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Week of April 23, 2007

SUMMER AND FALL 2007 LAW OFFICES
IN-HOUSE CLINICAL PROGRAMS

Fall 2007 in-house clinic applications are due on Tuesday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m. They can be found in Room 600 or outside of the 3rd floor cafeteria. Please contact Tracy Kish if you have any questions.

 

LEGAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM SUMMER AND FALL 2007

Do you want to develop your legal skills, get practical legal experience, see what it is like to work in a corporation, firm or government agency and -- at the same time -- make yourself more marketable to prospective employers? If so, then consider doing a for-credit externship and signing up for Chicago-Kent’s Legal Externship Program (LEP).

LEP is 4-credit hours, non-graded, and open predominantly to students in their last three semesters of law school.

Externs interested in civil law may select to work in such diverse legal areas as immigration, tax, commodities, securities, health care, medical malpractice, or general corporate law. Externs in criminal law may choose to work with the States Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office, or the U.S. Attorney's Office. Some externships offer the opportunity to obtain a 711 license and appear in court.

More information about Legal Externships and an accompanying application form are now available in the Law Offices reception area, Room 600, and in the Career Services Office.

If you want to know more about available externship opportunities, please e-mail Professor Vivien Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) to set up an appointment.

For Credit Externship Opportunities

Fall 2007 Externship: Internal Revenue Service, Office of Chief Counsel
3Ls preferred

Applicants with prior expertise or experience in tax matters are preferred, but the IRS will consider all applicants.

Applications are due by Wednesday, April 26, 2007. Applications should include:
brief cover letter, resume, law school transcript and writing sample.

Contact: Ms. Patricia Davis
Area Counsel
Internal Revenue Service
Suite 2300
200 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60606

For more information, please see Professor Gross, Room 617.

 
Fall 2007 Externship: Office of the State’s Attorney, DuPage County

Externship available with the Prosecutor’s Office for DuPage County. Students who are eligible for a 711 license will also have the opportunity to prepare and participate in trials. If you are interested, please apply immediately. Professor Gross (Room 617) has the requisite application form.

 
Fall 2007 Externship: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Division of Enforcement
(Students should be 3Ls by Fall Semester)

The Chicago office of the Division of Enforcement is seeking externs who will receive law school credit.

The Division of Enforcement investigates and prosecutes alleged violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations. Violations may involve commodity futures or option trading on domestic commodity exchanges, or the improper marketing of commodity investments. The Division may, at the direction of the Commission, file complaints before the agency’s administrative law judges or in the U.S. District Courts. Alleged criminal violations of the Commodity Exchange Act or violations of other Federal laws which involve commodity futures trading may be referred to the Justice Department for prosecution. The Division also provides expert help and technical assistance with case development and trials to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, other Federal and state regulators, and international authorities.

Primary duties include conducting legal research, writing memoranda, aiding in the preparation of court pleadings and papers in the U.S. District Courts across the nation as well as in an administrative forum; aiding attorneys and investigators who are preparing to take investigative testimony and depositions, working with exhibits, Freedom of Information Act responses; aiding with the discovery process and interacting with and/or interviewing customers or investors with complaints.

To apply, interested students should e-mail a cover letter, resume and writing sample to:

Ms. Ava Gould
Trial Team Leader
Commodities Futures Trading Commission
525 W. Monroe Street, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60661
agould@cftc.gov

and notify Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) if and when they are selected as externs.

 
Fall 2007 Externship: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago)

Extern will work closely with the Civil Rights Coordinator and staff attorney on resolving cases of discrimination reported to CAIR-Chicago. Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:

  • assist in documenting incidents of religious discrimination by counseling and interviewing complainants regarding their incidents
  • research laws and policies on employment, student conduct, and immigration procedures, as well as criminal offenses and other areas as seen fit
  • legal writing: drafting arguments, memos and complaints
  • participate in representing complainants in dispute resolution, EEOC mediation, filing complaints and law suits
  • assist in maintaining the Civil Rights Online Center
  • updating databases containing information about abuses reported to CAIR-Chicago

The Civil Rights Department handles cases that range from prejudiced gestures to full blown discrimination. Our clients are Muslims as well as non-Muslims who have had Islam imputed upon them. Externs may work on any of the following projects:

