Job Opportunity!
The Law Offices Low Income Tax Clinic is seeking to hire
a work study student for approximately 20 hours per week
in the fall and spring semesters. Duties will include database
management, file maintenance, client communications and
a variety of administrative and operations-oriented tasks.
Spanish-speaker is a plus. Interest in public service a
must. Student must be work study eligible. To find out of
you are work study eligible, please email Tracy Kish at
tkish@kentlaw.edu.
Contact Professor Jon Decatorsmith at 906-5041.
LEGAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM
What is the Legal Externship Program?
LEP is a 4-credit hour non-graded program which enables
you to extern with a supervising attorney in a wide variety
of legal areas – private or public, civil or criminal. Externships
are available for the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters.
Most public sector externships enable you to obtain a 711
license and appear in court.
Students interested in civil law may extern in a wide
variety of places. For example, some have externed at the
City of Chicago Corporation Counsel’s Office, Office of
the Illinois Attorney General, Illinois Commerce Commission,
Immigration Court of the U.S. Department of Justice, Internal
Revenue Service, and Environmental Protection Agency, as
well as major corporations like Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
and Rush University Medical Center.
Students interested in criminal law have externed at the
U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Federal Defender,
and at the offices of the State’s Attorney and Public Defender
in Cook County as well as the surrounding counties.
Why Extern?
To become a good lawyer and to supplement what you learn
in the classroom, you need practical experience in real-world
legal work. Most students aren’t fortunate enough to receive
a paid clerking position — or even a volunteer opportunity
— that teaches what they want to learn. LEP presents a unique
and important opportunity to gain exposure to an area of
the law in which you are interested and helps you significantly
broaden your future employment opportunities.
Applications for Fall 2008 Legal Externships are currently
available in the Law Offices reception area (Room 600),
in the Career Services Office, and outside of the Cafeteria.
If you would like more information about externships,
please e-mail Professor Vivien Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu)
to set up an appointment. There are lots of different types
of opportunities in which you might be interested.
Fall 2008 Semester: Litigation Technology Externship
Adjunct Professor Mike Rogers, in his capacity as President
of Ronin Consulting, Ltd. is interested in interviewing
qualified Kent students for a Fall 2008 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, as soon as possible.
Fall 2008 Semester: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, Division of Enforcement
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, 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
To receive externship credit, please contact Professor
Gross at vgross@kentlaw.edu.
Fall 2008 Semester: Resurrection Health Care
Resurrection Health Care is seeking motivated volunteer
Legal Externs to work at least two days a week in a busy
and dynamic legal and regulatory environment during the
Summer and Fall 2008 terms. 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 other health
care facilities and providers.
Resurrection Health Care’s externship opportunity is in
the Office of Legal Affairs and open to J.D. students who
will:
• Work closely with the system General Counsel and other
attorneys in the Office of Legal Affairs;
• Engage in a broad range of legal activities, including
research and legal analysis, writing, preparation of legal
documents and contract review;
• Gain exposure to numerous types of legal matters, including
regulatory, contracts, medical staff, estate and gifts,
corporate transactional, non-profit, employment and labor,
governmental relations, real estate, corporate compliance,
HIPAA and litigation that arises in a health care setting;
• Have the opportunity to attend and observe significant
meetings, depositions, mediations, court hearings, and other
events as may be available during the term. Parking and
lunch are free for volunteer externs.
To apply for an externship:
Please submit your resume and a cover letter that specifies
(a) the semester for which you are applying, and (b) which
days of the week you would work at RHC, if known. Students
will be asked to come to RHC for an interview and to submit
a writing sample. 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.
Location and Transportation:
The Office of Legal Affairs is located at:
Resurrection Health Care
7435 W. Talcott Avenue, #345, Chicago, IL 60631
(Near Harlem Avenue and the Kennedy Expressway)
If you are accepted, to receive credit and enroll in Legal
Externship, please contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu).
Fall 2008 Semester: Illinois Educational Labor Relations
Board
Externs will perform with supervision all aspects of a
Board Agent’s job, except for conducting an unfair labor
practice hearing, including the processing of representation
petitions, the investigation of unfair labor practice charges,
and preparing and presenting memorandum to the Illinois
Educational Labor Relations Board.
If you are interested, please e-mail a cover letter and
resume to:
Ms. Helen Higgins
Helen.Higgins@Illinois.gov
Please notify Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu)
if and when you are selected as an extern.
Fall 2008 Semester: Cook County State’s Attorneys Office,
Worker’s Compensation Division
Exciting opportunity with the Worker’s Compensation Litigation
Unit of the Cook County State’s Attorneys 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. You will learn a lot.
If you are interested, please contact:
Mr. Curtis A. James
Assistant State’s Attorney
312/603-5691
To receive externship credit, please contact Prof. Gross
(vgross@kentlaw.edu).
