THE RECORD
Vol. No. XXXI, No. 8
March 3, 1997
With the graduate school issue of U.S. News and World Report on the newsstands, many of you know that Chicago-Kent has been ranked this year one tier below our usual ranking.
Do I and the rest of the faculty regret this most recent change in our ranking? Absolutely. As much as I, along with most law school professors, regret the emergence of commercial law school ranking systems, we clearly benefitted from aspects of the ranking system in the past. The last time U.S. News and World Report had an up-and-coming category, we bragged about our number one up-and-coming ranking, and it would be hypocritical simply to deny validity of the ranking system now. Also, prospective students very often look to these rankings for guidance in choosing law schools, so we care about the change.
Do we believe even for a minute that this latest ranking reflects a negative turn in the quality of our faculty, students and programs? Absolutely not. Indeed, this year Chicago-Kent went up in the ranking by academics (from 45th in the country to 44th), the people who best know the quality of law schools. Also, our Program in Environmental and Energy Law once again was ranked among the nation's top ten.
Chicago-Kent is a high-quality institution. Chicago-Kent is filled with remarkable students, selected for their demonstrated potential as leaders. Our students excel in achievement and commitment, and our alums have gone on to be leaders in the legal profession. U.S. News and World Report does not measure the quality many students have brought to our law school. Nor does it measure the honor they have brought to our profession.
Recently Chicago-Kent received what is arguably one of the nation's highest law school honors when it was named Public Interest Law School of the Year by the Student Division of the American Bar Association. U.S. News and World Report does not measure the acclaim this honor has brought to our law school. Nor does it measure the character of a student body that devotes 31,000 hours to volunteer work in a single academic year.
Chicago-Kent remains a law school that sets the pace in legal education. Our faculty, recognized as one of the country's finest, ranks among the top fifteen percent in frequency of publication in leading law journals. Our three-year writing program sets the standard among American law schools. Our Center for Law and Computers continues to break new ground in the application of computer technology to legal education and practice.
Our certificate programs supply scores of law firms, governments, and businesses with first-rate practitioners in a variety of specialized areas. Our clinical program is unparalleled in breadth: in no other law school can students team with faculty to tackle cases not only in civil and criminal law but in international, tax and health law. Our trial and appellate advocacy teams brought home trophies last year in 10 local, national and international competitions, and we are off to a great start this year.
Our top flight information center houses more than 500,000 volumes, and our state-of-the-art building continues to draw educators from law schools around the world. This year I was contacted by justices from the highest courts in four states -- Hawaii, Maine, Delaware and Nevada -- for more information about our professionalism curriculum.
When it comes to rankings, Chicago-Kent does not lack recognition. Last year, the National Jurist ranked Chicago-Kent the 21st best law school in the country based on student satisfaction with faculty, facilities and quality of life. In a second survey, the National Jurist ranked Chicago-Kent among the nation's "20 best law schools for women" based on percentages of female students, female faculty, and females in leadership positions on law reviews and in student associations.
This won't be the last time our rankings fluctuate. Like those of most other schools, they will move up and down as ranking methodologies shift and criteria change. What will not diminish is the caliber of Chicago-Kent and its graduates, and the respect we command in the legal profession, academia, and the greater community.
We will continue to strive to improve our law school and your opportunities as law students and alums. Chicago-Kent is, and always will be, a vital presence in American legal education.
* * * * *
Congratulations to our trial ad and moot court teams who have been making such fine showings in various competitions during the past few weeks! Chicago-Kent's team of Deborah Brown, Ljubica Djordjevic, and Judy Martinez won the Regional Trial Advocacy Competition, which is sponsored by the ABA and the American Trial Lawyers Association. This is Chicago-Kent's third victory in a row at this competition, and the tenth win in the competition's 14-year history. We send best wishes to Deborah, Ljubica, and Judy for a big win at the national competition in Texas next month!
At the Jessup International Moot Court Competition, Chicago-Kent's team of Linda Chen, Inna Frumkin, Todd Powell, Telly Liapis, and Mata Binteris, with Coach Bart Brown, brought home a hard-won second-place victory. The Chicago-Kent team of Audra Dluksnys, Marc Srodulski, and Bret Stone, with coach Eric Brodie, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Environmental and Energy Law Moot Court Competition in White Plains, NY, with two of the three team members among the best oralists named in two out of three rounds.
Finally, Chicago-Kent's team of David Slovick, Rebecca Pala, and David Ben-Dov took an outstanding third place among the 26 teams participating in the Craven Constitutional Law Competition in Chapel Hill, NC.
Congratulations to all of the team members and coaches. We know you worked very hard. Great job!!
* * * * *
You may already know that the university is undergoing an inspection this semester to renew its accreditation with the North Central Association (N.C.A.). This is a process that occurs every ten years, much like the law school's seven year reaccreditation cycle with the American Bar Association. As part of the inspection visit to IIT, members of the N.C.A. inspection team will be at the law school on Tuesday, March 4, from 10:30 to 11:00am, in room C50, to get feedback from law students. If you have the time and interest, please feel free to stop by and chat with the inspectors during that time. I'm sure they'd be interested in hearing your comments.