  • Citizenship Delay project - seeks to address the lengthy delays Muslims are facing in applying for citizenship;
  • Police Misconduct project - addresses incidents where police officers have discriminated or used excessive force against Muslims;
  • Prison project - secures the rights of Muslim inmates to practice their religion freely, and ensures that inmates are treated humanely;
  • Airport Profiling project - helps Muslims who have been discriminated against at airports; and
  • Employment Discrimination project - helps Muslims discriminated against based on religion at the workplace. http://www.cairchicago.org

Interested students should submit a resume and transcript to:

Dina M. Rehab, Outreach Coordinator
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago)
28 East Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1410
Chicago, IL 60604
E-mail: outreach@cairchicago.org

In addition, to receive law school credit for Kent’s Fall Externship Program, please contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) to set up a meeting.

 
Fall 2007 Externships in Family Law – Cook County Domestic Relations Court

Enjoy this exciting opportunity to observe and participate in the day-to-day operations of a busy domestic relations courtroom and to assist the judge in researching law and drafting orders and observe cases involving dissolution of marriage, legal separation, custody, orders of protection and visitation, etc.

If you are interested, please contact Professor Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) as soon as possible to set up a meeting and to submit your resume and transcript.

Preference is given to students who have either taken Family Law or Family Law Clinic or who will be concurrently enrolled in either of these courses while doing the externship.

 

Fall 2007 Externship: In-House Corporate Legal Externship

The General Counsel of a small independent retail electric supplier serving non-residential businesses throughout Illinois, with headquarters in downtown Chicago, is willing to supervise an extern for summer semester. The General Counsel oversees all legal matters, running the gamut from drafting contracts, reviewing contracts, regulatory filings with city, county, state and federal agencies, litigation before the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, drafting and handling lawsuits against customers, negotiating contracts, and pretty much everything else that comes up. As a member of senior management, the General Counsel is also involved in almost every aspect of business decisions as well.

If the extern has a particular interest in energy law, he/she would be able to gain invaluable experience. If he/she is interested in learning how to be a “business” lawyer, this would also be a perfect fit. If accepted, the extern must enroll in the 4-credit hour Legal Externship Program.

Interested students should submit a resume and transcript by Friday, April 20, 2007 to:

Mr. Jon Casadont
General Counsel, BlueStar Energy
Suite 700 West
363 W. Erie St.
Chicago, IL 60610

 
Fall 2007 Externship: Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM)

CLAIM is a nonprofit agency that represents and advises incarcerated or formerly incarcerated mothers at hearings on child custody, guardianship, and mother-child visitation. With the consent of the mothers, the agency also represents guardians of children in the Probate Division. The attorneys at CLAIM meet with incarcerated women at Cook County Department of Corrections and, after a thorough intake interview with each client, decide whether to represent the client, negotiate or draft legal documents for the client, or simply provide legal advice.

Extern responsibilities include:

  • Meeting with clients at the Cook County Department of Corrections. Students licensed under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711 can meet with clients on their own after training by CLAIM staff attorneys. Students who are not licensed will accompany the staff attorney to the Cook County Corrections Center and do intake interviews.
  • Researching client concerns, giving legal advice to clients after consulting with supervising attorney, making referrals to appropriate social service agencies and, if the case does not fit CLAIM guidelines, making referrals to other legal aid providers.
  • Contacting foster care caseworkers or other parties to obtain information or to negotiate for the client.
  • Meeting with formerly incarcerated clients and assisting in legal services in Child Protection, Probate and Domestic Relations Divisions.

711 licensed students may also represent clients in Probate and Domestic Relations Divisions under the supervision of the staff attorney.

If interested in externing at CLAIM, please send your resume and cover letter to Molly Sharma (mollysharma@aol.com). In addition, to receive law school credit for Kent’s Fall Externship Program, please contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) to set up a meeting.

 
Fall 2007 Externship: Worker’s Compensation Litigation Unit, Civil Division, Cook County State’s Attorney's Office

Exciting opportunity with the Worker’s Compensation Litigation Unit of the Cook County State’s Attorney's Office, Civil Division. The extern will assist in those matters and cases leading to and currently in litigation. Students who are eligible for a 711 license will also have the opportunity for in-court experience.

