Manager of Development and Executive Director of
NSHEC, to understand the options for IIT connectivity to regional and national
information network infrastructures and its implications for our distance
learning initiatives.
Meeting with Incoming President of
the Chicago Bar Association
Dean Henry H. Perritt, Jr. met with Kerry Peck, incoming President of the
Chicago Bar Association. They agreed to cooperate on distance learning,
CLE, China rule of law, and elder law.
Week of September 7, 1998
Chicago Tribune Coverage
An interview with Chicago-Kent Dean, Henry H. Perritt, Jr. appeared in
the Chicago Tribune's Perspective Section on Sunday, August 30, 1998.
In the interview the Dean explained the genesis of Project Bosnia and described
how students have worked toward reestablishing the rule of law in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Dean Perritt also detailed ways in which students
at Chicago-Kent and IIT are currently working in Kosovo to help provide
legal relief to refugees.
New Member of Chicago-Kent's Board of Overseers
Roberta R. Katz has joined the Chicago-Kent's Board of Overseers.
Ms. Katz is the Senior Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel of
Netscape Communications Corporation. Prior to her employment at Netscape,
she was the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of McCaw Cellular
Communications, Inc. (now AT&T Wireless) and its subsidiary, LIN Broadcasting
Corporation. Ms. Katz also was a lawyer in private practice, specializing
in corporate law. She was a partner with the firm of Heller, Ehrman,
White & McAuliffe, resident in the firms' Seattle office. Before
becoming an attorney, Ms. Katz was a cultural anthropologist. She
holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University, where she specialized in issues
of social and cultural change. She received her bachelor's degree
from Stanford University and her law degree from the University of Washington
Law School.
Please join me in welcoming Ms. Katz to Chicago-Kent's Board of Overseers.
ISLAT/AFB Tour and Dinner
A recent report submitted to Congress by the National Academy of Sciences
concluded that food-safety laws are outdated and that food-safety efforts
are being hampered by the federal structure.
Illinois Institute of Technology's National Center for Food Safety and
Technology has been at the forefront of food safety issues and has pioneered
new technology in the field. The Center works with academia, business and
government to ensure the continued safety and quality of the nation's food
supply.
On September 1, IIT's Institute for Science, Law and Technology and
its National Center for Food Safety and Technology presented, "A Taste
of the Future," a demonstration and food tasting at the Center in Summit-Argo.
Followed by a tour of the Center's laboratories and pilot plant to demonstrate
food-safety measures, reporters and invited guests from the American Farm
Bureau were invited to sample appetizers and entrees prepared using the
latest high-tech processes to ensure safety. The menu included several
entrees many Americans will serve at their Labor Day picnics: ice cream,
potato salad, baked beans, cole slaw and sirloin steak.
Week of August 31, 1998
David Gerber's Reception
Legal scholars from Chicago-Kent, University of Chicago, Northwestern University
and DePaul University attended a reception August 26 honoring the publication
of Professor David
Gerber's new book, Law and Competition in Twentieth Century Europe.
Published by Oxford University Press, this book is the first to portray
comprehensively the development of antitrust law in Europe. It also
explains the current dynamics of competition law and assesses its relevance
for European integration and the future of antitrust law.
First Meeting of Project Bosnia IPRO
The first Project Bosnia
IPRO meeting was held Friday, August 28 in the Dean's conference room.
Dean Perritt, the instructor of the IPRO, met with IIT students from the
main campus and the downtown campus to outline this fall's objectives.
Project Bosnia will focus its efforts on three major fronts:
-
Students will work with the Ministry of Justice for the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina to design and implement a Web-based database and legal
network to support Bosnia's judicial structure.
-
Students will continue efforts to implement Operation Kosovo. This
legal relief initiative seeks to use the Internet to provide legal assistance
to the growing number of Kosovar refugees in Northern Albania as a result
of the recent conflict between Serbia and Kosovo.
-
Students will expand efforts to support the Bosnian refugee community in
Chicago.
Enrollment for the Fall IPRO is still open and Dean Perritt welcomes any
and all student involvement. The next IPRO meeting is scheduled for
Friday, September 4 in the Dean's conference room at the downtown campus,
Suite 330.
Discussions with Bosnia Refugee Group
On August 27, 1998, Charles Rudnick, Assistant Dean for International Law
and Policy Development, Gary
Laser, Director of Clinical Education, and I.V. Ashton, Director of
Institutional Projects, met with Directors of Chicago's Bosnian Refugee
Center to discuss possible areas of involvement for interested law students
with the Center.
Week of August 24, 1998
Two Faculty Members Visit China
Two Chicago-Kent College of Law faculty members, Professor A.
Dan Tarlock and Associate Dean Harold
Krent, traveled to Beijing, China last Thursday. They will spend
the week meeting with Chinese law school officials to lay groundwork for
Chicago-Kent's "China-Bridge: Middle Kingdom - Mid-America" program.
Chicago-Kent, in conjunction with other branches of the Illinois Institute
of Technology, is developing the "China Bridge" program to facilitate cooperation
between the U.S. and Chinese legal education systems. President Clinton
and Chinese President Jiang Zemin during this year's U.S. - China summit
meetings, have identified such cooperation as a priority.
