CH I C AG O -K EN T CO L L EG E O F L AW, I L L I N O IS I N S TIT U TE O F TECH N O LO GY
Summer 2017
CELEBRATING OUR SPECTACULAR HOME OF 25 YEARS AT 565 WEST ADAMS
“Pick a mission that intersects with your passion, and be a finisher.” — Greg Wyler '96, OneWeb founder and executive chairman Commencement address, May 14, 2017
C HICAGO - K EN T M AG A ZIN E Summer 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME FEATURE
PAGE 9
SECTIONS
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C-K CHRONICLE
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CLASS NOTES AND ALUMNI NEWS
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FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
37
ALUMNI EVENTS CALENDAR
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SUPPORTING CHICAGO-KENT
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IN MEMORIAM
CHICAGO-KENT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2017 Dean and Professor of Law HAROLD J. KRENT; Editor and Assistant Dean for Public Affairs SUSAN M. O’BRIEN; Assistant Dean for Institutional Advancement SUSAN M. LEWERS; Director of Alumni Engagement JOSEPH VOLIN; Managing Editor, Director of Print and Online Communications JOHN W. YOUNG JR.; Associate Editor JACQUELINE A. SEABERG
Chicago-Kent Magazine is published by Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, for its alumni and friends. Address correspondence to Editor, Chicago-Kent Magazine, 565 West Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661. Copyright 2017 Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. SUMMER 2017 CHICAGO-KENT MAGAZINE
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Karen Vaysman impresses legal scholars at Cambridge Karen Vaysman ’17, accompanied by Distinguished Professor Richard Wright, presented her research to leading law scholars at a major international conference held last summer at Downing College, University of Cambridge, in England. Presenting at the eighth iteration of the Karen Vaysman ’17 made a strong Obligations Conference, impression presenting research at Downing College, Cambridge held every two years at University, last year with Distinguished different universities Professor Richard Wright. around the world, Vaysman and Professor Wright addressed the historical development of the standards of persuasion applicable in
non-criminal cases in common law countries, which, as currently portrayed in the legal doctrine, often allow proof based on mere statistical probabilities, rather than, as in civil law countries, requiring a belief in the actual existence of the facts at issue in a particular case. “Karen worked with me on these issues as part of the Kent Legal Scholars Program,” explained Professor Wright. “She put in a tremendous amount of work, digging deeply, broadly and extensively into the available cases and articles in the various common law jurisdictions, going back several centuries.” “Karen’s presentation at the conference wowed all those in attendance, including me,” he added. During law school, Vaysman was a summer associate at Reed Smith LLP and a judicial intern for the Honorable Joan H. Lefkow in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, as part of Chicago-Kent’s Judicial Externship Program. She was also articles editor of the Chicago-Kent Law Review and a member of ChicagoKent’s Moot Court Honor Society.
Diversity program garners key grant support Chicago-Kent has received a $102,000 grant from the Access Group Center for Research & Policy Analysis to support a summer program for prospective law students that promotes diversity in the legal profession. Undergraduates from 17 colleges across the country The law school’s PreLaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) participated in Chicago-Kent’s 2017 PLUS Program. Program, begun in 2002, provides undergraduates from groups The program was recognized with a grant of $102,000 that are traditionally underrepresented in law school and in from the Access Group Center for Research & Policy to support their efforts to promote diversity in law school. the legal profession with a deeper understanding of law school, careers in the legal profession, and how to navigate the law school admissions process. Students who attend the program, held for three weeks each summer, take doctrinal and experiential skills-based courses adapted from the law school’s curriculum and taught by law school faculty. They visit state and federal courts, take part in a mock trial competition, learn about the law school application and admission process, discuss career options, and meet leaders in the legal profession.
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Militza Pagán ’17 received a 2017 Skadden Fellowship, one of only 30 given nationwide to assist graduating law students pursuing careers in public interest law.
Militza Pagán awarded 2017 Skadden Fellowship Militza Pagán ’17 has received a prestigious 2017 Skadden Fellowship, established by the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The two-year fellowship, awarded each year to only 30 individuals nationwide, supports graduating law students and judicial clerks pursuing careers in public interest law. Pagán will work at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, focusing on enforcing new legal rights for domestic workers under the Illinois Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights. At Chicago-Kent, she earned a certificate in public interest law in addition to her J.D. degree. Through Chicago-Kent’s Judicial Externship Program, she also worked for Chief Judge Rubén Castillo of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Skadden Fellowship Program provides funding to help graduating law students devote their professional lives to providing legal services to the poor, the elderly, the homeless and the disabled, as well as those deprived of their civil or human rights.
Symone Shinton (left) receives the Rovner Award from Chief Judge Diane Wood.
Professor Kent Streseman presents the Fay Clayton Award for Outstanding Oral Advocate to Kara Angeletti.
Quinn Ford (right) accepts the Ralph Brill Award for Best Brief from Professor Kent Streseman.
Symone Shinton wins 25th annual Rovner Competition Third-year student Symone Shinton took first place in the 2016 Ilana Diamond Rovner Appellate Advocacy Competition, sponsored by the law school’s Moot Court Honor Society. As tournament champion, Shinton received the 2016 Rovner Award, named in honor of the competition’s namesake, the Honorable Ilana Diamond Rovner, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Second-year student Kara Angeletti, who finished second, received the Fay Clayton Award for Oustanding Oral Advocate, while Quinn Ford, also a second-year student, earned the Ralph L. Brill Award for Best Brief. For the 25th annual competition, students argued Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a First Amendment case out of Colorado involving a bakery owner who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding, citing religious beliefs. The final round was judged by a panel that included Judge Rovner; the Honorable Diane P. Wood, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; and Professor Steven J. Heyman.