If you are interested, please contact:

Mr. Curtis A. James
Assistant State’s Attorney
312/603-5691

 
Fall 2007 Externship: U.S. Department of Justice – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms & Explosives

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (“ATF”) is a Bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is responsible for the enforcement of Federal statutes and regulations relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives. An ATF extern can expect to work in the following areas:

  • Advising Special Agents, local and state police, and state and Federal prosecutors regarding criminal law and criminal practice and procedure issues
  • Advising regulatory enforcement personnel (“Inspectors”) in obtaining compliance with Federal statutes and regulations from members of the regulated industries
  • Preparing notices of denial or revocation of licenses or permits and litigating these matters.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume by no later than Friday, April 20, 2007, to:

John P. Pendley
Assistant Chief Counsel
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco
   Firearms & Explosives
Suite 600
525 W. Van Buren St.
Chicago, IL 60607

 
Fall 2007 Semester: U.S. Dept. Of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Office of the Chief Counsel, Dept. Of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Openings for 2 law students this fall to extern at USCIS, a division of Department of Homeland Security.

Externs will gain experience in immigration law in the areas of citizenship, asylum, and immigration benefits; will draft briefs on visa petition appeals and research issues in immigration law and criminal law; and will also have the opportunity to assist with federal litigation, primarily mandamus actions. The extern will rotate among the various departments within USCIS to observe citizenship, adjudications and asylum interviews.

If you are interested, please submit a copy of your resume and transcript by Friday, May 4th to:

Ms. Debra Gordon
Associate Regional Counsel, USCIS
101 W. Congress Pkwy.
Chicago, IL 60605
debra.gordon@dhs.gov

 
Fall 2007 Externship: Resurrection Health Care

Resurrection Health Care is seeking for-credit legal externs. Resurrection Health Care (RHC) is the parent corporation for a comprehensive health care system that provides services throughout the Chicagoland area through 8 hospitals, a long-term acute care hospital, 7 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, 4 retirement communities, and numerous community clinics and health care providers.

Externs can choose to work in either of these areas:

Office of Legal Affairs
Resurrection Health Care
7435 W. Talcott Avenue, #345
Chicago, IL 60631

Externs will work closely with the system General Counsel and other attorneys and will engage in a broad range of legal activities, including research and legal analysis, writing, preparation of legal documents and contract review.

Office of Claims and Insurance
Resurrection Health Care
Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital
1127 N. Oakley Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

Externs will work closely with systems Claims and Insurance directors, communicate with outside counsel as needed, and will participate in case management, discovery, and various phases of pre-litigation work.

If you are interested, please submit your resume and a cover letter that specifies (a) the semester for which you are applying, (b) for which RHC department you are applying, and (c) which days of the week you would work at RHC, if known. Please send your materials to Julie Roknich, Assistant General Counsel, via email at julie.roknich@reshealthcare.org, or at 7435 W. Talcott Ave., #345, Chicago, IL 60631.

 
Fall 2007 Externship: City of Chicago Law Department’s Building and Land Use Litigation Division

Outstanding externship for students interested in municipal law, real estate or real-world litigation experience.

The division handles fire, building, health and zoning code violations and prosecutes cases both in Circuit Court and at the City of Chicago’s Department of Administrative Hearings.

Externs have pre-tried building code enforcement cases and handled administrative hearing cases. This is a great opportunity to improve your litigation, negotiation and writing skills.

To apply, please forward your resume to Patti Gregory-Change via email at pgregory@cityofchicago.org.

 
Fall 2007 Externship: Litigation Technology

Adjunct Professor Mike Rogers, in his capacity as President of Ronin Consulting, Ltd. is interested in interviewing qualified Kent students for a Fall 2007 externship. Students will learn how to organize and present civil and criminal cases with computers and will work on real cases that are set for trial or on their way to a trial. In appropriate circumstances students will participate in mock trials against real trial lawyers, participate in jury focus groups, create story boards for trial presentations, create demonstrative trial presentations and set up and run trial technology during trials.