Currently, postgraduate legal education is almost non-existent in China.
Most Chinese lawyers study law as an undergraduate major, and then go directly
into practice. Lawyers seeking a postgraduate law degree must spend
at least three years studying outside of China. This time requirement prohibits
most Chinese lawyers from undertaking postgraduate legal study.
Chicago-Kent's "China Bridge: Middle Kingdom-Mid-America" program is
designed to give Chinese lawyers the opportunity to earn a post-graduate
law degree from Chicago-Kent with at least half of the instruction taking
place in China via electronic distance learning. For further information
about the "China Bridge" program, please contact Randy Clarke (906-5235,
rclarke@kentlaw.edu) in the International Law and Policy Development Office.
ABA Jurisdiction Project
The Cyberspace Law Committee of the American Bar Association Section of
Business Law has launched a multilateral effort to analyze jurisdictional
problems that impact global electronic commerce. The Business Law
Section has approved funding to host the project through the year 2000
at Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
The Project will be directed by Professor Margaret
Stewart of Chicago-Kent in association with a joint steering committee
of the Business Law Section. The results of this exhaustive study
are scheduled to be released during the Year 2000 Annual Meeting of ABA
taking place in New York and London. Background and contact information
can be found at the Project's home page, www.kentlaw.edu/cyberlaw/.
New Appointments in Student Services
Professor
Michele Baker Richardson has agreed to become the Director of LINC
(Learning in New Contexts). LINC is intended to be a completely redesigned
program to provide support focused on our "at-risk" students. It
will replace the Academic Support Program, while not being tied to its
features.
Chris Matheny
has agreed to become Director of Students Services, succeeding Ellen Berger.
Mr. Matheny will provide support for LINC as its requirements are determined
by Professor Richardson.
Week of August 17, 1998
I welcome you back to law school with a sense of excitement about the coming
year. Chicago- Kent is known throughout Chicago, and indeed around the
world, as being a law school ahead of the times. This means that momentum
is important. We have momentum, ranging from our aggressiveness
in exploring the intersections of science, law and technology through the
Institute for Science, Law and Technology (ISLAT)
led by Professor Lori Andrews,
to our many international programs that began with a visit by Ambassador
Richard Holbrooke last fall and culminated this summer with a program that
brought to Chicago-Kent the Chinese Ambassador to the United States and
the United States Secretary of Commerce. At the same time, our trial practice
teams and moot court teams were successful in competitions around the country.
Chicago-Kent law students, working with IIT undergraduate engineering students,
have helped use technology to improve a rule of law in Bosnia and to ease
the plight of refugees from Kosovo and Albania, demonstrating that individuals
can make a difference in the world even while they still are in school.
Our faculty continues to publish leading-edge thinking in areas ranging
from the philosophy of law to the interpretation of supplemental jurisdiction
in federal courts. Last month, three sections of the American Bar Association
(business law, international law, and science and technology) selected
Chicago-Kent as the home of a major new two-year project on Internet Jurisdiction.
Professor Margaret Stewart will
lead this effort as co-reporter. Professor
Steve Harris is wrapping up his work as a reporter for a rewrite of
Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Professor
David Gerber published an important new book on the evolution of the
legal framework for the European Union.
We expect to build on this momentum in the coming year. With your active
involvement, we will be working on telemedicine, electronic commerce, and
genetic science in ISLAT. In the international field we will be building
relationships in China, exploring immigration law, and helping to construct
a rule of law in central and eastern Europe. Professor
Kimberly Pace will continue to increase the visibility and professional
linkages of our intellectual property program. Professor
Marty Malin will continue to broaden the reach of his highly successful
Institute for Law and the Workplace, which already
creates exemplary externship opportunities for Chicago- Kent students interested
in labor and employment law.
You will get the most out of law school if a lively intellectual curiosity
animates all of your law school experiences. At the same time, this is
a professional school, and it is also appropriate for you to have a practical
outlook. Part of your goal in preparing yourself to be an effective professional
is to make sure you are well prepared for the bar examination -- the gateway
from law school into the profession. I have appointed three new faculty
committees to make sure we are doing the best possible job to help you
understand the relationship between what goes on in the classroom and your
future as an effective professional practitioner. We want you to understand
how important the mastery of basic legal concepts and institutional arrangements
is to success in practice. We also want to do a better job in helping you
relate your summer and term-time employment to your education.
You must be prepared for the law, business, and social environments
as they will exist in the future; you want to be prepared for an entire
career, and not just your first year or two after law school. That's why
we will be teaching you about trends and major proposals for changing the
law and building new political, legal, and economic frameworks. That's
why we will expect you to use information technology, especially the Internet's
World Wide Web, as a regular part of your law school experience -- it will
be a regular part of your professional experience.
Chicago-Kent provides an environment for you to obtain a rich professional
education -- one aimed at equipping you to be an effective lawyer and leader
in the professional environment as it will exist in the 21st century.
We value the opportunity to work with you toward these goals.
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