For more information, please contact:
Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
ADVISORY TO PRODUCERS, COLUMNISTS AND ASSIGNMENT, LEGAL, PLANNING, BUSINESS, AND DAYBOOK EDITORS
CHICAGO-- March 28, 2005--Chicago-Kent College of Law, the Stuart Graduate School
of Business and the Center for Financial Markets have experts available to discuss current issues.
To reach any of our experts, call Gwen Osborne, director
of public affairs, at (312) 906-5251. Copies of press releases and earlier advisories are available
on our Web site: http://www.kentlaw.edu/news/
Can distributors of peer-to-peer file-sharing software be held liable for copyright infringement
by its users? The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week in a case brought by major
film studios, record companies and music publishers against the distributors of Morpheus and Grokster
computer software for allowing its users to illegally download copyrighted material. A federal district
court judge ruled in favor of the distributors, saying they “are not significantly different
from companies that sell home video recorders or copy machines, both of which can be and are used
to infringe copyrights.” The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with the lower
court ruling. Professor Mickie Voges
Piatt, executive director of Chicago-Kent’s program in Intellectual Property Law,
is available for interviews about the case and about how to protect copyrights without chilling
the rise of the new technologies.
Terri Schiavo’s parents are making a last-ditch effort to have Florida governor Jeb Bush
intervene in their daughter’s case. Schiavo has been without food or water since March
18 when her feeding tube was removed under court order. Her parent’s appeals to state and
federal courts have failed. Professor Howard C. Eglit
is available for interviews about developments in the case.
The Schiavo case has highlighted the importance of living wills and medical powers of attorney.
Experts from Chicago-Kent College of Law are available for interviews.
Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina and Michigan State have advanced to the NCAA’s “Final
Four” in St. Louis. Hundreds of Internet gambling sites offer bettors a chance to bet
on every aspect of the game. Are these sites legal? Are there state or federal laws to protect online
gamblers? “In Illinois and many other states such wagers are against the law. But online gamblers
can also leave themselves open to identity fraud and credit card theft by unscrupulous sites,”
says Dean Harold J. Krent. Dean Krent is available
to discuss civil and criminal liability, privacy issues and jurisdictional issues related to online
gambling.
The University of Illinois’ basketball team’s ascension to the Final Four has
made the school’s sports paraphernalia hot commodities in online auctions. Each year, Internet
auction fraud costs American consumers approximately $5 million. The most prevalent complaints involve
identity theft, misrepresented merchandise or undelivered goods. How can consumers protect themselves?
Students in the Honors Scholars Program at Chicago-Kent College of Law collaborated with the City
of Chicago Department of Consumer Services and AT&T to create “You Don't Know Auctions!”,
an interactive Internet game to educate the public about online auctions and to caution them about
the dangers of auction fraud. The Web address for the game is www.youdontknowauctions.com.
Dean Harold J. Krent is available for interviews about
auction fraud and “You Don’t Know Auctions!”.
The March on Skokie Controversy. In April of 1977, Neo-Nazi Frank Collin announced plans
to hold a July 4 march in Skokie. The group was initially denied the right to march in the largely
Jewish Chicago suburb, but the Nazis eventually prevailed in court on First Amendment grounds. On
April 3, constitutional scholar and distinguished professor Sheldon
H. Nahmod will address the Chicago Jewish Historical Society on First Amendment issues related
to “The March on Skokie Controversy.” The program will begin at 2 p.m. at Skokie Valley
Traditional Synagogue. Professor Nahmod is available for interviews. For more information about
the lecture, visit the CJHS Web site: www.chicagojewishhistory.org.
Regulating hate speech on the Internet. Authorities in northern Minnesota are looking for
a motive in the shootings that left 10 people dead and seven others wounded on the Red Lake Indian
Reservation. The 16-year-old gunman, Jeff Weise, apparently killed himself and left no messages
explaining the rampage. Police are looking into the possibility that Weise frequented neo-Nazi forums
on the Internet and may have even made his intentions known there. Professor Alexander
Tsesis -- who the author of the book, Destructive Messages: How Hate Speech Paves the
Way for Harmful Social Movements, and a law review article, Hate in Cyberspace: Regulating
Hate Speech on the Internet -- is available for interviews.
