February 11, 2009   Chicago Lawyers ACS Chapter: “Panel Discussion: The Impeachment of Former Governor Rod Blagojevich”

Our panel of experts includes:

Michael J. Kasper, counsel to the Illinois House of Representatives in the impeachment proceedings against Governor Rod Blagojevich; prominent trial and appellate litigator, whose former clients have included, President Bill Clinton, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Congressional Representatives Bobby Rush and Jan Schakowsky, and Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich.

Harold J. Krent, Dean and Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, prominent scholar and author on executive power, and consultant to the Administrative Conference of the United States.

Mark D. Rosen, Professor and Freehling Scholar, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Bigelow Fellow and Lecturer-in-Law, University of Chicago Law School, prominent scholar and author on government and constitutional law, and consultant to federal government, states, and municipalities.

February 17, 2009   Chicago Lawyers ACS Chapter: “3rd Annual Supreme Court Review and Luncheon with Professor Sheldon Nahmod”

Distinguished Professor Sheldon Nahmod gives his third annual Supreme Court Review, sponsored by the Chicago-Kent Chapter of the American Constitution Society. Professor Nahmod will discuss key cases and holdings from the Supreme Court’s 2007–2008 term.

Topics will include:

• The First Amendment and Child Pornography
  (United States v. Williams)
• The Second Amendment and Washington, D.C.’s Gun Control Laws
  (District of Columbia v. Heller)
• Class-of-One Equal Protection and Public Employment
  (Enguist v. Oregon Dept. of Agriculture)
• The Right to Vote
  (Crawford v. Marion County Election Board)
• Retaliation Claims
  (CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries and Gomez-Perez v. Potter)
• State Criminal Procedure, Treaties and Consular Notification
  (Medellin v. Texas)
• War Against Terror and Habeas Corpus
  (Boumediene v. Bush)
• Free Speech and Public Forum
  (Pleasant Grove v. Summum)

This presentation will be conducted from a non-ideological, informative perspective. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Case presentations will be from 12:00 to 12:45 p.m., with a question and answer session to follow.

ACS will provide lunch and refreshments for all attendees.

September 23, 2008   Chicago Lawyers ACS Chapter: “The NSA Telecommunications Litigation and the FISA Amendments” with Marc O. Beem (Partner, Miller Shakman & Beem LLP)

The discussion will address the litigation brought by the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a number of other lawyers challenging the telecommunications companies’ participation in NSA phone and e-mail wiretapping not authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) or by other statute. The discussion will particularly consider government efforts to prevent courts from adjudicating the legality of surveillance. There is no cost to attend and attendees are free to bring lunch.

RSVP by September 19th September 23 · 12:15–1:30pm · John Marshall Law School (315 S. Plymouth Court)

September 18, 2008   Chicago Lawyers ACS Chapter: “Calling a Con-Con: Is it Time for a Constitutional Convention in Illinois?”

For the first time in 20 years, Illinois voters will have an opportunity to vote on whether there should be a state constitutional convention when they go to the polls on November 4, 2008. This forum will present distinguished supporters and opponents of the Con-Con referendum, including three delegates from the 1970 Constitutional Convention. There is no cost to attend and lunch will be provided.Featured participants include: The Honorable Dawn Clark Netsch (Former Illinois State Senator, Former Illinois State Comptroller and 2006 ACS Chicago Lawyer Chapter Legal Legend); The Honorable Pat Quinn (Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Former Illinois State Treasurer and 2008 ACS Chicago Lawyer Chapter Legal Legends Lunch Keynote Speaker); The Honorable Mike Fortner (Representative, Illinois General Assembly, 95th District Co-Sponsor, 2007 House Resolution 25 and 2008 Metro West Council of Governments Legislator of the Year); Ronald C. Smith (Professor, The John Marshall Law School, Director, Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, Executive Article Committee and Official Explanation Committee, 6th Illinois Constitutional Convention). Click here for more information.

September 18 · 12:00p
John Marshall Law School Room 300 (315 S. Plymouth Court)

November 13, 2007   Supreme Court Review by Professor Nahmod

Join us for lunchtime discussion led by Professor Nahmod. Professor Nahmod will go over several of the more interesting decisions of the 2006 Term, as well as touch upon some of the upcoming decisions for 2007. Lunch will be served. Please RSVP to acs@kentlaw.edu by November 9. November 13 · 12pm · Room C25

October 31, 2007   Peter Edelman (Professor, Georgetown University Law Center)

FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half Prof. Edelman's has written extensively on poverty, constitutional law, and children and youth. His article in the Atlantic Monthly, entitled "The Worst Thing Bill Clinton Has Done," received the Harry Chapin Media Award. Professor Peter Edelman teaches constitutional law and poverty law. He has served in all three branches of government. Read more…

October 17, 2007   Prof. David Rudovsky (University of Pennsylvania Law School)

RACIAL PROFILING: POLICING, TERRORISM, AND EQUALITY   The Institute for Law and the Humanities is pleased to announce an important lecture, "Racial Profiling: Policing, Terrorism and Equality" by David Rudovsky of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In addition to his academic connection, he is a nationally renowned civil rights litigator and a recipient some years ago of a McArthur Foundation “genius grant.” This talk is free and open to all.