Class Rank GPA Cutoffs
Mandatory Curves
The following elective courses have at least 25 students enrolled which makes them subject to the mandatory curve for elective courses. The mandatory curves for required and elective courses appear after this list.
| Administrative Law | Greenberg; Krent | |||
| Antitrust | Hannay | |||
| Bankruptcy | Harris; Mason/Glantz | |||
| Business Organizations | Conviser; Corré, Hablutzel; Levi | |||
| Commercial Law | Spak | |||
| Conflict of Laws | Green | |||
| Corporate Finance | Brown | |||
| Criminal Procedure | Gleicher and Thomas | |||
| Employment Discrimination | Eglit; Gonzalez | |||
| Estates and Trusts | Sherman; Strubbe | |||
| Evidence | Kling | |||
| Family Law | Baker; Dwyer | |||
| First Amendment | Heyman | |||
| Health Care Law | Andrews | |||
| Insurance | Marick/Pearson | |||
| Intl Aspects of Intl Property | Abbott | |||
| Intl Business Transactions | Lavin | |||
| International Law | Brown | |||
| Products Liability | Brill | |||
| Remedies | Ehrenberg | |||
| Section 1983 | Nahmod | |||
| Sports Law | Ham | |||
| Taxation of Business Enterprises | Brody | |||
| Trademarks & Unfair Competition | Quentel |
MANDATORY CURVE FOR REQUIRED COURSES
The following curve applies to all required courses, including Professional Responsibility, but excluding Legal Writing, Advanced Research, Legal Drafting and seminars.
| Grade | GPA Points | % Recommended | Range | Cumulative % | ||||
| A | 4.0 | 5% | 0 - 10% | 0 - 10% | ||||
| A- | 3.7 | 10% | 5 - 15% | 5 - 20% | ||||
| B+ | 3.3 | 20% | 15 - 25% | 30 - 40% | ||||
| B | 3.0 | 20% | 15 - 25% | 45 - 60% | ||||
| B- | 2.7 | 15% | 10 - 20% | 60 - 70% | ||||
| C+ | 2.3 | 15% | 5 - 20% | 75 - 85% | ||||
| C and below |
below 2.0 | 15% | 15 - 25% |
MANDATORY CURVE FOR ELECTIVE COURSES
The following curve applies to all elective courses with at least 25 students enrolled at the end of the second week of the semester.
| Grade | GPA Points | % Recommended | Range | Cumulative % | ||||
| A | 4.0 | 10% | 0 - 15% | 0 - 15% | ||||
| A- | 3.7 | 15% | 10 - 20% | 15 - 30% | ||||
| B+ | 3.3 | 20% | 15 - 25% | 35 - 50% | ||||
| B | 3.0 | 20% | 15 - 25% | 55 - 70% | ||||
| B- | 2.7 | 15% | 10 - 25% | 75 - 85% | ||||
| C+ | 2.3 | 10% | 5 - 15% | 85 - 100% | ||||
| C and below |
2.0 | 10% | 0 - 15% |
Grade Reports
Grade Reports for the fall semester were mailed last week. If you do not receive your grade report by the end of this week, please stop by the Registrar's office to verify that your correct address is on file.
TO: All Continuing Students
FROM: Assistant Dean Michael S. Burns
DATE: Spring Semester 1997
RE: CRITICAL INFORMATION REGARDING: MERIT/NEED-BASED AND MERIT-ONLY SCHOLARSHIPS
Continuing students may be eligible to receive both merit-only and merit/need-based scholarships.
Merit-only scholarships are based solely on your academic performance and do not require a financial aid application. If you are exclusively interested in merit-only scholarships, you do not need to apply for financial aid.
Merit/need-based scholarships are based on both your academic record and your financial need. If you want to be considered for scholarships based on financial need, you must submit the required financial aid application forms, even if you are not planning to take out student loans. In order to be considered for need-based scholarships, you must:
Students who do not meet these deadlines will not be eligible for need-based scholarships.
Enrichment Program - Perfecting your Presentation Skills
Wednesday, March 12 from 5:00-6:00pm, room TBA
Hone your presentation skills and conquer your fear of public speaking! Professor Patrick Cotter, the Director of the Appellate Advocacy Program, will join the Assistant Dean of Students and Student Services staff for a discussion of presentation techniques that can enhance your public speaking skills. Learn how to dramatically improve your in-class, moot court and interview presentation skills. Room to be announced in next week's Record.
Teaching Assistant Office Hours
The office hour schedule for this semester is posted on the Student Services bulletin board across from room 544. Copies of the schedule are also available in the student handout folder on the desk next to the bulletin board. If you have any questions about the schedule, please e-mail Ellen Berger at EBERGER. Remember, it is never too early in the semester to go see your TA!
Internet Sites of the Week
If you missed the Career Services presentation "Job Researching on the Internet," don't despair. Resource Manager Charis Runnels has selected several sites for you to check out as you begin your summer job hunt. The videotape of the program and handouts listing dozens of additional job search sites are also available in the Career Services Office.
Hoover's On-Line: http://www.hoovers.com
An extremely helpful directory with over 10,000 company profiles,
as well as links to web sites for over 3,000 companies and job listings
at over 600 companies.
Yahoo! Law Firms: http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Law/Firms
Through links on this page, you can access information about law
firms nationwide.
U.S. Federal Government WWW Server: http://www.fie.com/www/us_gov.htm
This site contains links to web servers with information on government
agencies, offices, etc.
Students who plan to take courses this summer either here at Chicago-Kent or at a visiting school must submit the documents listed below by April 15, 1997, in order to avoid any delays.
All of the above documents are available in the Financial Aid Office. Please come and visit our office at your earliest convenience.
***************
Just a reminder--please pick up the 1997-98 financial aid package which is available in the Financial Aid Office. In order to be considered for a federal Perkins loan, you must:
1) submit the Chicago-Kent Institutional Application and have a Student Aid Report (SAR) on file on or before April 15, 1997.
Due to limited funds, the federal Perkins loan will be awarded by date priority. We strongly encourage all interested students to submit the Chicago-Kent Institutional Application and SAR as early as possible.