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Meaghan Sweeney wins Hirsh Award for health law writing Meaghan Sweeney ’17 won the 2017 Hirsh Award of the American College of Legal Medicine for her Meaghan Sweeney ’17 paper proposing a health-based approach to legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. Sweeney’s winning paper, Cutting the Yellow Tape with 42 C.F.R. Part 2: A Healthcare-Based Approach to Combatting Gun Violence, argues that, statistically, substance and alcohol abuse are more reliable predictors of gun violence than mental health conditions, and that federal laws combatting gun violence should target identified alcohol abusers. Federal privacy laws, Sweeney contends, should clarify the duty of healthcare providers to report to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System those persons who could be disqualified from obtaining firearms. Sweeney presented her paper in February at the college’s annual conference in Las Vegas. Her paper will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Legal Medicine. During law school, she was an executive articles editor of the ChicagoKent Law Review, a judicial extern in the Illinois Appellate Court, a law clerk at various firms, and participated in the Vaccine Injury Litigation Clinic. She is interested in pursuing a career in health law and litigation.
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Judge Timothy Dyk (center) spoke at Chicago-Kent’s Supreme Court IP Review Conference. Chicago-Kent Professors Greg Reilly (left), Judge Dyk's former law clerk, and Edward Lee, director of the Program in Intellectual Property Law, also presented at the conference.
Judge Timothy Dyk of the Federal Circuit keynotes Supreme Court IP Review The seventh annual Supreme Court IP Review (SCIPR) at Chicago-Kent brought together leading law professors and lawyers, including counsel and amici in last year’s IP cases before the Supreme Court. More than 125 people attended. The Honorable Timothy B. Dyk of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit served as the keynote speaker. Judge Dyk’s address, Some Thoughts on the Relationship Between the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit, was published by the Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property in November 2016. Professors John Duffy of the University of Virginia School of Law and Graeme Dinwoodie of Chicago-Kent and Oxford presented a special retrospective on the IP jurisprudence of Justice Antonin Scalia, while Professor Edward Lee of Chicago-Kent presented a session on analytics of the Supreme Court’s term. In addition to counsel representing the parties and amici in the cases, conference speakers also included leading academics Professor Matthew Sag of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Professor Jason Rantanen of University of Iowa College of Law, Professor Greg Reilly of Chicago-Kent, and Professor Irina Manta of Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.
Telling it like it is Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Linda Greenhouse (right, with Professor Nancy Marder) delivered Chicago-Kent’s Centennial Lecture in October. Her talk was titled “Telling It Like It Is: When Courts Call Out Legislatures.” Greenhouse covered the Supreme Court for the New York Times for 30 years.
Law Review symposium discusses “We Want What’s Ours” Last November, Professor Bernadette Atuahene and the Chicago-Kent Law Review hosted more than 20 scholars for a symposium focusing on Professor Atuahene’s book We Want What’s Ours: Learning from South Africa’s Restitution Program, which explores the uncontested taking of property. The participants empirically examined two new concepts: dignity takings and dignity restoration.
Where law and the community meet The Honorable Timothy C. Evans (center), chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, was among the attendees in January, when Chicago-Kent hosted the second annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Forum. Professor Richard Kling moderated a panel of attorneys, community leaders and restorative justice experts who explored the theme “Restorative Justice: Where the Law and the Community Meet.”
Two books on government surveillance win Palmer Civil Liberties Prize The 2016 Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize has been awarded to Laura K. Donohue for her book The Future of Foreign Intelligence: Privacy and Surveillance in the Digital Age (Oxford University Press 2016) and to Jennifer Stisa Granick for her book American Spies: Modern Surveillance, Why You Should Care, and What to Do Laura Donohue’s The Future of Foreign About It (Cambridge University Press 2017). Intelligence and Jennifer Stisa Granick’s Established in 2007, the Palmer Prize honors works that explore the American Spies were selected to receive the 2016 Palmer Civil Liberties Prize. tension between civil liberties and national security in contemporary American society. Donohue is a professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, the director of Georgetown’s Center on National Security and the Law, and a director of Georgetown’s Center on Privacy and Technology. Her book explores how the Fourth Amendment right to privacy has been weakened by mass government surveillance programs following the 9/11 attacks and offers solutions to rein in the reach of the national security state. Granick is a lecturer-in-law at Stanford Law School and the director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. American Spies chronicles how surveillance law has fallen behind surveillance technology, giving authorities unprecedented new power. The book also examines proposals for surveillance reform with the goal of reining in massive surveillance. The authors will present their books at Chicago-Kent on September 12.
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Advocacy Spotlight: Another stellar year Chicago-Kent students have been showing off their advocacy skills across the United States and in Australia, bringing back yet more hardware for our trophy cases. This year, ChicagoKent students won four regional competitions, three first-place writing awards, and two best advocate awards. New this year: Chicago-Kent fielded the top U.S. team in the inaugural Ian Fletcher International Insolvency Law Moot. Thanks to a generous gift from Jonathan Carson ’97, two team members traveled to Sydney, Australia, where they finished in the top four worldwide.
From left: Jeffrey Goldberg ’17, Jeffrey Michalik ’17, Maxwell Eichenberger ’17 and Stephanie Wolf ’17 were the only team in the United States to qualify for the final rounds of the 2017 Ian Fletcher International Insolvency Law Moot. Michalik and Eichenberger represented the team in Sydney, Australia, where they finished in the top four.
Tyler Mikan ’17 (left) and Jon Emmanuel ’18 won the 2017 National Trial Competition’s Midwest regional tournament.
From left: Catherine Larson ’17, Francyn Brown ’18 and Meaghan Fontein ’18 won the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition’s 2017 Midwest regional tournament and regional best brief award.
From left: Bryce Hensley ’17, Connor Greene ’18, Kristen Farr Capizzi ’18 and Tyler Mikan ’17 placed second in the 2016 White Collar Crime Mock Trial Invitational.
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From left: Christopher Gerardi ’19, Erika (Rodger) Auger ’18 and Anthony Joseph ’18 finished second and won the best brief award at the 2017 McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition.