Fall 2008 Semester: Illinois Attorney General’s Office
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office provides excellent
opportunities for law students to improve their skills and
knowledge in a wide range of subject areas, including consumer
protection, government representation, civil rights, environmental
enforcement, antitrust, complex civil litigation, civil
and criminal appeals, and criminal law enforcement.
Working closely with attorneys in the Chicago office,
externs investigate facts, review documents, research legal
issues, and draft legal memoranda, correspondence, and pleadings.
Students who qualify for a 711 licensed may appear in court
under the supervision of an Assistant Attorney General.
For further information, and to download an application
form, please visit the Illinois Attorney General’s website
at: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/index.html.
Inquiries may also be directed to Adelaida Otero at 312/814-5197,
aotero@atg.state.il.us.
If you are interested in externing at the Illinois Attorney
General’s Office during the Fall 2008 semester, you must
submit your application as soon as possible. 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 2008 Semester: City of Chicago Department of Consumer
Services
The Department of Consumer Services regulates consumer-oriented
businesses – such as limousines, tour boats, valet parking,
taxis, and the Maxwell Street Market; inspects retail establishments;
investigates consumer fraud complaints; and enforces the
Chicago municipal code. All violations are prosecuted by
department attorneys. Externs could be involved in helping
with trials. They would also be exposed to consumer law
and government work environment. Because the Department
prosecutes at the administrative level, a student need not
have a 711 license to assist attorneys at trial.
Interested students should submit a cover letter, resume
and transcript to:
Ms. Rosemary Krimbel
General Counsel
Deputy Commissioner
Department of Consumer Services
Suite #208
50 W. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
rkrimbel@cityofchicago.org
In addition, to receive law school credit for Kent’s Fall
Legal Externship Program, please contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu)
to set up a meeting.
Fall 2008 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 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
Please contact Professor Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu)
if you are accepted or for more information about this externship
opportunity.
Fall 2008 Externship- Immigration Court
An extern will assist a panel of seven immigration judges
by writing legal memoranda, conducting in-depth legal research
and analysis, and drafting judicial decisions. This position
offers extensive exposure to asylum and deportation law
and an excellent opportunity to improve research, writing
and analytical skills.
Location:
Immigration Court – EOIR
55 East Monroe Street, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60603
Qualifications: – 2L, 3L
- Coursework and/or volunteer and clinical experience
in immigration law preferred
- United States citizenship required
Application: Please submit a cover letter, resume, copy
of recent transcript (unofficial is accepted), two employer
references, and writing sample (5-10 pages) via email or
mail (Attention: Carolyn Norton, Judicial Law Clerk) to
the address listed above.
Interviews will be conducted in person.
Inquiries should be directed to Carolyn Norton at (312)
353-7313, ext. 232 or carolyn.norton@usdoj.gov.
To receive credit, please contact Professor Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu).
Awards
Richard Kling and Susana Ortiz received two awards re the
Herb Whitlock case:
- The Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
for “Excellence in Public Service;”
- The University of Illinois’ Downstate Illinois Innocence
Project for “Defender of the Innocent.”
Richard Gonzalez received the "Award for Excellence
in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service" on May 13.
Richard Kling will be receiving The Northwest Suburban
Bar Association “Award for Distinguished Public Service.”
On June 5th.
Law Offices Attorneys Help Free Innocent
Man
On January 8th, 2008, Professor Richard Kling and his Law
Offices Colleague, Susana Ortiz, saw victory in the case
of their client, Herb Whitlock. Mr. Whitlock, of downstate
Paris, Illinois, was wrongfully incarcerated on murder charges
for over 20 years and thanks to the efforts of Professor
Kling and Ms. Ortiz and teams of Law Offices clinic students
who have been working on the case for the past 7 years,
Mr. Whitlock saw freedom when the State dismissed the charges
against him as a result of a new trial obtained for him
by Kling and Ortiz. In the Appellate Court opinion which
granted Mr. Whitlock a new trial, the Court cited the fact
that favorable evidence was hidden from the defense and
that Mr. Whitlock’s trial counsel was ineffective for failing
to investigate key forensic evidence that would have shed
serious doubt on the credibility of the State’s witnesses.
After his release, Mr. Whitlock was reunited with his daughter,
Brittany, who was 12 at the time of his original trial and
he met his seven-year old grandson for the first time. Read
the article from the Chicago
Tribune. CBS television show 48 Hours Mystery
ran a show about this case on March 1, 2008. For more information
about this show, please visit the CBS
48 Hours Mystery webpage.
Law Offices Professor Admitted into U.S.
Supreme Court
On January 7, 2008, Professor Daniel Coyne was admitted
on motion in open court before all nine justices of the
supreme court in a group admission ceremony. The admission
was sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers. There were ten admittees from various jurisdictions
across the country. Immediately following the admission,
the death penalty case of Baze v. Rees was argued.
Baze challenges the propriety of the use of lethal
injection to execute condemned inmates.
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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