Class of 1997 Graduation Information!!!
The Class of 1997 Commencement will be held on Sunday, May 25, 1997, at 2:30pm at Navy Pier. If you did not pick up the information memo at the time your class composite was taken, you may pick one up in Suite 310. Graduation tickets will be released to students who requested them in late April or early May. Watch the Record for the time and place graduation tickets will be available. Any extra tickets will be distributed in early May on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any further questions about Commencement, don't hesitate to ask Lauren Lockwood or John Fogarty in Suite 310.
Class Speaker Winner!!
The winner of the class speaker competition is.... Brenna Kelley! Brenna's essay was chosen anonymously by the Graduation Committee from 9 excellent essays. Brenna will deliver a short speech at Commencement. Congratulations Brenna!
Class Pictures
If you have picked up your proofs from the Alumnae/i & Student Relations Office, but were unable to return them by Wednesday, February 19, mail your proofs directly to Wyckoff Studios by March 14 in order to be included in the class composite.
For those students who sat for pictures on February 25 or 26, your proofs will be ready for you in Suite 310 on March 7.
Graduation Announcements
Graduation announcements will be offered by Jostens. Order forms for announcements are available now in the bookstore. Jostens will be here at Chicago-Kent on Monday, April 14.
Office News
Spring Break Hours
The office will be open the following hours during Spring Break:
| Monday, March 30: | 8:30am-5:00pm | Thursday, April 3: | 8:30am-7:00pm | ||||
| Tuesday, April 1: | 8:30am-5:00pm | Friday, April 4: | 8:30am-5:00pm | ||||
| Wednesday, April 2: | 8:30am-5:00pm |
Mock Interviews Begin March 10!
One of the best ways to prepare for job interviews is to participate in a mock interview session. Career strategist Deborah Gutman will conduct mock interviews in the Career Services Office in March and April.
The half-hour sessions include a videotaped mock interview, playback of the videotape, and a critique of the interview. If you would like to be able to take home a copy of your mock interview, please bring your own videotape to the interview.
Dates for mock interviews are: Mondays, March 10 and 17, from 9:00am until 4:00pm; Wednesdays, March 26 and April 9, from noon until 7:00pm; Thursdays, April 3 and April 17, from noon until 7:00pm
Space is limited so make an appointment soon. You must leave a resume at the reception desk prior to the date of the interview. Please give notice of any cancellation at least 24 hours in advance.
Upcoming Programs
Please sign up in the Career Services Office if you plan to attend.
The Young Lawyers Section/Chicago Bar Association Program
On Wednesday, March 19, from 12:00-2:00pm, the Young Lawyer Section
of the Chicago Bar Association Career Assistance Committee presents The
Ninth Annual Seminar on Being a Lawyer, Is It Your Only Choice? A Look
at Alternative Careers. The program will be held at the CBA, 321 S.
Plymouth Ct., 8th floor. To attend, interested students should complete
handout #65 and return it to the CBA.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Workshops
The more you know about your strengths and your working style, the
better you'll be able to market yourself to prospective employers and the
better you'll perform on the job. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
is an instrument that can help you recognize your working style and make
the most of it.
What exactly is the MBTI? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a psychometric instrument based on the work of Carl Jung and his theory of personality types. The MBTI helps you identify your behavioral preferences-including how you gather information and how you make decisions. Once you've identified your "type," you have one more piece of information to help you find your ideal work environment, plan an effective job search, and work with colleagues, supervisors and clients once you're on the job.
An important note: the MBTI is not a "test"--there are no right or wrong answers. Nor is it a career interest inventory--it doesn't tell you whether you should be a lawyer, a door-to-door salesperson or the next David Letterman!
We are offering two sessions--one for day students and one for evening students.
Here's what to do:
| Day: | Part I--Tuesday, March 18, at noon in room 570 | |
| Part II--Tuesday, March 25, at noon in room 570 | ||
| Evening: | Part I--Tuesday, March 18, at 5:00pm in room 570 | |
| Part II--Tuesday, March 25, at 5:00pm in room 570 |
Study Abroad Program
A representative from the Columbus School of Law summer abroad program will be at Chicago-Kent, Tuesday, March 4, from 3:00pm to 4:00pm in the Career Services Conference room to discuss their summer abroad opportunities in Cracow. Please sign up in the Career Services Office if you plan to attend.
Lexis Career Day
Lexis announces their 1997 Career Day and the distribution of their new Career Builder disks! Lexis reps will be in the front lobby of the law school from 10:00am until 2:00pm distributing the free diskettes and free cookies! If you have questions about the software, email one of your Lexis Reps at LEXISQ. This is a great tool to use as you work on your job search!
Other Special Opportunities: Handouts Available in Career Services
Clerkships
1996 Minority Clerkship Program: 1Ls
The Grand Rapids (Michigan) Bar Association and the Floyd Skinner Bar Association are pleased to announce their 1996 Minority Clerkship Program for first-year law students and invite 1Ls to participate. In order to participate you must be a permanent resident of West Michigan. You should submit your resume directly to the Floyd Skinner Bar Association, c/o Maribeth Jelks, City Attorney's Office, 300 Monroe NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Please see Handout #71 for further information.
JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIPS: SUMMER AND FALL 1997 SEMESTERS FOR PROSPECTIVE SECOND AND THIRD YEAR STUDENTS WITH A MINIMUM 3.3 GRADE POINT AVERAGE
A judicial externship enables a student to become involved in particular legal problems through research and writing, and to contribute to the resolution of those legal problems. Depending upon the judge, an extern may have the opportunity to observe the day-to-day routine of a judge and discuss with the judge and the judge's law clerk those legal problems which attorneys face in their profession, and the specific problems which attorneys confront in their courtroom. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity!