2016–17 Competition Highlights ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition
Lone Star Classic
Regional Champions Stephanie Flowers and Quinn Ford
Best Closing Argument Paige Olsen
American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition
National Baseball Arbitration Competition
Regional Champions Kristen Farr Capizzi, Stephanie Gerstetter, Connor Greene and Erin Kuhfuss Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship
National Finalists and Second-Place Best Brief Maxwell Eichenberger, Kathleen Karnig and Jenna Kim Evan A. Evans Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition
Second-Place Best Advocate Award Max Morimoto Georgetown White Collar Crime Invitational
National Finalists Kristen Farr Capizzi, Connor Greene, Bryce Hensley and Tyler Mikan Best Advocate Connor Greene
Best Written Materials Award Daniel Haze, Sean Fitzgerald and Mark Reel National Moot Court Competition
Regional Finalists Alex Halaska and Theresa Starck National Trial Competition
Regional Champions Jon Emmanuel and Tyler Mikan Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition
Regional Champions and Regional Best Brief Francyn Brown, Meaghan Fontein and Catherine Larson Tournament of Champions
Best Advocate Bryce Hensley William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition
Ian Fletcher International Insolvency Law Moot
Top U.S. Team and Top Four Worldwide Maxwell Eichenberger, Jeffrey Goldberg, Jeffrey Michalik and Stephanie Wolf Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition
National Finalists and Best Brief Erika (Rodger) Auger, Christopher Gerardi and Anthony Joseph Best Advocate for the Preliminary Rounds Katherine LaRosa
Best Memorial in English for Representatives of the Victims Michael Gandini and Alida Pecanin
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Students win Fourth Amendment case; defendant released from prison Two 2016 Chicago-Kent grads had an extra incentive to celebrate last summer when a client they represented during law school was released from prison following their successful motion on his behalf. Peter Cheun and Kayla Higgins, both Chicago-Kent Honors Scholars, teamed with Dean Harold Krent last year to represent a client serving 18 years for cocaine possession. At an evidentiary hearing in June 2016 before the Cook County Circuit Court, they argued that the search leading to the client’s arrest and subsequent conviction violated the Fourth Amendment. The case was dismissed on those grounds and the defendant freed after serving five and a half years in prison. Kayla and Peter’s work built on the efforts of Honors Scholars several years before who skillfully handled the appeal. We recently talked with Peter and Kayla about the case.
Getting started Peter: This was truly a group effort that spanned multiple class years. It started as an appeal, which was first handled by the Honors Scholar Class of 2015 and led by Dean Krent and Chicago attorney Ralph Meczyk. After that group secured a remand, our Class of 2016 took on the task of getting up to speed on the facts of the case and developing legal arguments.
The hearing Peter: I delivered the opening argument, Kayla handled the questioning of witnesses, and Dean Krent made the closing arguments. I prepared for the opening statement much like I prepared for moot court competitions during law school. I practiced delivering my arguments in front of colleagues, friends and family, and made sure that I would be ready to answer any of the judge’s questions. Kayla: The witnesses included our client, his wife, and his son. To prepare the questions, I took detailed notes on recent binding case law. Then I read through the trial transcripts, reviewed letters from our client, and interviewed our client and his family. Finally, I reviewed photographs of our client’s property that helped depict the arguments we were advancing about the property’s layout.
Peter: When the judge ruled in favor of our client, I felt more than the pride I had felt in law school competition victories. This was real life — I felt pure joy. Our client’s wife and son were waiting outside the courtroom, and I couldn’t wait to jump out there and watch them learn the good news.
Takeaways Kayla: This experience showed me what it means to have a legal “team” working on a case for years and years. I don’t think I had ever before been involved in a case that had such a long lifespan, nor had I worked with so many talented lawyers and law students on a single case. It was really educational to see how each person contributed to the case’s success by offering his or her unique talents, from research to legal writing to trial advocacy. Peter: It also feels great that we played a small part in protecting our constitutional rights. This case touched on the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment guarantee against unreasonable searches, and this victory for our client will hopefully strengthen our legal system’s understanding of this important right. I can’t think of a better way to complement a legal education than to help reunite a family while also helping to contribute to the development of constitutional rights.
The judge’s decision Kayla: It was a wonderful moment to be there when our client heard the judge had decided in his favor. What’s more, we had spent the whole morning and part of the afternoon outside the courtroom with our client’s family, waiting for his case to be called. During that time I talked with his wife about how many years she had lived with the reality of having her husband in prison. So getting to share the great news with our client’s wife and son was such a happy moment. 8 |
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Peter Cheun joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as a litigation associate. Kayla Higgins is serving a two-year clerkship with the Office of Staff Law Clerks for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
On our shimmering corner of Chicago’s West Loop, more than 7,000 students have mulled over Marbury, pondered Palsgraf, questioned Korematsu and reasoned through Roe since 1992. Here’s to our silver anniversary at Jefferson and Adams.
A N E W P L AC E T O C A L L H O M E
CH IC AGO - K E NT COLLEG E OF L AW
Chicago-Kent’s stellar new home at the corner of Jefferson and Adams in Chicago’s fledgling West Loop neighborhood opened in January 1992, just in time for the start of the spring term. Sheathed in pre-cast concrete and towering banks of green glass, the ten-story building included 23 classrooms and seminar rooms, a 350-seat auditorium, a five-story library, a state-of-the-art courtroom, and a basement-level concourse with space for a bookstore and student organization offices. Designed by Holabird & Root, with interior spaces by Powell/ Kleinschmidt, the building received the 1992 Interior Architecture Award from the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Harold Krent Dean and Professor of Law First impressions
I first visited the building in 1993. The building struck me as welcoming—spacious and inviting, yet efficient. There was nothing gothic in its design as with some college campuses, yet the building avoids the sterile feel of some urban law schools, particularly those constructed at that time.
