For more information, please contact:
Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
ADVISORY TO PRODUCERS, COLUMNISTS AND ASSIGNMENT, LEGAL, BUSINESS, INTERNATIONAL, POLITICAL, HIGHER EDUCATION, PLANNING, CITY DESK, FEATURES AND DAYBOOK EDITORS
CHICAGO–November 7, 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.
Former Illinois governor George Ryan has begun serving his sentence at Oxford federal prison. Earlier this week, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens rejected Ryan’s request to remain free on bond while his attorneys appeal his 2006 conviction for conspiracy, lying to the FBI, mail fraud, racketeering and tax fraud. Chicago-Kent experts are available for interviews.
Free trade agreements. Results of a recent Wall Street Journal and NBC News poll find that six in 10 Republican voters believe that free trade has been bad for the U.S. economy. Speaking in support of the administration’s pending trade agreements with Peru, Panama, Colombia and South Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she is "concerned about maintaining a bipartisan consensus for free trade." Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton says current U.S. free trade agreements should be re-evaluated every three to five years. Chicago-Kent professor Sungjoon Cho teaches courses in international law, international trade law, international business transactions and comparative law. Professor Cho represented South Korea in negotiations with the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He is available for interviews about the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) and about a November 8 program at Chicago-Kent that examines the agreement. (See below.)
November 11 is Veterans Day. Professor Michael I. Spak, an expert on military law, is available for interviews about veterans affairs. Professor Spak served on active duty with the U.S. Army in the Judge Advocate General's Corps from 1963 to 1969 and has remained in the U.S. Army Reserve. As Colonel Spak, he is currently liaison officer of the Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, Va. He is author of Cases and Materials on Military Law and Military Justice and a co-author of Servicemember's Legal Guide: Everything You and Your Family Need to Know About the Law.
November is Native American Heritage Month. Chicago-Kent experts are available to discuss a number of legal issues related to the Native American experience.
- American museums have been trying to determine the origins and appropriate resting places for their Native American collections since passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. The law requires federal agencies and museums receiving federal funds to identify the origin and cultural affiliation of their Native American cultural items and then "to expeditiously return some of them to culturally-affiliated Indian tribes." Professor Sarah Harding can discuss the legal issues involved in the repatriation of Native American cultural property.
- The Alaska Supreme Court last week struck down parts of the state’s 1998 English-only law. In a 4-1 ruling, the court said the provision that English is the only language that can be used for government functions was unconstitutional. As a result, Native American communities can continue to conduct meetings in their own tribal languages. The justices upheld the requirement that English be used for all government documents and records--as long as duplicates can be made in other languages. Professor Mark D. Rosen, who teaches constitutional law, state and local government law, federal Indian law, and conflicts of law is available for interviews.
Downtown Campus Events:
November 8: "KORUS FTA, Who Is It For? Prosperity Through Trade with Korea " is a one-day conference that will explore key strategies for American businesses seeking to take advantage of opportunities in the burgeoning South Korean market under the proposed Korea-U.S. (KORUS) Free Trade Agreement. Chicago-Kent professor Sungjoon Cho will provide an analytical overview of the agreement. Wendy Cutler, assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Affairs and chief U.S. negotiator for KORUS FTA, will deliver the luncheon address. Business leaders from Hyundai, Eli Lilly and others will share their success stories. This program is co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Korea, U.S. Korea Business Council, World Trade Center in Illinois, and KOTRA Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. The conference will held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, or for more information, please contact Lois Ahn by phone at (312) 822-9485, ext. 131; by fax at (312) 822-9389; or via e-mail at oliver0324@msn.com.
November 14: "Dogfighting in Chicago." Sgt. Eldon Urbikas and Officer Thomas Barker of the Chicago Police Department’s Animal Crimes Unit will address Chicago-Kent’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. They will talk about their unit and the issue of dogfighting in Chicago. So far this year, the Animal Crimes Unit has logged more than 40 arrests related to alleged dogfighting operations and animal abuse. During the same period, the unit also recovered more than 120 dogs that were allegedly abused. The department’s proactive stance against animal cruelty has made it a leader among other law enforcement agencies and earned it a 2007 Humane Law Enforcement Award from the Humane Society of the United States and the National District Attorneys Association. The program is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. For more information, please contact Heather Owen, (773) 203-9364, or Juli Gilliam, (248) 210-7915.
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