Application Process
Applications for the Summer and Fall Judicial Externships are available in room 600, Law Offices, and in Career Services.
Completed applications for Summer Externships should be submitted to Ms. Carole Ross, Secretary to Professor Gross, room 612 of Law Offices, by Wednesday, March 5, at 5:00pm
Completed applications for Fall externships should be submitted to Ms. Carole Ross, Secretary to Professor Gross, room 612 of Law Offices, by Wednesday, March 12, at 5:00pm
ADVANCED EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM: FALL 1997
PROSPECTIVE THIRD YEAR STUDENTS ONLY:
Do you wish to develop your legal skills, gain practical legal experience in a specialized area of law with a corporation, firm or government agency, and make yourself more marketable to prospective employers upon graduation? If so, consider applying to the Advanced Externship Program for Fall Semester 1997.
The Advanced Externship Program is a 4-credit hour program consisting of a 3-credit hour fieldwork and a 1-credit hour classroom component. The program is open to students in their last two semesters of law school. For the fieldwork component, an extern is placed in a private or public, civil or criminal practice and is required to work a minimum of 15 hours a week at his/her designated placement. Externs interested in civil law may select to work under the supervision of general counsel in major corporations or under the supervision of designated teaching lawyers in well-known firms of special government agencies. Externs may specialize in such diverse legal areas as tax, commodities, securities, corporate, health care, medical malpractice, general corporate law, etc. Those interested in criminal law may select to work with designated supervising lawyers at the States Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office, or the U.S. Attorney's Office. Many externships offer students opportunities to obtain a 711 license and appear in court.
The accompanying classroom component consists of a 1-credit hour weekly class, entitled "Profession and Practice of Law."
More information about the program and an accompanying application form are available in the Law Offices Reception Area and the Career Services Office. Applications must be submitted to Ms. Carole Ross in room 612 by noon on Friday, March 28. All applicants must have scheduled and completed an interview with Professor Gross prior to turning in their applications. Should extern applicants outnumber the number of students who can be accepted into the program, students with at lease one semester of Law Offices or LADR (Law Alternative Disputes Resolution program) will receive preference.
If you are interested in learning more about externship opportunities or in applying to the program, please see Professor Vivien Gross in room 617.
TUTORIAL
The tutorial for this week is THE INTERNET--how to access it, how to
use browsers and search engines, how to download and print, and how to
bookmark sites.
The tutorials will be presented by the Reference Staff of the Information Center and the schedule is posted on the 9th floor bulletin board. You don't have to sign up; just show up by the Reference Desk at the scheduled times. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the topics or the times offered, we'd like to have them. Send them to Lenore Glanz (e-mail: LGLANZ).
TAX FORMS
1996 Illinois Tax Forms available on eLOISe now. Tax Forms are searchable
by form number and date. eLOISe also has the instructions for each of the
forms. Ask a Reference Librarian for assistance.
SHELVING POLICY
We are a "please reshelve" library. It facilitates the materials
being available for everyone every time. There are reshelving areas located
on floors 6-9 if you can't take the book back to its exact shelf location.
If you need any assistance locating the reshelving areas, feel free to
ask any library staff member. Thanks!
For more information about the Information Center, visit our web page at http://www.infoctr.edu.
Horizons for Youth is dedicated to improving the educational opportunities for inner city youth. This group participates in fundraising activities to help provide scholarships to bright, but impoverished, youths to go to private schools; has a child enrichment program where an adult becomes the "big sibling" mentor to a youth; while others work with the parents and teachers to ensure that the youth enrolled in the program get the educational assistance that can help them learn. If you are interested please stop by the SOS office.
| Monday | 10:30am-12:30pm | |
| Tuesday | 3:00pm- 5:00pm | |
| Wednesday | 10:45am-11:45am | |
| Thursday | 3:30pm- 5:30pm |
If you are unable to visit SOS during these times please e-mail either Steve (SMCKENZI) or Ann Celine (AOHALLAR) to schedule an appointment.
1L's: More Brief Tips!
As you spend this week putting the final touches on your brief, please
leave enough time to generate your tables of Authorities and Contents (see
the HelpDoc on these in Lab 700). The CLC staff will do its best to keep
all the printers in the labs running all the time, but you should budget
some extra time to account for any problems, including long lines, that
might occur. Remember that the printers will be in near-constant use this
week; please be courteous to others by printing only one copy of
your final brief, and then use a copier to make more. Only paper supplied
by Chicago-Kent may be used in lab printers. Please make any printouts
on colored paper or cardstock elsewhere.
Backups: Have you lost any data recently?
Several students every week ask the CLC to to retrieve a corrupted
or erased document file on a floppy disk. Usually it's the only
copy, and it's due in five minutes. Sometimes the document cannot be retrieved.
To avoid having this problem, we recommend that you keep two copies of
all your work on two separate floppy disks. Floppy disks wear out with
time and use. Please protect yourself and the time you invest in your work
by making backup copies.
Experiencing a problem with a computer or software?
There are several ways to get help.
Don't Send E-mail Chain Letters!
Several "chain letters" have recently been sighted on KENTNET.
Besides being hoaxes, these messages put a tremendous load on our e-mail
system. Please delete these messages when you receive them, and do not
forward them to anyone.
| Monday: | 8am-12pm | Karin Kiyabu | Wednesday: | 3pm-6pm | Pauline Afuso | ||||||
| 6pm- 8pm | Karin Kiyabu | Thursday: | 3pm-6pm | Pauline Afuso | |||||||
| Tuesday: | 2pm- 4pm | Karin Kiyabu | Friday: | 2pm-4pm | Pauline Afuso |
* During office hours, the LEXIS Reps. will be in room 700 (the large 7th floor computer lab inside the Information Center) or at the tables directly outside the lab. If you have any LEXIS/NEXIS questions, e-mail LEXISQ or call 1-800-45-LEXIS.
