Chicago-Kent Viewbook

FUTURE-FOCUSED LEGAL EDUCATION CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW AT ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

“Located in the heart of one of the world’s best cities, Chicago-Kent attracts some amazing students.

They are highly motivated, creative, and ready to tackle an ever-changing world.” ­—Professor Daniel Martin Katz

The future requires

an innovative mindset.

The legal profession is changing as rapidly as other sectors of society. Global interconnections, highly mobile populations, technology advances, regulatory changes, and shifting demographics are transforming the practice of law and its delivery. These trends provide great opportunities for new lawyers but only if they are prepared to succeed in this ever-evolving world.

At Chicago-Kent College of Law, we have a long history of understanding where the profession is going and leading the way forward through an innovative, rigorous, and experiential legal education. Chicago-Kent students study and work with one of the most influential groups of legal scholars in the country. They graduate with deep legal knowledge, relevant experience, and job-ready practical skills.

To get the most value out of law school, choose a school renowned for producing forward-thinking legal professionals. Chicago-Kent College of Law.

We’re leading

the way for you.

Chicago-Kent is known as a trailblazer in legal education for the types of programs we’ve developed that have served as models for numerous other institutions. Here, you can take advantage of our innovative and experience-based programs to launch your legal career and make your own impact on the world.

Some of these programs include:  Legal Writing and Advocacy

Chicago-Kent was the first law school in the United States with a three-year legal writing requirement. You will learn to research, analyze, write, and advocate, using the most advanced technological tools available to modern lawyers. In our award-winning Trial and Appellate Advocacy programs, you’ll learn how to write compelling briefs, present persuasive oral arguments, and refine your courtroom skills.  C-K Law Group

Since the early 1980s, our in-house legal clinic—C-K Law Group—has been a pioneer in clinical legal education. With 13 in-house attorneys and three off-site attorneys, we offer rich experiences in the areas of criminal law, tax, employment, civil litigation, family law, vaccine injury law, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, immigration, and open government. The C-K Law Group’s attorneys are experienced practitioners who are leaders in their fields, giving you opportunities to gain real-world experience working on sophisticated legal matters.  1L Your Way

This program provides you with a head start to understanding the connections between theory and practice during your first year of law school. This optional track lets you choose either an approved, upper-division elective course in an area of specialized interest to you, or a unique first-year clinical course in the C-K Law Group. You can also get a jumpstart on your law school studies by taking Criminal Law through the optional early summer start.  Praxis Certificate

This specialized curriculum was created to meet the requests of employers seeking law school graduates with a high level of real-world skills. Among other topics, you’ll explore issues of law practice management and learn how to build and market your own legal portfolio. Praxis received the Illinois State Bar Association’s first Excellence in Legal Education Award in 2015.  Externships

You can gain valuable real-world experience through our Judicial, Legal, and Semester Law Firm Associate externship programs. Because of Chicago-Kent’s deep connections with the legal community in Chicago, we are able to offer a variety of externship programs that allow students to work not only in the chambers of federal and state judges, but also in the law offices of federal, state, and municipal legal offices such as the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, and various county prosecutors and public defenders, among others. We also offer a number of externships with private law firms, corporations, and organizations in a wide variety of legal areas.

“The Chicago-Kent legal clinic with Professor Richard Kling was instrumental in helping me land my dream job as a criminal defense attorney. Not only did it afford me the opportunity to learn and practice in real courtrooms, but the clinic also helped me make the networking connections that are critical to landing employment.”

—Tracey Harkins ’16

Anita K. Krug Dean and Professor When she joined the faculty as dean in August 2019, Anita K. Krug made history as the first woman to be named permanent dean at Chicago-Kent. She is an accomplished securities law scholar, an experienced leader in higher education, and a former law firm partner. Her academic research has focused primarily on securities regulation and the regulatory environment surrounding investment advisers, public and private investment funds, and other financial institutions.

Learn from a trailblazing faculty.

Our renowned faculty—ranked 44th in the nation based on scholarly impact*—comprises people who are both gifted teachers and leading legal scholars, many of whom are shaping American and international jurisprudence today.

You will be challenged by the rigorous and distinctive curriculum, which will give you an outstanding foundation for whatever legal path you pursue after graduation. Our faculty is also dedicated to providing personal attention and guidance as you learn to think critically, understand change, and identify future opportunities in the legal profession.

Recent faculty honors:

Distinguished Professor Lori B. Andrews

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, a peer-review publication that names leading lawyers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia plus more than 60 additional countries.

Professor Bernadette Atuahene

Named a 2019 Soros Equality Fellow, which provides a grant to support production of an innovative racial justice project over the course of 18 months. During her fellowship, Prof. Atuahene will build on her academic research by creating a comprehensive guide and userfriendly, interactive information hub that communities can use to fight back against racially discriminatory property tax administration.

