LAW OFFICES NEWSLETTER
View the latest Law
Offices newsletter to find out what is currently happening
and hear from students who talk about their clinic experiences.
LAW OFFICES - IN-HOUSE LEGAL EXPERIENCE
The Law Offices gives students the opportunity
to learn how to practice law under the close supervision
of a clinical faculty attorney - an experience that is available
only in the law school’s in-house clinical programs.
Applications for both the Summer and Fall
2016 semesters of the Law Offices are now available on the
table by the third floor elevators, in the Law Offices reception
area and online.
Summer 2016 applications are due on
Tuesday, April 5 at 4:00 p.m.
LITIGATION AND ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
(LADR)
The due date has passed for the LADR certificate program
but we can still accept applications. Applications can be
found online
and can be turned in to the receptionist in the Law Offices,
Suite 600.
CRIMINAL LITIGATION CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
The due date has passed for the Criminal Ltigation Certificate
Program but we can still accept applications. Applications
can be found online
and can be turned in to the receptionist in the Law Offices,
Suite 600.
ACCESS2PRACTICE
LEGAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Summer/Fall 2016
A2P Legal Externship (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. Some public sector externships enable
you to obtain a 711 license and appear in court.
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.
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, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service, and Environmental
Protection Agency, as well approved in-house corporate legal
counsel. And students interested in criminal law have externed
at the US 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.
Summer/Fall Access2Practice LEP
Summer Access2Practice LEP differs from Fall/Spring LEP
in that summer students have a greater choice of placements.
Whereas Fall and Spring placements are almost exclusively
in the public and not-for-profit areas, Summer LEP includes
a significant number of private placements in law firms
and in-house corporate legal departments. These private
placements are supervised by designated alums and both the
alum teaching supervisors and placements have been screened
and approved by the Chicago-Kent Faculty Externship Screening
Committee specifically for this program.
As of Monday, February 22, Symplicity will post many Summer
LEP placement opportunities for which you can apply. Please
scroll to Access2Practice: Private Summer for these special
opportunities. The applications to the participating member
placements will be submitted through a centralized data
base and sent electronically to the respective placements
on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Each teaching attorney/placement
then independently screens and selects its own extern(s).
Application Process:
Information and application packets for Summer and Fall
2016 are available in the Law Offices reception area (Room
600), in the Career Services Office, on the table by the
third-floor elevators, and online.
Opportunities:
Fall 2016 Legal Externship Program
For Credit Only (4 Credits)
In-House Corporate
Allstate Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL
As part of Chicago-Kent's Fall 2016 Legal Externship Program,
Allstate Insurance Company will select a Chicago-Kent student
extern. The extern receives 4 (Pass/Fail) credit hours and
devotes 16 hours a week to fieldwork with the corporation's
legal department.
Allstate Insurance Company has one of the largest legal
departments in the country and their practice involves virtually
every area of the law. Various practice groups comprise
the Department, including: Dispute Resolution Services (which
includes litigation), Government & Industry Relations,
Investments & Business Transactions, Corporate Governance,
and Business Conduct.
An extern will be exposed to a wide variety of matters
and legal activities depending on the practice area(s) to
which the extern is assigned over the course of the semester.
Activities can include research, drafting, counseling business
clients on a wide variety of issues and negotiating transactions.
To Apply:
Prospective 3Ls Only
Applicants must submit a resume and unofficial transcript
to Mr. Waqas Durrani (waqas.durrani@allstate.com)
by no later than Monday, April 11, 2016.
if you have any questions, contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu).
Fall 2016 Legal Externship Program Opportunity
For Credit Only (4 Credits)
Seyfarth Shaw, LLP
Intellectual Property (IP)
As part of Chicago-Kent's Fall 2016 Legal Externship Program,
Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, will select a Kent student for a for-credit
Fall 2016 Legal Externship in their IP division. The IP
extern essentially becomes a member of the firm's IP group
for a semester. He/she typically does legal research and
writing (not usually formal memos) that would otherwise
be "billable" work, except does not bill for time.
The work can be in any area of IP, copyright, trademark,
patent, trade secret, advertising, privacy, Internet, or
related issues and is not limited to people with technical
backgrounds. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity!
To Apply:
Prospective 2Ls and 3Ls must have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.1.
Please submit your resume and unofficial transcript to Prof.
Gross by Wednesday, April 6, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. Do
not apply directly to the law firm.