* Visit our web site at http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lawschool
CAREER DAY
Pick up your free software copy of Career Builder and a tasty treat at the:
LEXIS/NEXIS Career Day
Monday, March 3rd
10am - 2pm
First Floor Lobby
* The LEXIS/NEXIS services offer a unique and comprehensive collection of job prospecting tools, designed to assist law students in their job search. Information on many different types of jobs from private law firms to public interest positions can be found the Career Builder diskette as well as on the LEXIS/NEXIS web site.
Some of the features included are:
| Monday: | 8:00 - 10:30 | Christine Brown | Tuesday: | 8:00 -10:30 | Christine Brown | ||||||
| 12:00 - 4:00 | Michael Ambroziak | ||||||||||
| Wednesday: | 8:00 - 10:30 | Christine Brown | Thursday: | 1:00 - 4:00 | Michael Ambroziak | ||||||
| 4:00 - 6:00 | Christine Brown | ||||||||||
| Friday: | 1:00 - 5:00 | Michael Ambroziak |
During lab hours, Westlaw Student Reps. can be found in lab 700 or at the tables just outside of lab 700. Please feel free to e-mail us at MAMBROZI, CBROWN, or WESTQ if you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment. Remember, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week you can reach a WESTLAW Reference Attorney at 1-800-850-WEST.
HAVE HUMOR, WILL TRAVEL
If you have a good sense of humor and like to travel, then you've got two of the qualities U.S. Chief District Judge Richard L. Voorhees is looking for in a clerk. To learn more about a clerkship with Judge Voorhees in Charlotte, North Carolina, access the West's Legal Directory--Judicial Clerkships database (WLD- CLERK). In the Last Name blank, type: voorhees
BURGLARY OF AN "INHABITED" DWELLING
Here's a good question for a criminal law exam. If the crime of first-degree burglary requires that a dwelling be "inhabited," does the inhabitant have to be living? Access FIND and type the following citation to retrieve a case in which a burglar was shocked to find a dead body in the house, but composed enough to grab the VCR as he ran out.
1997 wl 28578
STUNG BY THE BAR
Most agree the bar should investigate allegations of lawyer misconduct. But should investigations include an undercover "sting" operation complete with disguises and clandestine videotaping? Access The Wall Street Journal database (WSJ) to read about the mixed reaction to bar officials in Texas who conducted a sting to catch lawyers soliciting the families of accident victims.
sting /s texas /s bar
IN SEARCH OF AN EXPERT WITNESS
One place to find the names of expert witnesses is in the Verdicts, Settlements & Tactics database (VST). Prepare yourself for painful reading as you run the following search to retrieve short summaries of real cases in which radiologists were called as expert witnesses to examine X-rays of bone fractures. The case summaries are followed by the trial results and a list of attorneys and expert witnesses.
radiol! /s "expert witness" & fractur!
"THE DISASTER THAT WASN'T"
You know you're in for a rough day at the office, goes the old joke, when the crew from "60 Minutes" shows up. February 9, 1997, was a rough day for the image of the legal profession when the CBS news program ran a story about a toxic chemical spill in the town of Richmond, California. The spill produced very few injuries but nevertheless resulted in a class action lawsuit in which 65,000 plaintiffs shared in a $180 million settlement--$50 million of which went to the lawyers. Access the 60 Minutes database (60MIN) and restrict your search to the title field (ti) to read a transcript of "The Disaster That Wasn't."
ti(disaster /s wasn't)
On February 20, Professor Evelyn Brody spoke at the American Society of Association Executives' 3rd Annual Chicago Legal Symposium. She and co-panelist Paula Cozzi Goedert (of Jenner & Block) discussed tax issues faced by trade associations that earn income from affinity credit cards and associate members.
On February 14, Professor Steven Harris participated in a panel at the Symposium on the Priority of Secured Debt at Harvard Law School. The paper he co-authored for the symposium discusses the empirical questions one might wish to answer before adopting any proposal to adversely affect the relative priority of secured debt under bankruptcy or non-bankruptcy law.
SUMMER REGISTRATION FOR IN-HOUSE PROGRAMS
Summer 1997 Applications Are Now Available in Room 600
Due No Later than Friday, March 14
Students who would like to learn how to practice law while they are in law school should apply for the in-house clinical education program, LAW OFFICES. Applications are now available for the summer. The summer applications are due no later than March 14.
Students may apply for Law Offices after they have completed their first year of law school (current first years may apply for the summer 1997 semester). To be considered for a place, ALL students must complete and return a completed Law Offices application. Applications must be turned in to the Law Offices receptionist in Suite 600 by the March 14 deadline.
Students who have previously taken or who are now taking Law Offices (called Continuing Law Offices Students) and who submit their applications by the due date will be given preference in their same practice group if availability permits. New students who have submitted their applications by the due date will be selected in the Law Offices lottery. The total number of available places during the summer semester is dependent upon the number of supervising attorneys in each practice group. The number of available new places is dependent upon the number of continuing students and has not yet been determined.
The in-house program is comprised of two components. One is a three credit fieldwork class graded on a pass/fail basis in which students work in practice groups on client cases or similar projects assigned to them by a supervising attorney. The fieldwork component also includes practice group lectures, supervising attorney conferences, section meetings, and various client interview experiences. The other is a graded classroom component for one credit.