Professor Felice Batlan

Professor César F. Rosado Marzán

Won the Law and Society Association’s annual J. Willard Hurst Prize for her book Women and Justice for the Poor: A History of Legal Aid, 1863–1945 (Cambridge University Press 2015).

Awarded annually, the prestigious Hurst Prize honors the best work in sociolegal history published in the past year.

In September 2019, Prof. Batlan was also appointed co-editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Legal History.

Won the Simón Bolívar best book of the year award in 2019 from the Bar Association of Puerto Rico (Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Puerto Rico) for the book Principled Labor Law: U.S. Labor Law through a Latin American Method, which he co-authored with Chilean law professor Sergio Gamonal C.

Professor Daniel Martin Katz

Professor Adrian Walters

Delivered the keynote address, “Six Vectors of Legal Innovation: How Current Trends Will #MakeLawBetter,” at the ABA TechShow 2018, the country’s premier forum on law and technology.

Prof. Katz, a legal futurist, was named among the 2013 Fastcase 50, an award which “recognizes 50 of the smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders in the law.”

Inducted as a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy in March 2018, one of 29 inductees honored for their professional excellence and exceptional contributions to the fields of bankruptcy and insolvency.

Do you know our university—Illinois Institute of Technology?

*Sisk et al., Scholarly Impact of Law School Faculties in 2018: Updating the Leiter Score Ranking for the Top Third (2018).

Chicago-Kent is one of the few law schools in the country that is part of a technology-focused university. Although you may not know Illinois Tech, chances are you’ve experienced some of the innovations for which our faculty and alumni are known—such as the cell phone, invented by alumnus Martin “Marty” Cooper or buildings as defined by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, former head of the architecture department and considered the master of Modernist architecture. At Chicago-Kent you will learn within a community that embraces innovation and is energized by new possibilities.

Discover focused pathways

into the profession.

Chicago-Kent is always looking ahead at opportunities for professional and personal growth for our students. As the legal profession transforms, we are creating a range of different pathways to prepare our students to meet the changing needs of the profession and clients.

You can focus your studies through one of our certificate programs that is grounded in demands of the marketplace. This specialized training is under the direction of leading faculty, scholars, and practitioners.

You can choose to specialize in: Business and Corporate Law Prepare to practice corporate law through a broad range of business courses, a specialized writing course, and business-related experience. You will also have the opportunity to receive hands-on experience through the Entrepreneurial Clinic in the C-K Law Group.

Criminal Litigation Prepare for a career in criminal law as either a prosecutor or defense counsel. You’ll take courses in both substantive areas and practical skills development—including evidence, criminal law, criminal procedure, trial advocacy, criminal clinic, and externships.

Environmental and Energy Law Explore environmental and energy policy initiatives, the legislation that was enacted to effectuate these policies, and the practical implementation of this legislation. You’ll acquire an understanding of the legal context in which environmental decisions are made in light of contemporary political, scientific and economic realities. You’ll also gain the ability to apply legal requirements to regulated facilities, sites and activities and to communicate as an effective environmental advocate.

Financial Markets Compliance Develop substantive knowledge of financial markets compliance through one of the first programs of its kind at an American law school. You’ll benefit from a rich curriculum in financial markets regulation, including classes in securities, commodities, and banking regulation, along with a capstone compliance course. Our alumni work in a variety of settings, including financial and government regulators, inhouse compliance departments, and law firms.

Intellectual Property Law Focus on issues relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and design protection, both in the United States and abroad. You can choose from more than 25 IP-related courses taught by six full-time faculty members and prominent attorneys from the IP community.

International and Comparative Law Study international business and trade, international and comparative law, international human rights, and specialized areas related to international and crossborder legal issues. You can also take advantage of international exchange programs and summer internships in countries such as Thailand and China.

Labor and Employment Law Receive theoretical education and skills training in the law governing the workplace, and benefit from experiential learning opportunities that offer interaction with leading academics and prominent legal practitioners. Through the Institute for Law and the Workplace, you’ll have access to a national center for research, training, dialogue, and reflection on the law that governs the workplace as well as mentorships, journal editorial board opportunities, conferences, and special scholarships.

Legal Innovation + Technology Learn methodologies for applying technology and quantitative analysis to the delivery of legal services. Explore how technological advancements and more efficient business processes are shaping the practice of law.