On a chilly morning in May 1990, (from left) Illinois Tech Board of Trustees Chair Robert Pritzker, Illinois Tech President Lew Collens, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and ChicagoKent Board of Overseers Chair David Horn ’76 broke ground for the law school's new home at 565 West Adams.
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A good fit
Keeping it current
The building works, from the flow of students between classes to the flexibility for receptions and conferences. Faculty and staff view the building as a valuable asset for the school.
There have been many improvements, from the incredible Kohen Courtroom to the new Flanagan Family Terrace, and from the art in the atrium to the game room on the fifth floor. And, I hope that a fitness center is yet to come!
Favorite spots
The tenth floor reading room is spectacular. I feel like studying there!
Best memory
I relish the memory of our firstever block party in commemoration of our 125th birthday. More than 1,000 people attended, including alumni who graduated over 50 years ago, current students and toddlers. There were cake walks, Bozo
Buckets, face painting and more. And outside, the battle of the bands was great, the food spectacular and the Lagunitas Beer Trucks welcome. All came away so impressed with the building! Through the years
I’ve been privileged to spend time with three Supreme Court justices, other jurists from here and around the world, one head of state, one princess, senators, governors, cabinet officials, four Nobel Laureates and countless other visitors within these walls. So many have been impressed with this facility!
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GAME ON!
CH IC AGO - K E NT GAM E ROOM
Furnished with a pool table, ping pong, shuffle board, air hockey, foosball, and electronic games, the Chicago-Kent Game Room was a hit with students the minute it opened in a converted, fifth-floor classroom in 2014. Funded by the Classes of 2011 and 2014, the Game Room is open all day every day for class breaks, study breaks, and after-school or weekend get-togethers.
Dawn Rupcich Assistant Dean for Administration, Finance, Facilities, Financial Aid and Information Technology Services Construction
I’m still amazed that the building was substantially completed in less than two years. We broke ground in April 1990 and started moving in December 1991. Holabird & Root designed our wonderful facility, Powell/ Kleinschmidt handled the interior design, and Power Contracting served as the general contractors, overseeing a host of subcontractors who actually managed to meet the deadline set for us to begin classes at the Downtown Campus in January 1992. A flamenco dancer was among the featured entertainers at the April 1992 dedication of the new home for the Library of International Relations.
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Making the move
The biggest challenge was to continue business as usual at 77 South Wacker (the “old building”) during the day and oversee the movers who transported our materials at night. The most substantial part of the move was moving the library collection, which I recall consisted of over 500,000 volumes. The faculty/ staff move went seamlessly and occurred over a weekend. Faculty and staff left work from the old building at the end of the day on a Friday and the following Monday arrived at work at 565 West Adams with fully furnished offices and operational telephones and computers. Maintenance
The most rewarding part of overseeing the facility is working with the excellent engineering/ maintenance and administrative staff and finding ways in which to save money on our improvement
projects. What usually happens in education when budgets are tight is that building maintenance is deferred. Here we’ve made it a priority to balance available finances so they support law school programs and initiatives while also funding building maintenance and improvements each year. Many recent first-time visitors assume that our building is brand new!
gifts from Bruce M. Kohen ’79 and Craig Donohue LLM ’89, among others, and the new Morici Advocacy Corridor, funded by James Morici Jr. ’79. The ninthand tenth-floor balconies, recently reconfigured with support from the Flanagan family into usable outdoor lounge space, and the Chicago-Kent Game Room, completed in 2014.
Favorite spots
Most meaningful aspect of the past 25 years
There’s Morris Hall, our spacious tenth-floor event space. The Marovitz Courtroom and the Spakateria. The “historical floors,” including the third floor, where we showcase class composites dating to the 1800s, and the fifth floor, where we display donor plaques from our old homes at 77 South Wacker and 10 North Franklin. The state-of-the-art Kohen Courtroom, constructed with
The law school community that I have had the privilege to work with and serve. The faculty, staff and students are simply outstanding and work very hard in their respective roles. It has been a pleasure to be here!
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HOME OF CHAMPIONS
MORICI ADVOC AC Y COR RIDOR
No fewer than four first-place trophies from the National Trial Competition appear among the precious metal housed in the trophy cases lining the Morici Advocacy Corridor. Funded with a lead gift from James J. Morici Jr. ’79, the corridor attests to Chicago-Kent’s powerhouse record in national and international trial and appellate advocacy competition, a legacy dating to Chicago-Kent’s first national title in 1988.
Keya Rajput Milla ’07 Legal Counsel, AbbVie Keya Rajput and Joshua Jones ’08 won the 2007 National Trial Competition, with Keya bringing home the tournament’s Best Oral Advocate Award.
Morici Advocacy Corridor
My 5-year-old daughter’s reaction to the corridor captures my sentiments perfectly: “Fabulous.” Through the dedication of Judge Erickson and so many other coaches and believers in the program, the trial ad team has grown to receive much deserved national recognition. The merits of the program, the accolades it has received over the years, and the recognition it has brought to Chicago-Kent no doubt justify the corridor and its showcasing of the team’s talents and trophies.
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Trial attorney Thomas Demetrio '73 (left), current chair of the Chicago-Kent Board of Advisors, chaired the law school's capital campaign for construction of the new building. In 1990, joined by Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz '25 (right), he presented a rendering of Chicago-Kent's soon-to-be courtroom, named in the judge's honor.
At home in the Marovitz Courtroom
After joining the trial ad team, I spent almost all my time outside class hours in the Marovitz Courtroom. After spending countless hours there practicing with the trial team, and later, coaching other students, I began to identify the courtroom as a place of comfort—for studying, catching up on work, and just being around others with a common passion for the trial ad program and team. Trial runs
The realistic setting of the Marovitz Courtroom prepared me to comfortably and confidently navigate any similar space, not only for upcoming competitions in varying courtrooms across the country, but also for my first courtroom experiences as a practicing attorney. We used the courtroom to learn the nuances of where to stand when, and how to present evidence impactfully
to the jury in front of us, to the judge at the bench, and to opposing counsel behind us. The courtroom gave us the ability to learn how to tell a story through facts and evidence by effectively using the space around us. Indelible memories
My first most memorable experience was getting brutally destroyed by opposing counsel during a practice trial in the Marovitz Courtroom, and then, the second, redeeming myself the following morning by killing a trial for the first time, starting with my opening statement, which brought at least one of my coaches to tears. I would be remiss if I neglected to mention walking into my first trial ad practice in a classroom on the concourse level and introducing myself to fellow teammate Robert Milla, not realizing that four years later he would become my husband.