If you have any questions, contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu).
Fall 2016 Legal Externship Program Opportunity
For Credit Only
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
As part of Chicago-Kent's Fall 2016 Legal Externship Program,
Hinshaw & Culbertson will select a Kent student extern.
The extern receives 4 (Pass/Fail) credit hours and devotes
16 hours a week to fieldwork at the firm. The extern will
work in 3 groups: Business Litigation, Government Litigation
and Insurance. There is also an accompanying classroom component
on designated Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m.
To Apply:
Prospective 2Ls and 3Ls must have a 3.1 minimum G.P.A.
Please email your resume, unofficial transcript and writing
sample to Mr. Laurence Tooth (LTooth@hinshawlaw.com)
by Thursday, April 7, 2016.
If you have any questions, contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu).
Fall 2016 Semester Law Firm Associate Program
Chicago-Kent's Semester Law Firm Associate Program (SLFAP)
is a unique for-credit non-graded program open to 2Ls and
3Ls with a minimum 3.1 GPA. Semester Associate externs work
for academic credit (without pay) as "Associates"
for designated prestigious firms.
Semester Associate externs receive 6 credits and devote
24 hours a week during the semester to the fieldwork component.
Students gain experience and perspective from work on different
aspects of litigation and transactions, and firms strive,
to the extent possible, to expose students to a range of
legal problems demanding varying skill sets or competencies.
In conjunction with the fieldwork, there is an accompanying
classroom component, scheduled on designated Thursdays from
4:00-5:30 p.m.
This is a terrific opportunity to learn substantive law
and about life in a law firm as well as more about your
own strengths, and to make an impression on the lawyers
with whom you come into contact (even though there is no
expectation of future employment).
To Apply for Fall 2016 SLFAP:
Below are the participating firms and legal practice areas.
All prospective 2Ls and 3Ls who wish to apply for an externship
at any of the firms listed below, please email a current
resume and unofficial transcript to Professor Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu)
by no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.
Also indicate to which firm(s) you are applying.
Each firm will conduct its own selection process. You must
accept the first offer you receive and cannot withdraw after
your acceptance with the respective firm.
Participating Firms:
Beerman Swerdlove LLP
Family Law
Deutsch, Levy & Engel
Commercial Litigation
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
IP Law
Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, LTD
Commercial Litigation (possibly some toxic tort)
Please contact Professor Gross at vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu
immediately if you are selected.
Student Argues Before Judge
Kudos to Law Offices student Tracy Harkins, supervised
by Professor Richard Kling, who argued in front of a 7th
Circuit Judges Kanne, Hamilton and Sykes in Federal Court
on Wednesday, October 7. The oral argument was based on
the appeal of the district court's denial of a motion to
suppress evidence. Tracy argued that the finding of reasonable
suspicion, in support of a "Terry" stop, at the
district court level was erroneous, on the basis that the
facts the district court found supported reasonable suspicion
were not articulable and reliable enough to confer such
suspicion.
In The News
Clinical Professor of Law Richard Kling is quoted in a
Chicago
Sun-Times article about former Illinois Governor Rod
Blagojevich’s latest appeal efforts.
The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin published
an article focusing on the legal writing and clinical
education programs.
Professor Richard Kling was interviewed by Fox 32 about
the possibility that consumers may soon be able to shop
for legal services via Groupon. Watch the interview here.
Remembering the 1963 March on Washington - A
talk with Clinical Professor Richard Kling
Clinical Professor Ed Kraus spoke with Peoria's WEEK-TV
about the needs of diabetic children in schools and the
necessity of accommodation from and education of school
staff, for a story about a local couple whose 10-year old
son has struggled to perform needed care on the bus: http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Mom-says-son-denied-to-properly-treat-diabetes-is-life-or-death-issue-200679431.html
IIT Chicago-Kent Legal Fellow/Research Associate Sarah
Blenner, who works with Clinical Professor Ed Kraus in the
Health & Disability Law Clinic, discussed privacy and
discrimination concerns surrounding a new policy in which
CVS drugstores will require employees to submit to body
weight and BMI testing or face higher health insurance premiums,
in an ABC 7 News story. View
the video.
For a complete description of all clinical programs, please
visit the Law Offices' Home Page at http://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/legal-clinics
For a description of all externship programs, please visit
the Externship home page at http://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/externships.
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