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--April 10, 2006--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.
Approximately one million people are expected to demonstrate in more than 100 cities today in opposition to H.R. 4437, the House’s controversial immigration reform bill passed last December that would make it a felony to be illegally in the U.S. In addition, the proposal calls for the erection of fences along one-third of the U.S.-Mexican border, and the imposition of new penalties on companies that hire illegal immigrants and on agencies or groups that provide services to illegals. Opposition to that measure has set off a wave of protests throughout the country for more than a month. The full Senate has yet to approve its version of an immigration reform bill. Professor Matthew I. Bernstein oversees Chicago-Kent’s Immigration Law Clinic. (See below) He is available for interviews.
Jury deliberations in the George Ryan corruption trial continue. Chicago-Kent professors Douglas W. Godfrey and Richard S. Kling are available for interviews. Professor Godfrey is a former prosecutor; Professor Kling is a criminal defense attorney.
The infamous video that allegedly shows singer R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl will be analyzed April 20 in a pretrial hearing by a defense expert. Kelly, who is facing fourteen charges of child pornography, has pled not guilty and has repeatedly said he is not the man on the tape. It has been suggested that Kelly’s image may have been generated by computer. Experts are available for interviews.
The McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum opens on Michigan Avenue April 11. The 10,000- square-foot museum was built to commemorate the McCormick Tribune Foundation’s 50th anniversary. Its aim is "to help visitors recognize the many facets of our democratic process, while promoting a sense of civic responsibility and championing our unalienable rights as guaranteed by the First Amendment." A recent survey conducted by the Foundation revealed that more Americans can name the members of the animated Simpson family than can name the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Constitutional scholars are available for interviews about First Amendment issues.
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; 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.
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. Students work under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Decatorsmith. More information about the program is available on the Web site. Professor Decatorsmith is available for interviews about the program, but is unable to answer media queries for current tax filing stories.
Downtown Campus Events
April 20-21: George K. Yin, Howard W. Smith Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law, will deliver the luncheon keynote address on the first day of Chicago-Kent’s 25th annual Federal Tax Institute. He will address the topic "Prospects for Budget Control and Tax Reform." Professor Yin, who headed the staff of the U.S. Congress’s Joint Committee on Taxation from 2003 to 2005, will share his insights regarding the likelihood of budget control and tax reform legislation in view of the current state of the law and legislative process. The two-day program also will review recent developments in tax law, and participants will discuss tax planning for multinational corporations, corporate taxation and executive compensation issues. For more information, call (312) 906-5090.
April 21: "Civil Liberties in Illinois" is the topic of a presentation by Illinois Solicitor General Gary Feinerman. As solicitor general, Feinerman oversees civil and criminal appeals for the State of Illinois before the Illinois Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The program, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Chicago-Kent Chapter of the American Constitution Society. It will begin at 2 p.m. A reception will follow. For more information, call Professor Dan Hamilton at (312) 906-5192.
April 27-28: 23rd 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. Police misconduct, sexual harassment, municipal liability, individual immunities and procedural defenses, and recent and forthcoming cases before the U.S. Supreme Court are among the topics to be explored. For more information, call (312) 906-5090.
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