Looking back
As a Chicago-Kent alum, I am forever thankful for the mentors and coaches that the trial ad team has connected me with, many of whom are truly like family. After graduating in 2007, I practiced in Michigan, but only truly felt part of a legal “community� after returning to the Chicago area, where I am still able to see and continually learn from those same mentors and coaches who taught me to become a lawyer during my years at Chicago-Kent.
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WHERE SCHOLARSHIP THRIVES
I . J. B E R K SON R E S E RVE R E ADING ROOM
The library’s Berkson Reading Room, named for distinguished Chicago attorney I.J. Berkson ’18, was inspired by traditional reading rooms of the 19th century. The room is flanked by 14-foot cherry wood bookcases holding the law school’s reserve collection and career guides. The lamella-vaulted ceiling features a distinctive diamond-shaped pattern formed by crisscrossing support beams that rise to 36 feet at the highest point. Wide study tables with built-in reading lamps provide gentle illumination, while floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the historic Old St. Patrick’s Church and the city’s West Side.
Bartram Brown Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Program in International and Comparative Law First impressions of the building
I was immediately delighted! The contrast between the old building on Wacker and the new one on Adams was so striking. Suddenly, we had so much more space and light as well as comfortable social areas unlike anything we had in the old building.
Dean Richard Matasar (left) and Illinois Tech President Lew Collens pitched in to get the law school's new library ready before the start of the spring 1992 semester.
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A new frontier
I can’t imagine how we taught before we could project documents and presentations on the screen. Our building placed us at the forefront of the technological revolution in law teaching, which has reached every law faculty by now. At the time of our move at the end of 1991, we were one of the very first schools using internet web browsers with a graphical user interface, something we take for granted today. Also Westlaw and Lexis had just become available at home via dial-up modem. This
super-charged our ability to do legal research and writing and must surely have made life easier for the students as well. Favorite spot
I love the faculty lounge as a place to relax, as well as the social spaces just inside the front entrance.
Through the years
I never expected to spend 25 years in any one place, but Chicago-Kent has been very good to me. It has provided a welcome and supportive environment and a community in which everyone—faculty, students, and staff—has the opportunity to thrive. Chicago-Kent is still that kind of place today.
Best memories
That’s hard to say, but I find Commencement to be memorable every year. I love to meet the families and parents behind the students.
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W E L CO M I N G T H E WO R L D
Susan Gordy ’81 Senior Advisor and Partner, The Chicago Corporation First impressions
Transitioning from 77 S. Wacker
Building’s greatest assets
Entering the well-designed building, I was stuck that it is a welcoming place with great natural light and good energy. From its state-ofthe-art classrooms to the spaces to gather informally and relax, the building encourages students, faculty, administrators and alumni to interact.
The biggest difference between the old building and the new building is that 565 allows the utilization of technology. When I was in law school, I worked during the day and attended school in the evenings at the old, traditional building. I considered lugging my casebooks to class to be my “workout.” Obviously I attended law school before the use of laptops and/or notebooks.
The many spaces in which to host gatherings to take advantage of Chicago-Kent’s offerings, from attending CLE sessions in classrooms to hearing guest speakers in our beautiful auditorium and large lecture halls.
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RICHAR D B . OG ILVIE AU DITORI U M
With 350 seats configured on two levels, Chicago-Kent’s Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium features acousticpaneled walls and a large proscenium stage with a cherry-paneled back wall and three projection screens. Gracing our auditorium stage over the years: Justice John Paul Stevens, Justice Stephen Breyer and Justice Antonin Scalia, along with multiple mayors, governors, attorneys general and members of Congress. Fall 2017 will bring a visit from Justice Elena Kagan, marking the fourth U.S. Supreme Court justice to speak in our new building and meet with students, faculty and alumni. The auditorium is named after Richard Buell Ogilvie ’49, the 35th governor of Illinois.
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens delivered the keynote address at the building's dedication-convocation on September 11, 1992, to an audience of 700 guests.
From left: Illinois Tech President Lew Collens, Thomas Demetrio ’73, Judith Munson ’76, Paul Price ’71 and Interim Dean Joan Steinman gather at the Alumni Association Construction Kick-Off Celebration, held May 1990 in a large tent at the future site of the law school. At the party, Mr. Demetrio received the Professional Achievement Award, Ms. Munson received the Distinguished Service Award, and Mr. Price received a certificate of appreciation for his service as president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors for 1989_90.
Favorite memories
Attending presentations and discussions over dinner with retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stevens and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Breyer. Best part of visiting
The opportunity to join other alumni, students, faculty and administrators to hear stimulating speakers and then to network with all over hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine.
From left: Chicago-Kent Board of Overseers Chair David Horn ’76, former Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic and Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz ’25 of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois gathered at the dedication for Chicago-Kent's Library of International Relations, part of the new building, in April 1992.
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AND THAT'S NOT ALL ... Over the years, the building has only gotten better. From a second, state-of-the-art courtroom on the first floor to three beautifully refurbished balconies for studying and gathering, many improvements to the building reflect the unflagging generosity of Chicago-Kent alumni and their families.
LITIGATION TECH NOLOGY
IN TH E S E RVICE OF J US TICE
Chicago-Kent’s Kohen Courtroom, named for Bruce M. Kohen ’79, opened in 2013 with two 90-inch television monitors, a Crestron control system for lighting, three built-in document cameras and four display monitors—one each for the judge’s bench, the plaintiff and defense tables, and the witness stand.
