For more information, please contact:
Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
ADVISORY TO PRODUCERS, COLUMNISTS, AND ASSIGNMENT, LEGAL, PLANNING, SPORTS, EDUCATION, POLITICAL, CITY DESK, FEATURES AND DAYBOOK EDITORS
CHICAGO–June 11, 2007–Chicago-Kent College of Law and Stuart School of Business have experts available to discuss current issues. To reach any of our experts, call Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, at (312) 906-5251. Press releases and earlier advisories are available on our Web site: www.kentlaw.edu/news/advisory.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2006-07 term is coming to a close. Constitutional scholar and Distinguished Professor Sheldon H. Nahmod is available for interviews about the cases yet to be decided, the Roberts Court, highlights of the Supreme Court's 2006-07 session, and key issues the justices will consider during the new term.
Travelers and identity theft. ATMs and credit and debit cards have decreased the need for vacationers to carry around large amounts of cash or travelers checks. However, the convenience afforded by the technology has increased concern about identity theft. Professor Richard Warner says travelers are often on unfamiliar ground, so it is difficult for them to assess the privacy, credit card fraud and identity theft dangers. He adds there are things travelers can do to protect themselves, “For example, use a credit card with a low limit, deal only with reputable businesses and minimize the personally identifying information divulged.” Professor Warner is available for interviews about preventing identity theft. He has lectured on Internet security at the second U.N. Economic Commission for Europe Workshop in Geneva, Switzerland. At the invitation of the FBI, he has spoken on global cybercrime before the Chicago Crime Commission.
“You have the right to remain silent...” if you are arrested in the United States. But what rights do Americans traveling abroad have? Professor Bartram S. Brown, co-director of Chicago-Kent’s Program in International and Comparative Law, says “Although foreign governments can’t force you to testify, your silence could be taken as evidence you have something to hide.” Professor Brown, an international human rights expert, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA.
Millions of foreign visitors come to the United States each year. Most require B-1/B-2 visitor visas to enter the country legally. What is the process for obtaining visitor visas? What changes have been made in the U.S. visa policy and procedures since the terrorist attacks in 2001? Professor Matthew I. Bernstein, who practices and teaches immigration and nationality law, is available for interviews.
"CSI: Chicago,"
a new exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, explores the role of forensic evidence in criminal investigations. “CSI: The Experience” is an “immersive, interactive forensic science exhibit” that capitalizes on the popularity of the television crime drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and its spinoffs. The display includes three possible crime scenes. Visitors can solve the cases by using scientific evidence to validate their theories. The exhibit, created by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and Industry, the National Science Foundation and CBS, runs in Chicago through September 3. Chicago-Kent experts are available to discuss legal issues related to the use of forensic evidence.
- What is the “CSI effect”? In television forensic evidence dramas, crimes usually are solved within an hour using high-tech laboratory detection methods. Legal analysts say popular television shows like “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “CSI: Miami,” and “CSI: New York” raise jurors’ expectations of what type of evidence prosecutors should produce at trial. Professor Nancy S. Marder teaches a course on juries, judges and trials, and has written extensively about the American jury system. She is the author of the law review article Juries and Technology: Equipping Jurors for the Twenty-First Century. Professor Marder is available for interviews about the American jury system and about the “CSI effect.” Professors Douglas W. Godfrey and Richard S. Kling are also available for interviews about the impact of the “CSI effect” on criminal trials. 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 science courses.
- Since 2002, DNA samples have been collected from convicted felons in Illinois for inclusion in the state’s databank. Chicago-Kent Dean Harold J. Krent says there are privacy concerns. “Unlike with fingerprints, scientists likely will be able to extract enough genetic information from the samples taken to learn whether the individual is susceptible to cancer, bouts of anger or dementia,” says Dean Krent. “Database creep”--a trend in which once a database has been established, access to it is extended to more authorities for other purposes than those for which it was set up--is also a problem. In the early 1990s, Dean Krent filed the lead challenge to the establishment of mandatory collection of DNA samples from convicted felons in Virginia. The author the law review article, Of Diaries and Databases: Use Restrictions Under the Fourth Amendment, he also has argued before the Illinois Supreme Court to contest administration of the state’s DNA collection rules.
- Forensic evidence plays an important role in The Silent Assassin, the latest book in the Alexandra Blake mystery series by Professor Lori B. Andrews. The heroine is a geneticist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, who performs high-level forensic research to solve a 30-year-old murder. Professor Andrews is available for interviews.
- “Law students need to learn how criminal investigations and prosecutions are conducted in the 21st century. This is equally important for lawyers who will be responsible for defending people accused of crimes where scientific evidence is used to prosecute them,” says professor and criminal defense attorney Daniel T. Coyne. He is available to discuss Chicago-Kent’s new J.D. certificate program in criminal litigation.
Downtown Campus Events:
June 29: Small Business Law Workshop. Chicago-Kent’s Small Business Program is sponsoring a free afternoon workshop designed to help small business owners and emerging entrepreneurs understand some of the key legal issues their businesses face. There will be two one-hour sessions. The first session will provide key information about various business entity types, including the pros and cons of sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, S corporations and C corporations. The second session will examine how to spot important legal risks and valuable opportunities common to small businesses. There is no cost to attend the workshop. However, registration is required. For more information or to register, please visit www.jdeas.com/workshop.htm. You may also call (312) 906-5045 or e-mail sbp@kentlaw.edu.
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