DID YOU KNOW? Chicago-Kent’s top-ranked Intellectual Property Law Program is one of the strongest in the country:  Through the 1L You Way program for full-time students, you can begin taking IP electives in the first year.  In your upper-level years, you can gain practical experience by participating in the IP-Patent clinic, taking advantage of externship opportunities throughout Chicago’s robust IP firms and practices, and volunteering at the pro bono Patent Hub.  Broaden your knowledge even further by participating in the student-run Intellectual Property Law Society, our nationally recognized IP moot court teams, the annual Supreme Court Intellectual Property Review conference, the Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium (co-hosted by Chicago-Kent), the Center for Design, Law & Technology, national IP writing competitions, and the student-run Journal of Intellectual Property.

Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Examine the connection between legal doctrine, skills and values, and the art of lawyering to become a reflective practitioner who incorporates high standards of competence, ethics, and social responsibility.

Public Interest Law Develop knowledge and experience related to public interest law through individualized curriculum and career planning as well as a course focused on the actual practice of public interest law in a wide range of settings. Chicago-Kent also supports a number of public interest resources and activities, including those through the Public Interest Resource Center and the Center for Access to Justice and Technology.

Workplace Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Become well-versed in the highly complementary areas of litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and labor and employment law.

Recent Rankings A+ in Employment Law

(preLaw magazine, winter 2019)

A+ in Intellectual Property Law (preLaw magazine, spring 2019) and #13 in the

nation for Intellectual Property (U.S. News & World Report, 2020 rankings)

A in Trial Advocacy and Litigation (preLaw magazine, spring 2019) and #5 in the nation for Trial Advocacy (U.S. News & World Report, 2020 rankings)

#15 in the nation among part-time programs (U.S. News & World Report, 2020 rankings) Learn more: kentlaw.iit.edu/about/rankings

Immerse yourself in

Chicago’s vibrant legal co

One thing you’ll notice when you step into ChicagoKent: There’s a dynamic feel and energy to the law school that derives in large part from our proximity to Chicago’s fast-paced legal community.

volunteered to assist with activities ranging from coaching trial advocacy teams to mock interviewing to hosting networking dinners to participating in our annual Alumni-Student Connections Week.

We’re located in one of the nation’s top legal markets, where you have uncommon opportunities to apply what you learn to real-world legal problems, whether you’re clerking for a judge or holding an externship at a leading law firm, government agency, business, or public interest organization.

And our Career Services Office provides individual career counseling and career planning advice to make sure you are aware of all of the career opportunities that the city of Chicago provides.

You’ll also benefit from the individual coaching of our strong alumni network. Last year more than 775 alumni

Whatever your passions or ambitions, the Chicago-Kent community can connect you to the right externship leads, networking opportunities, and alumni relationships.

ommunity.

“The resources available to me through the Institute for Law and the Workplace presentations and the courses in the Labor and Employment Law Certificate Program helped me launch my career as a labor/ employment lawyer. I was able to meet with, work for, and learn from a wide variety of labor and employment practitioners because of these programs.”

—Naomi Frisch ’18

QUICK FACTS

Learn more: kentlaw.iit.edu/statistics 9 0.5% total employed within 10 months of graduation (Class of 2018)  81.0% employed in full-time, longterm bar passage required or J.D. advantage positions (Class of 2018)  133 externship placements in 2018–19  170

law clinic placements in 2018–19

Connect with a

worldwide alumni network.

Chicago-Kent’s worldwide alumni network is more than 14,000 strong, with alumni in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. They work at prestigious law firms, hold political office, work in businesses, government agencies, and public interest organizations, and hold judicial and academic positions throughout Chicago, the Midwest, and across the country.

And, our graduates join more than 60,000 additional Illinois Tech alumni throughout the U.S. and around the world.

Notable Chicago-Kent alumni include: Ann Alonzo, Class of 1984 President and CEO, American Egg Board Marc J. Bern, Class of 1975 Nationally recognized plaintiff’s attorney who represented 9/11 first responders Anne M. Burke, Class of 1983 Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court Billy Dec, Class of 1999 Two-time Emmy Award-winning entertainment TV personality, producer, actor, attorney, restaurateur, contributing Lifestyle Editor at Esquire, and CEO/ Founder of Rockit Ranch Productions Thomas Demetrio, Class of 1973 Partner at Corboy & Demetrio, recognized as one of the Top 50 “Litigation Trailblazers and Pioneers” by the National Law Journal and as the #1 Illinois Super Lawyer for 2018.