Installed in the front lobby in 2006, “Iustitium Servaverunt” by sculptor Lauren Grey honors Chicago-Kent’s 250+ alumni judges. Their names appear interspersed with quotes from legal and historical figures— including Socrates, Chief Justice Earl Warren and Eleanor Roosevelt— and translations of “truth,” “justice,” “liberty” and “rule of law” in Thai, Gaelic, Sumerian, Ojibway, Yoruba, Hebrew, American Sign Language and many other languages.
TH E B LU E B ET WE E N Victor Pasmore’s “The Blue Between” (1978), acquired in 2004, hangs on the north side of the third-floor lobby, between Dean Krent’s and Dean Sowle’s offices.
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U NTITLE D
Sam Gilliam’s untitled 1982 mixed-media sculpture, acquired in 2002, hangs above the plush red chairs on the concourse level.
A PE R FEC T G E TAWAY
The ninth- and tenth-floor balconies, completed in 2014 thanks to a generous gift from Thomas Flanagan ’63 (center) and his family, offer students a relaxing place to study and socialize. Mr. Flanagan is pictured here with his son John Flanagan ’14 and daughter Kelley Flanagan ’17.
STR ATA “Strata” by Francie Hester, commissioned by Chicago-Kent in 2003, is suspended on the south wall of the lobby between the first and second floors.
CL A S S ROOM TECH
MOON J OU R N E Y
Presentations on the interactive whiteboards in many of Chicago-Kent’s larger classrooms can be projected onto widescreen monitors throughout the classroom, making it easier
Edward Arcenio Chavez’s “Moon Journey” (1969), acquired by Chicago-Kent in 2006, hangs in the first-floor lobby near the entrance to the Ogilvie Auditorium.
for students to follow along.
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F A C U LT Y H I G H L I G H T S
Professors Andrews and Nahmod listed in Best Lawyers in America Once again in 2017, Distinguished Professors Lori
A Chicago-Kent faculty member since 2007, Professor Bailey teaches criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence. She focuses her scholarship on issues of domestic violence and other forms of physical subjugation of women.
Andrews and Sheldon Nahmod have been listed in The Best Lawyers in America,
Professor De Armond wins national legal writing award
an annual peer-review
Professor Elizabeth De
publication that names
Armond took first place
leading lawyers in
in the 2017 Annual
all 50 states and the
Writing Competition
District of Columbia
of the American
plus more than 60
College of Consumer
additional countries.
Financial Services Lawyers, professional
Professor Andrews is
category, for her
named as one of
paper Preventing
six leading Illinois lawyers in the area
Preemption: Finding Space for States to Regulate
of biotechnology law, and Professor Nahmod as
Consumers’ Credit Reports, 2016 Brigham Young
one of four leading Illinois lawyers in the area of
University Law Review 365 (2016). Professor De Armond
municipal law.
is director of the Chicago-Kent Legal Research and
To compile its lists, Best Lawyers surveys thousands
Writing Program. Since 1998, she has contributed to
of lawyers about the professional abilities of their
publications of the National Consumer Law Center,
colleagues in the same geographic and legal practice
writing about fraud, RICO and credit reporting.
areas. If votes for an attorney are positive enough for inclusion in Best Lawyers, that attorney must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain on the list for the next edition.
Professor Bailey wins University Excellence in Teaching Award
In the March 31, 2017, issue of Science,
Professor Kimberly
Professor Daniel
Bailey is the recipient
Katz, Chicago-Kent
of Illinois Tech’s 2017
researcher Michael J.
John W. Rowe University
Bommarito II and Vanderbilt law professor J.B. Ruhl
Excellence in Teaching
published a paper titled Harnessing Legal Complexity
Award. The award
proposing that the legal profession apply the tools of
recognizes faculty who
complexity science to help improve legal systems.
have made notable
In the peer-reviewed science journal PLOS ONE,
contributions to their
Professor Katz and Michael Bommarito teamed up
profession and to the
again, this time with Professor Josh Blackman of South
university.
Texas College of Law Houston, to construct a model
“Professor Bailey does not teach simply to cover the
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Professor Katz publishes in peer-reviewed science journals
that predicts with more than 70 percent accuracy the
material but to educate the student as a whole,” said
votes and case outcomes of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dean Harold Krent. “She encourages students to learn
The article, titled A General Approach for Predicting
not just the material but to sharpen skills that will be
the Behavior of the Supreme Court of the United
necessary in their legal careers.”
States, was published April 12.
CHICAGO-KENT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2017
Professor Malin named Public Sector Labor and Employment Attorney of the Year
Professor Marder is a widely recognized expert on juries, judges and courts. She was a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (1990–92) and founded the Justice John Paul Stevens Jury Center at Chicago-Kent.
Professor Martin
Professor Rosen named Distinguished Professor of Law
Malin, director of the Institute for Law and the Workplace at Chicago-Kent, is the recipient of the ABA’s 2016 Arvid Anderson Public Sector Labor and Employment Attorney of the Year Award. The award recognizes the recipient’s lifetime contributions to public sector labor law. Professor Malin is the seventh recipient of the award, which was begun in 2009. Professor Malin is the author of more than 80 articles and seven books, including the leading casebook on public sector labor law, now in its third edition. He served by appointment of President Obama as a member of the Federal Service Impasses Panel from 2009 to 2017. In 1984–86, he drafted the regulations that implemented Illinois’ newly enacted public sector labor relations acts and in 2003–08 was reporter for the Association of Labor Relations Agencies, drafting a mini-treatise on labor board and mediation agency impartiality that has become the key authority on the
Illinois Tech recently appointed Professor Mark D. Rosen to the rank of Distinguished Professor, the highest rank awarded to faculty. Professor Rosen is a leading constitutional law scholar. His interests include state and local government, civil procedure, conflicts of law, election law, federal courts, and federal Indian law. “Mark D. Rosen is a professor whose scholarly contributions continue to enhance the law school’s reputation,” said Dean Harold Krent. “I am delighted that the university has recognized his creative and ambitious scholarship.”
subject in the U.S. and Canada.