The 2005 Major League Baseball season begins this week. Sports attorney and adjunct professor
Eldon L. Ham, the author of a forthcoming book, Larceny & Old Leather: The Mischievous
Legacy of Major League Baseball, is available for interviews.
Singer Michael Jackson is on trial in California for child molestation, conspiracy and illegal
use of alcohol with a minor. Chicago-Kent professors Douglas
W. Godfrey and Richard S. Kling are available
for interviews. Professor Godfrey is a former prosecutor in the Kings County District Attorney's
office, where he served in the sex crimes and homicide bureaus. Professor Kling is a criminal defense
attorney who teaches evidence and forensic sciences courses.
Students at Stuart Graduate School of Business have started an investment club to develop
the skills to become successful personal and professional investment managers. The students are
available for interviews through their advisor, Professor Keith
Black.
The Taxman Cometh. Chicago-Kent's Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic is seeking taxpayers who have
disputes with the IRS. Those who meet certain income criteria may qualify for free assistance with
their tax disputes, including collection matters, audits, appeals and litigation before the Internal
Revenue Service, United States Tax Court, and United States District Court. Students work under
the supervision of Professor Jonathan Decatorsmith.
The program Web site at www.kentlaw.edu/academics/clinic/tax
has information about the program. Professor Decatorsmith is available for interviews about the
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, but is unable to answer media queries for current tax filing stories.
Cook County residents with domestic relations disputes, including legal separation, divorce,
child support, child custody, visitation and guardianships, may qualify for representation through
Chicago-Kent's Family Law Clinic. Clients will pay on a sliding scale fee basis, depending on their
financial circumstances. Students will work under the supervision of Professor Ira
C. Feldman. He is available for interviews about the program.
Chicago-Kent’s Immigration Law Clinic is seeking those who need legal assistance with
immigration, asylum and nationality matters. The clinic is supervised by Professor Matthew
I. Bernstein, whose practice includes advising corporations, nonprofit organizations and
individuals in all areas of immigration law, including professionals; aliens of extraordinary ability
in the sciences, arts and business; individuals seeking immigration benefits for family members;
asylees; and individuals threatened with removal from the United States by the government. Professor
Bernstein is available for interviews about the Immigration Law Clinic. He is also available to
speak with organizations about immigration issues.
Summer Programs:
April 10 is the deadline for American law students interested in applying for Chicago-Kent's
summer abroad program in Mexico with Tec de Monterrey, one of Mexico's leading private universities.
The ABA-approved, practice-oriented program is taught in English. It gives U.S. law students an
opportunity to study Mexican law and U.S./Mexican legal issues. Classes will be held from May 30
through July 13, 2005.
Downtown Campus Events:
April 5: “The Aging of the American Workforce” is the topic of the 27th annual
Kenneth M. Piper Lecture. Sara E. Rix, a senior policy advisor with the economics team
of the American Association of Retired Persons’ (AARP) Public Policy Institute, will examine
the challenges facing an aging workforce. She will also discuss shared responsibility of government,
business, labor and workers, in guaranteeing productivity and promoting equal opportunities for
workers of all ages. Commentators include Attorney David D. Kadue, a partner in the Los Angeles
office of Seyfarth Shaw, LLP and Shaun O’Brien, assistant director of the AFL-CIO’s
public policy department. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call
(312) 906-5090 or visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle/piper/
on the Web.
April 14-15: 22nd annual conference on Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation. This two-day
seminar provides a comprehensive update, presented by leading practitioners and legal scholars,
on liability arising out of Section 1983 and other civil rights statutes. Sexual harassment, municipal
liability, individual immunities and procedural defenses and recent cases before the U.S. Supreme
Court are among the topics to be explored. For more information, call (312) 906-5090 or visit www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle/sect1983/index.html.
April 28-29: Cono R. Namorato, director of the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of
Professional Responsibility, will deliver the luncheon keynote address on the first day of Chicago-Kent’s
24th annual Federal Tax Institute. The two-day program will review recent developments in tax
law. Participants will also discuss international provisions included in the American Jobs Creation
Act of 2004, corporate taxation and executive compensation issues. For more information, call (312)
906-5090 or visit the Web site: www.kentlaw.edu/depts/cle/fedtax/index.html.
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