There will be five in-house practice groups from which to choose - employment discrimination /civil rights with some general practice, criminal defense, tax (prerequisite is Personal Income Tax), health law, and mediation & other ADR procedures.
For more information, you may talk to the clinical professors who supervise the various practice groups - Professors Gonzalez (room 629) and Norton (room 623) for employment discrimination /civil rights with some general practice; Professors Kadish (room 613), Kling (room 625), and Thomas (room 609) for criminal defense; Professor Livingston (room 688) for tax; Professor Kentra (room 690) for mediation & other ADR procedures; and Professors Altman (room 611), Toolan (room 621) and Elster (room 692) for health law. Professor Laser (room 631) is also available to answer your questions.
Please note - Applications for the fall 1997 semester will be available soon in room 600. Please watch for a broadcast message.
LAW OFFICES -- FALL REGISTRATION FOR IN-HOUSE PROGRAMS
Fall 1997 Applications Will Be Available Soon in Room 600. Please Watch
for a Broadcast Message.
For more information on essays and/or writing contests, stop by the Office of the Associate Dean, room 320D.
CABANISS, JOHNSTON SCHOLARSHIP
To commemorate its 100th anniversary in 1987, the firm of Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O'Neal of Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama, created with the Alabama Law Foundation, Inc. a scholarship in memory of its founding partners, Edward Harmon Cabaniss and Forney Johnston. The first scholarship was awarded in 1987.
All applicants must meet the following criteria:
The scholarship will cover tuition and books for the second year of law school to a maximum of $5,000. A second place scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded at the committee's discretion.
While academic achievement is the key factor in determining eligibility for the scholarship, consideration will be given to other factors such as conscientiousness, dependability, civic involvement, financial need and dedication to the highest ethical standards.
Students wishing to be considered for this scholarship should pick up the application form in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Suite 230. The deadline for submitting completed applications and all supporting documents to the Cabaniss, Johnston Scholarship Committee is June 6, 1997.
DUPAGE COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE JUSTINIAN SOCIETY OF LAWYERS SCHOLARSHIP
The DuPage County Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers is awarding a minimum of one $1,000 scholarship to a law student who meets the following criteria:
Students wishing to be considered for this scholarship should pick up the application form in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Suite 230. The scholarship application process includes the scholarship application form, a brief personal statement, a copy of your federal income tax return for the previous calendar year, and a letter of recommendation by a law school faculty member.
All materials should be mailed to Marsha H. Cellucci, c/o Cellucci & Yacobellis, 1155 S. Washington Street, Suite 100, Naperville, IL 60540, and must be received no later than April 1, 1997.
ILLINOIS REAL ESTATE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
The Illinois Real Estate Educational Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established to aid and promote the work of real estate education throughout Illinois. The Foundation is supported by voluntary contributions from organizations and individuals who recognize the importance of furthering academic experience and training in the real estate industry in Illinois. Scholarship awards have become a prominent activity of the Foundation. Many students in real estate-related curricula at colleges and universities have benefitted from the Foundation's scholarship grants.
The selection of scholarship recipients will be determined by the Foundation, taking into consideration the following criteria:
Students wishing to be considered for this scholarship should pick up the application form in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Suite 230. The scholarship application process includes the scholarship application form, a letter of application, a record of military service (if any), a description of the proposed program of study, a typed statement from a real estate instructor recommending you as an applicant, an official law school transcript and two letters of recommendation.
All materials must be received by May 1, 1997, and should be mailed to The Real Estate Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 19451, Springfield, IL 62794-9451, (217) 529-2600.
POLISH WOMEN'S CIVIC CLUB, INC. SCHOLARSHIPS
The Polish Women's Civic Club, Inc. is a philanthropic organization of American women of Polish descent interested in discovering the richness of their Polish heritage and sharing it with others.
Realizing that education is the main tool for deepening an appreciation of culture and advancing a people, the Club supports educational activities and the personal efforts of Polish American students, male and female, through financial scholarships.
All applicants must meet the following criteria:
Students wishing to be considered for this scholarship may obtain an application by enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelope and writing to: Therese Brzezinski, Chairman, Education Committee - PWCC, P.O. Box 31967, Chicago, Illinois 60631-0967. The scholarship application must be postmarked by June 30, 1997.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ROUNDTABLE SCHOLARSHIPS
Applications are now available for the 1997 Public Employees Roundtable (PER) Scholarship Program which awards scholarships to students who plan to pursue careers in government. Since 1985, the Roundtable has awarded more than $100,000 in merit-based scholarships to students throughout the United States.
Applicants must be enrolled either full- or part-time and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Preference will be given to applicants with prior government work experience or community service experience. Applicants will be asked to write a two-page essay on the topic: "Through my chosen career as a government employee, I will contribute to a more positive image of public service by..."
To request an application, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Scholarships, P.O. Box 14270, Washington, DC 20044-4270 or visit the PER website at http://adams.patriot.net/~ permail. The application deadline is May 14, 1997. For more information, you may contact the Public Employees Roundtable at (202) 927-5000.
Professor Joan Steinman has to prepare a presentation and an article concerning aspects of supplemental (federal subject matter) jurisdiction for the January 1998 American Association of Law Schools annual meeting and she is looking for a research assistant to support this work. If you are interested and have a good or excellent law school record, please let her know. You can leave a resume and description of your grades in her mailbox, with her, or her secretary, Greg Kelson, on the eighth floor. The law school will pay at its customary rate.