The externs will work on cases that range from medical malpractice or complex commercial litigation to first degree murder, and will work extensively with video capture software, Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat Professional, CaseMap, TimeMap, SmartDraw, PowerPoint and Sanction.

Students must have completed Evidence, Trial Ad 1 and Litigation Technology. If accepted, the extern would enroll in the 4-credit hours Legal Externship Program.

Applications for this externship must be submitted directly to Professor Vivien Gross, Room 617. Interviews will occur thereafter. Students should have a portfolio of demonstrative presentations ready to display at the time of the interview.

 
Summer 2007 Externship: Office of the State’s Attorney, DuPage County

Externship available with the Prosecutor’s Office for DuPage County. Students who are eligible for a 711 license will also have the opportunity to prepare and participate in trials. If you are interested, please apply immediately. Professor Gross (Room 617) has the requisite application form.

 
Summer 2007 Externship: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Division of Enforcement
(Students should be 3Ls by Fall Semester)

The Chicago office of the Division of Enforcement is seeking externs who will receive law school credit.

The Division of Enforcement investigates and prosecutes alleged violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations. Violations may involve commodity futures or option trading on domestic commodity exchanges, or the improper marketing of commodity investments. The Division may, at the direction of the Commission, file complaints before the agency’s administrative law judges or in the U.S. District Courts. Alleged criminal violations of the Commodity Exchange Act or violations of other Federal laws which involve commodity futures trading may be referred to the Justice Department for prosecution. The Division also provides expert help and technical assistance with case development and trials to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, other Federal and state regulators, and international authorities.

Primary duties include conducting legal research, writing memoranda, aiding in the preparation of court pleadings and papers in the U.S. District Courts across the nation as well as in an administrative forum; aiding attorneys and investigators who are preparing to take investigative testimony and depositions, working with exhibits, Freedom of Information Act responses; aiding with the discovery process and interacting with and/or interviewing customers or investors with complaints.

To apply, interested students should e-mail a cover letter, resume and writing sample by Friday, April 20, to:

Ms. Ava Gould
Trial Team Leader
Commodities Futures Trading Commission
525 W. Monroe Street, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60661
agould@cftc.gov

and notify Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) if and when they are selected as externs.

 
Summer 2007 Externship: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago)

Extern will work closely with the Civil Rights Coordinator and staff attorney on resolving cases of discrimination reported to CAIR-Chicago. Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:

  • assist in documenting incidents of religious discrimination by counseling and interviewing complainants regarding their incidents
  • research laws and policies on employment, student conduct, and immigration procedures, as well as criminal offenses and other areas as seen fit
  • legal writing: drafting arguments, memos and complaints
  • participate in representing complainants in dispute resolution, EEOC mediation, filing complaints and law suits
  • assist in maintaining the Civil Rights Online Center
  • updating databases containing information about abuses reported to CAIR-Chicago

The Civil Rights Department handles cases that range from prejudiced gestures to full blown discrimination. Our clients are Muslims as well as non-Muslims who have had Islam imputed upon them. Externs may work on any of the following projects:

  • Citizenship Delay project - seeks to address the lengthy delays Muslims are facing in applying for citizenship;
  • Police Misconduct project - addresses incidents where police officers have discriminated or used excessive force against Muslims;
  • Prison project - secures the rights of Muslim inmates to practice their religion freely, and ensures that inmates are treated humanely;
  • Airport Profiling project - helps Muslims who have been discriminated against at airports; and
  • Employment Discrimination project - helps Muslims discriminated against based on religion at the workplace. http://www.cairchicago.org

Interested students should submit a resume and transcript to:

Dina M. Rehab, Outreach Coordinator
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago)
28 East Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1410
Chicago, IL 60604
E-mail: outreach@cairchicago.org

In addition, to receive law school credit for Kent’s Summer Externship Program, please contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) to set up a meeting.

 
Summer 2007 Externships in Family Law – Cook County Domestic Relations Court

Enjoy this exciting opportunity to observe and participate in the day-to-day operations of a busy domestic relations courtroom and to assist the judge in researching law and drafting orders and observe cases involving dissolution of marriage, legal separation, custody, orders of protection and visitation, etc.

If you are interested, please contact Professor Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) as soon as possible to set up a meeting and to submit your resume and transcript.