Professor Schmidt wins legal history society’s Surrency Prize
Professor Marder joins the American Law Institute Professor Nancy S.
The American Society
Marder has been
for Legal History
selected as a member
awarded Chicago-Kent
of the American
Professor Christopher
Law Institute, which includes judges, lawyers and law professors who produce restatements of the law and model statutes and principles of law that influence courts and legislatures. Membership is by invitation only. Earlier in the year, Professor Marder was named as an Academic Fellow of the Pound Civil Justice Institute, which is dedicated to ensuring access to justice for ordinary citizens. Most recently, Professor Marder received Chicago-Kent's 2017 Freehling Award for exemplary
Schmidt the 2016 Surrency Prize for best article published in the society’s 2015 volume of its journal, Law and History Review. The Surrency Prize Committee praised Divided by Law: The Sit-ins and the Role of the Courts in the Civil Rights Movement as a “brilliant essay.” The article previously won the Association of American Law School Scholarly Paper Prize and was selected for the prestigious Harvard/Stanford/Yale Junior Faculty Forum. Professor Schmidt’s book The Sit-Ins: Protest and Legal Change in The Civil Rights Era will be published next year by the University of Chicago Press.
scholarship. The award will provide Professor Marder with a semester’s leave to write a book on the jury.
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SUPPORTING CHICAGO-KENT
Thank you to the newest members of Chicago-Kent College of Law’s Founders’ Society! This year, the Honorable Edward F. Masters ’72 and Joel D. Weisman ’69 joined the group of alumni and friends who have made gifts totaling $100,000 or more to Chicago-Kent. Both men have been supporting Chicago-Kent for more than 30 years.
From left: Karl E. Masters ’02, the Honorable Edward F. Masters ’72 and Melissa M. Masters-Surrette ’99 at Chicago-Kent’s 125th Anniversary Gala
Joel D. Weisman ’69 (left) with his wife, Analee Weisman, at the 2016 Alumni Awards reception, where he served as Master of Ceremonies
Edward “Ned” Masters ’72 established a named scholarship in 2000 to support externships for students studying labor and employment law. With the support of Ned’s fund, the Institute for Law and the Workplace has awarded more than 100 externship scholarships. Ned earned a Distinguished Service Award from Chicago-Kent in 2005 and currently sits on Chicago-Kent’s Board of Advisors. Both of his children are graduates of Chicago-Kent, and his daughter, Melissa, met her spouse, Robert A. Surrette ’97, at the school. Joel Weisman ’69 established the Joel and Analee Weisman Scholarship last fall. It will be awarded annually, beginning this fall, to a student or students with a demonstrated interest in media, public policy or entertainment law. Joel is an attorney, talent agent and Emmy Award–winning Chicago television host and commentator. He was named one of Chicago-Kent’s 125 Alumni of Distinction in 2013 and is a former member of Chicago-Kent’s Alumni Board of Directors.
For more information and a full list of Founders’ Society members, visit alumni.kentlaw.iit.edu/founders.
Classmates memorialize James L. Beard ’80 with scholarship The Chicago-Kent community was deeply saddened by the death of James L. Beard ’80—a lauded attorney and greatly admired friend—on April 2, 2016. The Class of 1980, led by Beth Jensen, Mark Members of the Class of 1980 enStandefer and Steven dowed a new scholarship in honor Stender, responded by of the late James L. Beard ’80. establishing the Class of 1980 James Beard Memorial Scholarship to honor Jim’s life. The scholarship organizers leveraged Illinois Tech’s 2016 Day of Giving to raise $10,800 from classmates in a single day for the scholarship. On that day, every gift toward scholarships at Illinois Tech and its colleges was matched by university trustees.
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The class’s generosity is a testament to Jim’s own desire to give back. According to classmate Mark Standefer: “ In addition to being a good friend and outstanding lawyer, Jim always took an interest in and encouraged others in our class to contribute to Chicago-Kent. We were all shocked by Jim's death. We hope that each year our classmates will remember Jim's leadership and good work and give to the scholarship. We also hope that in doing so, our class will help some worthy students on their way to becoming good lawyers.” At the time of his passing, Jim Beard was a partner at DLA Piper and had been recognized in the top tier of real estate lawyers in Chambers USA. He had been designated an Illinois Super Lawyer in real estate every year since 2005, and was named among the Top 10 Real Estate–Related Lawyers in Illinois. Jim’s son Nick Beard and daughter-in-law Kat Allen are members of the Class of 2010. Chicago-Kent is honored to host a scholarship in his name, which will be awarded for the first time in the fall of this year.
Jonathan A. Carson ’97 helps Chicago-Kent team compete internationally A recent gift by Jonathan A. Carson ’97 has had a powerful and immediate effect on Chicago-Kent. The $25,000 challenge gift helped inspire 576 donors on the 2016 Day of Giving. It also allowed a team of Chicago-Kent students to compete at the first-ever Ian Fletcher International Insolvency Law Moot. The team’s performance exceeded all expectations. The Chicago-Kent team of Maxwell Eichenberger ’17 and Jeffrey Michalik ’17 placed in the top four at the final rounds of the competition in Sydney, Australia. Chicago-Kent was one of only eight teams—and the only team from a U.S. law school—selected to compete in the final rounds of the international tournament. The Fletcher Moot is designed to encourage the best and brightest students around the globe to learn about international insolvency law and international commercial litigation. “ I am incredibly thankful to Jon and Chicago-Kent for the opportunity to participate in the Ian Fletcher competition,” Michalik says. “I got to compete with and against some of the best insolvency law students in the world.”