The Dean's Advisory Council will be meeting on the following dates:
DAC meetings are open to all interested students, not just selected representatives, so feel free to attend. Also, if you have particular questions or issues that you'd like to submit ahead of time, please drop a note in Dean Deutsch's mailbox on the 2nd floor, or send an e-mail to DearDean.
Some of you may know that IIT is undergoing an inspection this semester to renew its accreditation with the North Central Association. As part of the inspection visit, members of the NCA team will be at the law school on Tuesday, March 4, from 10:30 to 11:00am to get feedback from law students. The meeting will take place in room C50. If you have the time and interest, please feel free to stop by and chat with the inspectors during that time.
An issue arose last week concerning the invitation of students to student organization sponsored activities. We would like clarify our position on this issue. If the Student Bar Association allocates any financial reserves for an event, then all students must be invited to participate in the activity. If we allocate money for an event and all students are not invited, then the SBA reserves the right to modify the financial allocations of the respective organizations. Typically, invitations and announcements are made through the Record, Broadcast Messages, and posted fliers. However, if SBA did not allocate money for your event, then you can exclude whomever your organization desires, subject to Chicago-Kent policies. Regardless of the SBA financial contribution, your organization can charge a fee for individuals to attend your event. Please direct questions to Kim Jessum or SBAQ.
The Board of Governors convened a Special Meeting last Thursday to decide to pending February Budget Amendments. The affected organizations have been notified of the results. Please direct inquiries to SBAQ or myself.
We would like to congratulate Brenna Kelley for being selected by the Graduation Committee to give one of the two student speeches during Commencement. The second student speech is given by the highest academically ranked individual in the class.
The Bar & Gavel Society Committee is now soliciting nominations for members of the June graduating class who have distinguished themselves by unselfish service to the legal profession, the community, and/or Chicago-Kent. The Award emphasizes unrecognized service.
Any faculty member or student of Chicago-Kent may nominate a June graduate by submitting in writing their name, their nominee's name, and a statement outlining why they think their nominee deserves the Bar & Gavel Award. Please submit nominations to:
The Bar & Gavel Society would like to congratulate Kimberly Virginia Banks and Mark Scott, our January Award recipients.
Thank you to everyone who came to hear Judge Andy Somers speak last Tuesday evening. Thanks also to Amnesty International and the International Law Society who co-sponsored the event. Judge Somers was incredibly interesting and informative. His knowledge of the English legal system provided backdrop for a full discussion of civil rights issues in Northern Ireland. We will definitely have Judge Somers back to Chicago-Kent next fall.
GENERAL MEETINGS
We will hold two general membership meetings this week to discuss
the upcoming bake sale, speaker events and elections. The first meeting
will be on Tuesday, March 4 at 12:00 noon in room 547. If you can't make
that one, we'll have another on Wednesday, March 5 at 3:00pm in room 180.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY BAKE SALE
The Brehon Society will have a bake sale on St. Patrick's Day in
the Spak. Sign up now to bring goodies or to sit for half an hour in the
Spak. Proceeds will be donated to one of the many charities served by Old
St. Patrick's Church.
SPEAKER EVENT - JUSTICE ANNE BURKE
We are honored to host Honorable Anne Burke on Tuesday, March 25
at 12:00 noon in the Marovitz Courtroom. Not only is Justice Burke an Illinois
Appellate Court Justice, but she is also a Chicago-Kent graduate. Justice
Burke has had a distinguished career since graduating from Chicago-Kent,
including serving as Special Counsel to Governor Edgar on Child Welfare
Services. Women in Law will cosponsor Justice Burke's visit. Don't miss
this opportunity to see a Chicago-Kent graduate who is a bona fide "mover
and shaker" and who is truly making a difference in society.
If you are interested in more Brehon Society information, e-mail JFOGARTY.
This year the Tax Society will participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA), which is sponsored by the IRS. We are looking for volunteers to help low income and elderly taxpayers complete their tax returns. No prior tax experience is necessary. The IRS will come and train the volunteers. (Participation in this service looks great on a resume.) The dates of the program are still uncertain, but if you are interested, please contact Amanda Read at AREAD.
The Christian Legal Society is happy to announce and congratulate the new CLS board of officers, which were inducted this past week.
(drumroll please)
Brad Wilson - President
Haines Meyer - Events Coordinator/Spiritual Coordinator
Elizabeth Ross - Spiritual Coordinator/Events Coordinator
Cynthia Cooper - Coordinator Coordinator
Please pray for them in their leadership roles, and congratulate them when you see them.
NAELS Conference!!!!
ELS will host the NAELS conference March 7-9 (this Friday-Sunday).
All students who would like to attend must pay the registration fee. Please
contact KPOHN or see the ELS bulletin board on the Concourse.
Outlines!!!
In addition, ELS still needs outlines for Land Use and Energy Law.
If you can donate an outline please let us know. All ELS members that would
like outlines for the program courses should
e-mail RVANDERV.
SPEAKER EVENT!
This Wednesday, March 5, from 4:45pm-5:45pm in room 570, the FLS
and the Illinois State Bar Association will sponsore a speaker event entitled,
"Practicing Family Law." Please join us in welcoming Susan McBrearty
and Pepi Camerlingo of Grund & Starkopf, and Annmarie Kill of the Women's
Legal Services Center. They will discuss their experiences practicing family
law as recent law school grads, and some of the ‘hot' family law issues
. Food and refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there!
Upcoming Events:
Health Law Society will sponsor a "speaker event" on
Tuesday, March 4, from 5pm-6pm in room 570. Our speaker is
Ms. Stephanie Altman. She will be gracious enough to share her knowledge
and expertise in the area of Medicaid and its place in the legal
field. I am sure it will be a learning and positive experience. Refreshments
will be served. You can e-mail us if you are interested in becoming a member
of the society or if you would like to receive information about heath
law related subjects: ECALINGO, ESALTZMA, NMILLARE, EEFTEKHA.
