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--September 19, 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/advisory.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote this week on Judge John Roberts’ appointment as chief justice of the United States. If confirmed, he will become the nation’s 17th chief justice. Chicago-Kent dean Harold J. Krent, the author of Presidential Powers, is available for interviews.
When the U.S. Supreme Court reconvenes for its 2005-06 term October 3, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will retake a seat on the court. President Bush asked her to postpone her retirement until her successor can be named. (Judge John Roberts was initially nominated to succeed her, but was appointed to serve as chief justice following the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist.) Constitutional scholar Professor Sheldon H. Nahmod is available to discuss highlights of the High Court's last session and key issues the justices will consider during the new term.
The justices will hear a challenge to the Solomon Amendment brought by a coalition of 31 law schools, including Chicago-Kent. Enacted in 1996, the Solomon Amendment is a federal law created to guarantee the military equal access to campuses and students. Colleges and universities that bar military recruiters from their campuses in violation of the law face penalties including the loss of federal funds. However, the coalition says hosting the recruiters on campus violates the schools’ anti-discrimination policy because the military excludes openly gay members. The coalition also says the Solomon Amendment imposes on their rights to free speech. Dean Harold J. Krent is available for interviews about the case.
Jury selection begins this week in the corruption trial of former Illinois Governor George Ryan. The federal judge hearing the case would like to have the 12-member jury and 6 alternative jurors seated by Thursday so that opening arguments can begin. Ryan faces 22 charges of conspiracy, lying to the FBI, mail fraud, racketeering and tax fraud. 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; Professor Kling is a criminal defense attorney.
The Illinois Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the state’s DNA law requiring all felons to submit blood, saliva or tissue samples to the Illinois State Police for inclusion in a statewide database. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials hope that DNA samples in the database can be cross-matched with evidence retrieved from crime scenes to provide leads in unsolved cases. As a law professor at the University of Virginia in the early 1990s, Dean Harold J. Krent filed the lead challenge to the establishment of mandatory collection of DNA samples. Dean Krent also argued before the Illinois Supreme Court to contest administration of earlier DNA collection rules. He is available for interviews.
Although new charities have been established to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, professor Evelyn Brody says, “In cases of disaster relief, it’s a good idea to give to an established organization – especially one with the ability to work effectively in the region experiencing problems.” She says, “The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance Web site (www.give.org) is a good place to do background research on specific charities, and its home page has links to charities focused on Hurricane Katrina relief.” Professor Brody is an associate scholar with the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy and is a board member of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. She is available for interviews.
September 24-October 2005 is Banned Books Week – Celebrating the Freedom to Read. Banned Books Week was established in 1982 to call attention to freedom of expression issues related to banned and challenged books in America. A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Banned Books Week is observed the last week in September and is co-sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of College Stores. Chicago-Kent experts are available to discuss censorship issues.
For 37 weeks in 1995, the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson played out in a California courtroom and in the media. On October 3, 1995, a jury acquitted the former pro-football player and actor of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman. Chicago-Kent faculty are available to discuss the impact of one of the so-called trials of the century on criminal trials and on the legal profession. Experts can discuss the use of cameras in the courtroom, the use of trial consultants, evidence presentation and expert witnesses.
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 has information about the program. Professor Decatorsmith is available for interviews about the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic.
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.
Downtown Campus Events:
September 21: Lt. Col. Ret. Amos N. Guiora, a professor at Case Western Reserve Law School, will discuss the challenges facing democratic societies as they simultaneously battle terrorism, protect human rights and uphold international law. Professor Guiora served for 19 years in the Israel Defense Forces’ Judge Advocate General Corps, where he held a number of senior command positions, including Commander of the IDF School of Military Law, Judge Advocate for the Navy and Home Front Command, and Legal Advisor to the Gaza Strip. He had command responsibility for the development of an interactive software program that teaches soldiers and commanders a code of conduct based on international law, Israeli law, and the IDF code. The program is free and open to the public, but for security purposes reservations are required. RSVP to Sarah Gillooly at (312) 906-5134 or sgillooly@kentlaw.edu.
September 22: “The New Civil Service Up and Running?” is the theme of Chicago-Kent College of Law's 23rd annual Federal Sector Labor Relations and Labor Law Program. The keynote panel will discuss the impact of the new Department of Homeland Security regulations on the future direction of labor relations. Panelists include David L. Feder, retired associate commissioner, Office of Labor-Management and Employee Relations, Social Security Administration; Frank Ferris, executive vice-president, National Treasury Employees Union; Charles Hobby, deputy general counsel, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO; and Ronald J. James, chief human capital officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Barbara J. Sapin, a member of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, will deliver the luncheon address. Sponsored by Chicago-Kent's Institute for Law and the Workplace, the program is the longest running conference on federal sector and postal labor relations and labor law held outside of Washington, D.C. For more information, call (312) 906-5090.
September 28: The Hon. Abner J. Mikva, director of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, will address the topic “The War Power and the Constitution: A View from Three Branches.” Mikva has served as a member of Congress, as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and as White House Counsel to President Clinton. The program, which will begin at 3 p.m., is free and open to the public. A reception will follow. The program is co-sponsored by the Chicago-Kent Chapter of the American Constitution Society and the Institute for Law and Humanities. For more information, call (312) 906-5192.
October 6: Former National Security advisor Anthony Lake will address the topic, “Landmines and Their Deadly Legacy: A Time for Action.” Lake is currently distinguished professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. His speech is part of the two-day Fall Conference on Land Mine Action taking place at universities and other venues throughout Chicago. There are fees to attend the program, which begins at 5 p.m., and the dinner that follows. For more information, call (847) 679-0847. To register, visit www.worldresourceschicago.com.
October 7: “Hype or Hope: Exploring Nano, Risk and Ethics” is the theme of the inaugural event of IIT’s Center on Nanotechnology and Society. A panel discussion addressing the theme will follow introductory remarks by center director and Chicago-Kent research professor Nigel M. de S. Cameron. Participants include: Andrew Kimbrell, environmental lobbyist and Executive Director of the International Center for Technology Assessment; Nik Rokop, leader of the Chicago Micro and Nano Community; and IIT distinguished professor and expert on nano and society Vivian Weil. Professor M. Ellen Mitchell, director of IIT’s Institute of Psychology and associate director of the Center on Nanotechnology and Society, will serve as moderator. The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Gov. Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium. Reservations are requested. RSVP to RSVP@thehumanfuture.org.
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