Michael P. Galvin, Class of 1978 Leading private equity fund manager and former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce

Marc Korman, Class of 1989 Partner at William Morris Endeavor and President of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society Eric M. Lasry, Class of 1991 Managing Partner in the Paris office of Baker & McKenzie Lester H. McKeever, Jr., Class of 1971 Former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Richard Nessary, Class of 1995 Deputy General Counsel of Facebook Kwame Raoul, Class of 1993 Attorney General of Illinois Robert Reiter, Class of 2003 President of the Chicago Federation of Labor Ilana Diamond Rovner, Class of 1966 Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, Class of 1992 Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court

Frederick Stein, Class of 1991 Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary at Redbox

Mark F. Kemper, Class of 1986 General Counsel of the Americas for UBS Global Asset Management

Robert Surrette, Class of 1997 President and shareholder of McAndrews, Held & Malloy, a leading intellectual property law firm

Jessica Kimbrough, Class of 2004 Managing director of Labor Relations and Legal Strategy at United Airlines

John W. Watson, Class of 1988 Partner and chair of the North American Environmental Practice Group at Baker & McKenzie

Karen Klein, Class of 1995 Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Ticketmaster

Pamela Woldow, Class of 1984 Named by the ABA as a “Legal Rebel,” for leading innovations in law practice

Join an ambitious

and diverse class.

Chicago-Kent students are motivated and entrepreneurial, with fascinating life stories.

We are looking for students, like you, who lead interesting lives—and who want to make a meaningful difference wherever they practice law.

Your peers might have studied economics, engineering, political science, psychology— or even French or cooking. They may tell you about the time they worked for Teach for America, played bass guitar in a band in college, or volunteered on a foreign service project.

2019 Student Body Profile Select Student Organizations

721

J.D. students (609 full-time and 112 part-time)

43

18

States represented

Citizenship countries

29%

52%

Students of color

Women

Diversity and Inclusion Chicago-Kent is committed to creating and fostering a diverse environment, and supports a wide array of initiatives, including a new student diversity social, annual diversity week celebration, MLK Forum, and a multicultural graduation celebration. The Chicago-Kent Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Multicultural Affairs and Professional Development, implements strategies, programs, and other services to celebrate and embrace diversity at the law school and through pipeline programming targeted at high school and college students.

Learn more: kentlaw.iit.edu/diversity

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) American Constitution Society Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) Black Law Students Association (BLSA) Cannabis Law Society Chicago-Kent Greek Club Chicago-Kent Lambdas Chicago-Kent Law Review Chicago-Kent Student Bar Association (SBA) Chicago-Kent Trial Team Christian Legal Society Corporate Law Society Criminal Law Society Decalogue/Chicago-Kent Jewish Bar Association Environmental Law Society Federalist Society Hispanic-Latino Law Students Association (HLLSA) Immigration Law Society (ILS) Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) Justinian Law Society Irish American Law Student Association Kent Justice Foundation (KJF) Labor and Employment Law Society (LELS) Land Use and Real Estate Law Society LegalTech Society Moot Court Honor Society Muslim Law Students Association (MLSA) National Lawyer’s Guild Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) Society of Women in Law (WIL) South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS) Student Humanitarian Network (SHN) See the full list: kentlaw.iit.edu/student-organizations

“Chicago-Kent has a professional feel. Students treat it like they’re going to work every day rather than just sitting through classes. At the same time, there’s a casual, social atmosphere. I like the personal aspect of the community but also the professional and competitive academic environment.”

—Miles Kelson, ’18

Diversity Chicago-Kent has been committed to fostering diversity in the legal profession since its inception more than 125 years ago. The first female student was a graduate of the class of 1891, and Ida Platt, the first African-American woman admitted to the bar in Illinois, was a graduate of the Class of 1894. The law school is committed to creating and fostering a diverse environment, and supports a wide array of initiatives including a new student diversity social, annual diversity week celebration, MLK Forum, and a multicultural graduation celebration. The Chicago-Kent Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Multicultural Affairs and Professional Development (ODIMA) implements strategies, programs and other services to celebrate and embrace diversity. These efforts include pipeline programming targeted at high school and college students such as DiscoverLaw programming with the Chicago Public Schools and the Prelaw Undergraudate Scholars (PLUS) program.

CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW AT ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

A future-focused law school for our rapidly changing world.

We invite you to learn more about Chicago-Kent.

One of the best ways to learn about a law school is to visit the campus. Our modern law school building in downtown Chicago is designed to support a first-class legal education. We encourage you to schedule a visit.

• • • •

Attend an open house or information session Take a campus tour Visit a first-year class Schedule a meeting with an admissions counselor

LEARN MORE: KENTLAW.IIT.EDU/JD-PROGRAM/VISIT

Founded in 1888, Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Tech is the second-oldest law school in Illinois.

Chicago-Kent is a national leader in legal education, recognized for its scholarly excellence, innovative programs, and outstanding practical skills training.

The law school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and the Order of the Coif.

L E A R N M O RE:

www.kentlaw.iit.edu | 312.906.5020 A P P LY O NLINE:

www.kentlaw.iit.edu/jd-program/apply CO N N E C T O N S O C IAL M E D IA:

www.kentlaw.iit.edu/social-media S C H E D U LE A VIS IT:

www.kentlaw.iit.edu/jd-program/visit

565 West Adams Street | Chicago, IL 60661-3691