HELLAS is proud to be a participating student organization in the March 5 Diversity Party at Myth Bar located on the outskirts of Greektown. The organization encourages members and non-members alike to participate in this ethnic extravaganza. For more information on this event please contact JSOUNDAR.
On Wednesday, March 12, there will be an organizational dinner-meeting for all HELLAS members and aspiring members at Athena Restaurant located in Greektown at 212 S. Halsted St. Please try to be there by 9:15pm so we may start promptly. Also please R.S.V.P. at least by March 10. For more info or to R.S.V.P. please e-mail NBELL.
Other Events: On Tuesday, March 25, we will have another one of our famous bake sales. The event is being held in honor of Greek Independence day which is, of course, on March 25.
If there are any questions about this event or the organization in general, contact BKATRIS.
The ISBA's Young Lawyers Division and the Family Law Society will sponsore a speaker event entitled, "Practicing Family Law" this Wednesday, March 5, from 4:45pm-5:45pm in room 570. Please join us in welcoming Pepi Camerlingo and Susan McBrearty of Grund & Starkopf, and Annmarie Kill of the Women's Legal Services Center. They will discuss their experiences practicing family law as recent law school grads and some of the hot issues facing the courts in this area. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend! Food and refreshments will be served.
STUDENT/ALUMNI RECEPTION
Please join IPLS at the Spring 1997 Student/Alumni Reception this Thursday,
March 6, 5:00pm-8:00pm, in the 10th floor reception room. Please contact
Karin Kiyabu (KKIYABU) if interested in helping out with the reception.
NEWSLETTER
We are currently putting together the next edition of the IPLS Newsletter
and invite and encourage IP article submissions. Please contact Alison
Baldwin (ABALDWIN) for further information.
In celebration of St. Joseph's Day, the Justinian Society will host a Food Festival in the lobby on March 19. Keep reading the Record for more details!
SPRING AUCTION COUNTDOWN -- Only 3 WEEKS ‘til MARCH 26!!!!
Please see our ad in the Record for details and items to be
offered. The Sixth Annual Auction supports the KJF Summer Fellowships.
Next General Meeting: Wed., March 12, at 3:00pm in room 170.
T-shirts are coming -- attend to pick yours up and to sign up
for the St. Patty's Bakesale. If you haven't signed up for the Auction
Day Activities, make sure you attend to sign up. Auction Committees:
Please remember to update your committee chair with any feedback on auction
contacts. Auction Contact is Chair Ann-Celine O'Hallaren at AOHALLAR.
PAD will have a general meeting for all members on March 4, 1997, from 12:00 to 1:00pm. We will send you an e-mail on the location. Please plan to attend as we will be setting up committees, discussing some great new fundraising ideas, talking about philanthropies, giving you an update on the event calendar, and giving you ways to get involved. If you cannot attend but want to get involved, contact Elayna Pham (EPHAM).
The next PAD event will be on March 13, 1997. We are in the process of compiling an e-mail message asking you where you would like the event to be held. Please e-mail PADQ in the meantime and give us some suggestions. We are considering John Barley Corn, North Shore, and Hi-Tops. Let us know what you think!
The next Wine & Cheese event with alumni will be held here at Chicago-Kent in the 10th floor reception room on March 20, 1997. This is a great chance for you to network and put your PAD dollars to work for you. We will give you the exact time as arrangements become finalized in the coming days. This is an event that you won't want to miss.
We are also in the midst of planning the FIRST ANNUAL PAD CHARITY SOFTBALL GAME, tentatively dated for the end of the semester. We will be choosing several philanthropies and soliciting the participation of the Chicago-Kent faculty. We will discuss this event in more detail at the general meeting. We encourage all interested to attend the meeting or contact Elayna Pham (EPHAM).
If you have any general questions or comments, e-mail EPHAM or AWEISS. We wish all of our 1Ls luck on the appellate brief and we hope to see all of you at the general meeting on March 4!
We are beginning to plann a midwest or Chicago-wide women's law conference for next year. What we need to do right now is form a core committee to get things started and head up the workings of the conference. It will be quite a committment for those involved at that level, but it should also be very rewarding. If you have any ideas about what you think such a conference should focus on, or if you think you might want to be on the core committee (or involved on any level), please e-mail EPARKS.
We are further planning a children's rights forum for later in the semester. More information on that will be in future Record issues.
If you have any ideas for fundraising, please e-mail CRUNNELS, who is chair of that committee.
We have a video tape of our recent Partial Birth Abortion Ban forum. We are planning to view it together some time soon. Keep an eye out for time, date and place.
Watch this space for upcoming committee meetings and other events.
731 West Randolph
Wednesday, March 5, 1997
8pm - 2am, no cover charge
Drink Specials and International Music
Sponsored by:
Asian American Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association,
GayLaw, Hellenic Law Students Association, Hispanic Law Students Association,
International Law Society, Justinian Society of Lawyers
Sixth Annual
March 26, 1997
"Bid on It"
Bulls Tickets and Gold's Gym Membership
... and ...
World Music Skybox Seats and Lawry's Prime Rib Dinner for 2
Tickets on sale soon! Auction proceeds fund the Annual 1997 KJF Summer Public Interest Fellowships.
** Refreshments will be served **
LEXIS/NEXIS
CAREER DAY
Monday, March 3
10:00am - 2:00pm
First floor lobby
Pick up your copy of Career Builder and a tasty treat!
It's your time... It's your future