Preference is given to students who have either taken Family Law or Family Law Clinic or who will be concurrently enrolled in either of these courses while doing the externship.

 
Summer 2007: Resurrection Health Care

Resurrection Health Care is seeking for-credit legal externs. Resurrection Health Care (RHC) is the parent corporation for a comprehensive health care system that provides services throughout the Chicagoland area through 8 hospitals, a long-term acute care hospital, 7 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, 4 retirement communities, and numerous community clinics and health care providers.

Externs can choose to work in either of these areas:

Office of Legal Affairs
Resurrection Health Care
7435 W. Talcott Avenue, #345
Chicago, IL 60631

Externs will work closely with the system General Counsel and other attorneys and will engage in a broad range of legal activities, including research and legal analysis, writing, preparation of legal documents and contract review.

Office of Claims and Insurance
Resurrection Health Care
Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital
1127 N. Oakley Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

Externs will work closely with systems Claims and Insurance directors, communicate with outside counsel as needed, and will participate in case management, discovery, and various phases of pre-litigation work.

If you are interested, please submit your resume and a cover letter that specifies (a) the semester for which you are applying, (b) for which RHC department you are applying, and (c) which days of the week you would work at RHC, if known. Please send your materials to: Julie Roknich, Assistant General Counsel, via email at julie.roknich@reshealthcare.org, or at 7435 W. Talcott Ave., #345, Chicago, Il 60631.

 
Summer 2007 Semester: Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM)

CLAIM is a nonprofit agency that represents and advises incarcerated or formerly incarcerated mothers at hearings on child custody, guardianship, and mother-child visitation. With the consent of the mothers, the agency also represents guardians of children in the Probate Division. The attorneys at CLAIM meet with incarcerated women at Cook County Department of Corrections and, after a thorough intake interview with each client, decide whether to represent the client, negotiate or draft legal documents for the client, or simply provide legal advice.

Extern responsibilities include:

  • Meeting with clients at the Cook County Department of Corrections. Students licensed under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711 can meet with clients on their own after training by CLAIM staff attorneys. Students who are not licensed will accompany the staff attorney to the Cook County Corrections Center and do intake interviews.
  • Researching client concerns, giving legal advice to clients after consulting with supervising attorney, making referrals to appropriate social service agencies and, if the case does not fit CLAIM guidelines, making referrals to other legal aid providers.
  • Contacting foster care caseworkers or other parties to obtain information or to negotiate for the client.
  • Meeting with formerly incarcerated clients and assisting in legal services in Child Protection, Probate and Domestic Relations Divisions.

711 licensed students may also represent clients in Probate and Domestic Relations Divisions under the supervision of the staff attorney.

If interested in externing at CLAIM, please send your resume and cover letter to Molly Sharma (mollysharma@aol.com). In addition, to receive law school credit for Kent’s Summer Externship Program, please contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu) to set up a meeting.

 

Public Interest Positions - Paid Opportunities

There are openings for current Chicago-Kent students who are eligible for work study. The Advice Desk at the Daley Center is now hiring students through a work study program to work in paralegal/administrative positions. The candidates will have an opportunity to work in a fast-paced, public interest environment while helping to provide administrative and paralegal help to make the Desk more efficient and therefore allow more clients to receive pro bono legal assistance. Some of the duties might include: greeting and identifying eligible clients, filling out or updating forms, database entry and administrative support, assisting elderly and disabled clients in retrieving their court files or finding a courtroom, etc.

The Advice Desk provides interviewing, counseling, and limited representation to indigent defendants who seek assistance at the Circuit Court of Cook County. Approximately sixty percent of the cases involve eviction defense and forty percent involve tort, contract, personal injury and collection matters.

This position pays $10 an hour. You must be eligible for work study and your eligibility will be verified upon receipt of your letter of interest. Past completion of the Advice Desk class is a plus, but not required. If you do have previous Advice Desk experience, you will get paid at a rate of $12 per hour. Please submit a letter of interest to Tracy Kish (tkish@kentlaw.edu) in the Law Offices. When we receive your letter, we will check to see if you are work study eligible.

 

For a complete description of all clinical programs, please visit the Law Offices' Home Page at http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/clinic

 

 

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