October 10, 2007   The Honorable Diane P. Wood of the Seventh Circuit

IMMIGRATION ADJUDICATION UNDER STRESS IN THE 7TH CIRCUIT   Diane P. Wood was appointed to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by President Clinton in 1995. She clerked for Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the United States Supreme Court (1976 Term). Judge Wood has published widely in antitrust law, international trade and business, and federal civil procedure. Read more…

April 11, 2007   Advancing Women's Rights and the Agenda for the 110th Congress—A talk by Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

More about this event soon. Did you atttend? Tell us about it.

February 28, 2007    National Security and the Constitution—A Talk by Former Senator Gary Hart

FORMER SENATOR HART CALLS FOR EXPANDED DEFINITION OF NATIONAL SECURITY (by Scott Richard)
Former Senator Gary Hart, speaking to a captivated audience in the Auditorium on Wednesday February 28th, offered a provocative redefinition of national security that addresses the country’s dependence on foreign sources of oil and the increasing danger of climate change along with traditional national security concerns.  Read more…

February 20, 2007    From Chicago-Kent to Congress—A Talk by Congressman Peter J. Roskam

THE FEDERALIST AND ACS SOCIETIES BRING BACK CHICAGO-KENT ALUM, CONGRESSMAN PETER J. ROSKAM (by Nikki Little)   Peter Roskam is a lone lawyer in a family of medical professionals, but that doesn’t bother him.  When the barrage of lawyer jokes start during the holidays, he pointedly reminds his family that, “When your profession was bleeding people with leeches, mine was writing the Constitution.”  Read more…

February 15, 2007    Constitutional Law and the Roberts Court: Important Recent and Forthcoming Decisions—A Talk by Professor Sheldon Nahmod

Students and faculty gathered for a lunch time discussion as Professor Nahmod discussed a handful of Supreme Court decisions that have recently been handed down or were currently pending.

November 1, 2006    Chicago-Kent Faculty Panel on Privacy and the Constitution

Panelists spoke on current issues dealing with privacy and the Constitution.

October 24, 2006    The Machinery of Democracy: Protecting Elections in an Electronic World

VOTER BEWARE—E IS FOR ELECTRONIC, ELECTIONS AND ERROR (by Jamie Fillmore)
Two weeks before the 2006 midterm elections, the Chicago-Kent Chapter of the American Constitution Society (ACS) brought back 2005 Chicago-Kent alum David Robin to discuss The Machinery of Democracy: Protecting Elections in an Electronic World. Read more…

October 19, 2006    Professor Neal Katyal, Guantanamo, the Supreme Court and the Rule of Law

HAMDAN ATTORNEY: NEW LAW LIKELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL (by Craig Stern)
Professor Neal Katyal's talk packed the auditorium.  Chicago-Kent ACS Member Craig Stern wrote on his blog, craggie.blogspot.com, about the talk. The following is his account of Katyal's talk. Read more…

October 5, 2006    Guantanamo Bay Teach-In

Chicao-Kent took place in a day-long national teach-in.

September 29, 2006    The War On Terror, The Press and The Constitution

FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE COMMENTATOR (by Bonnie Booth)
The American Constitution Society’s (ACS) first event of the school year drew a standing-room-only crowd to participate in a discussion on “The War on Terror, the Press and the Constitution.” Read more…

September 15, 2006    The Future of Judicial Selection in Illinois

Forum sponsored by the Chicago Council of Lawyers and the Chicago Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society.

September 12, 2006    Kick-Off Meeting

A short getting-to-know us meeting was held in Room C50 at 3:15pm.  The agenda included an overview of our organization, our goals, and our upcoming events for the semester.

September 12, 2006    Brown Bag Discussion—Blauser's Building

This month's brown bag discussion was led by Alan Neff, author of Blauser's Building.  The event took place at John Marshall Law School.

April 21, 2006    Talk by Solicitor General of Illinois, Gary Feinerman

Mr. Feinerman has served as a partner at Mayer, Brown, Rowe.  He has also worked in the Justice Department in the Office of Policy Development and the Office of Legal Counsel.  As Solicitor General, Mr. Feinerman oversees civil and criminal appeals for the state of Illinois before the Illinois Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Read more…

April 29, 2005    Talk by Professor Geoffrey R. Stone

Professor Stone of the University of Chicago Law School is the author of the new book Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime.  Professor Stone spoke on "Civil Liberties in Wartime: Adams, Lincoln, Wilson & FDR."  Professor Eric Arnesen, chair of History department at University of Illinois, Chicago, provided commentary. Read more…

September 28, 2005    Talk by the Honorable Abner J. Mikva

Judge Mikva is currently director of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School. He has served as a member of the House of Representatives, as Chief Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and as White House Counsel to President Clinton. Read more…