Eichenberger states that Jonathan Carson’s gift inspired him in multiple ways: “ Th roughout this adventure, it dawned on me that Jonathan must really have a lot of faith in current Chicago-Kent students to make an opportunity like this competition possible for students he’d never met. Appreciating this fact as well as being somewhat of an ambassador for Chicago-Kent on an international scale made me legitimately proud to be a Chicago-Kent graduate. I hope to be in a position to someday foster the same sense of school pride in future generations of Chicago-Kent students.” Jonathan Carson is a seasoned technology entrepreneur with roots in legal services, specifically in the field of bankruptcy and corporate restructuring. His latest venture is Skywell, a water technology company focused on making a positive impact on the global water crisis. He explains his motivation for giving thusly: “I am passionate about the American corporate bankruptcy system, and I don’t think enough law students are exposed to it in a positive way. Due to Professor Walters’ interest and with the support of Dean Krent, it was inspiring to direct dollars toward an experience that remedies this.”
Jonathan A. Carson ’97
Jeffrey Michalik ’17 (left) and Maxwell Eichenberger ’17 in front of the Sydney Opera House in Australia
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SUPPORTING CHICAGO-KENT
Discover the benefits of giving wisely Did you know there are creative ways to support Chicago-Kent College of Law? Ways in which Chicago-Kent, you and your loved ones all benefit at the same time? Such giving techniques are called planned gifts because, with thoughtful planning, you create win-win solutions for you and Chicago-Kent. For example: •Y ou can make a gift that costs nothing during your lifetime. • You can give stock and realize larger tax savings. •Y ou can get a monthly paycheck for life in return for your gift. •Y ou can donate your house, continue to live there, and get a tax break all at the same time. Those who make planned gifts to Chicago-Kent during their lifetimes become members of our Gunsaulus Society. Gunsaulus Society members are recognized in various ways throughout the year and receive exclusive invitations and communications. Don’t keep your gift a secret!
If you have named Chicago-Kent as a beneficiary of your estate, please let us know so we may properly thank you and include you as a member of Illinois Tech’s Gunsaulus Society.
Amy L. Cobb Curran ’01 and Scott M. Curran ’01
Amy L. Cobb Curran ’01 and Scott M. Curran ’01 on deciding to make a planned gift:
“ Once we had kids, we knew we needed to have an estate plan. Annual giving has always been important to us. So Chicago-Kent was top of mind in our planned giving strategy. Chicago-Kent has meant a lot to our personal and professional lives. We met there. We became lawyers there. We continue to feel valued as members of the alumni community. So it was natural to include the school in our estate plan. We know that the gift will one day be appreciated and hope it might support others who are beginning their lives as lawyers…even though ours will be over…because, hey, we all die, and that’s when this one pays out!” Scott Curran is the founder of the social sector consulting firm Beyond Advisors and is an adjunct instructor at Chicago-Kent. Amy Cobb Curran is a partner at Chapman & Cutler, serving as a member of the firm's National Public and Health & Education Finance Department and the Social Finance and Impact Investing Cross-Disciplinary Team.
Visit www.iit.edu/giftplanning to begin learning about how you can benefit from these giving methods and more. Contact Dana Pownall, major gift officer, at 312.906.5234 or dpownall@kentlaw.iit.edu.
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New scholarships and new opportunities Because of the support of generous alumni, Chicago-Kent continues to attract some of the brightest and most talented students. Donors established the following scholarships over the past year: Class of 1996 Scholarship
Kyle B. Johansen ILW Scholarship
Gary L. Bailey ILW Scholarship
Ronald J. Kramer ILW Scholarship
Daniel and Melissa Barbakoff Scholarship
John G. Locallo Scholarship
Carson and Kathy Block Scholarship
James W. Smyton Scholarship
William Charles and Elizabeth Iwert Scholarship
Joel and Analee Weisman Scholarship
Ray C. Schrock Scholarship
Jill M. Webb Scholarship
For many high-achieving students, a scholarship provides access to a world-class legal education that would otherwise be out of reach. The average cost to attend Chicago-Kent is more than $125,000. Alumni support of student scholarships can make a deserving student’s academic dreams a reality.
“ I was humbled and honored to receive the scholarship and acceptance to Chicago-Kent. It made me feel that the school valued what I had to offer. I appreciate the opportunity to go to this school and to also know that the school is willing to invest in my success.” — Julian Ray I. Cagadas ’20, 2016–17 Joseph V. Roddy Scholarship recipient, evening student, Chicago Police officer and former U.S. Air Force captain
To learn more about establishing a scholarship, contact Susan Lewers, assistant dean for institutional advancement, at (312) 906-5236 or slewers@kentlaw.iit.edu.
Cy pres award to benefit environmental law clinic In 2016, Chicago-Kent received a $97,636 cy pres award generated by the successful class action suit Brown v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Plaintiff’s attorney Judith L. Spanier sought advice regarding court strategy from Professor Vivien Gross of the C-K Law Group throughout the trial. After the conclusion of the case, Ms. Spanier recommended that Chicago-Kent’s clinical program receive a cy pres award. C-K Law Group is Chicago-Kent's unique in-house legal clinic. The clinic was a pioneer in clinical legal education decades ago when it adopted a fee-generating model designed to replicate the experience of employment at a private law firm. Today, the C-K Law Group boasts 18 full-time, in-house practicing attorneys; four off-site, adjunct attorneys; and opportunities for students to work with scores of practitioner-mentors, including judges, governmental agency attorneys and private practitioners. Specifically, the cy pres award will support the Environmental Law Clinic conducted in partnership with the Chicago Legal Clinic. Judith Spanier is a partner at Abbey Spanier LLP, a New York–based firm specializing in large, complex litigation in the fields of securities, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, consumer protection, unfair employment practices and antitrust.
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SUPPORTING CHICAGO-KENT
Third annual Day of Giving: Today for C-K Thanks to a robust community of alumni and friends, Chicago-Kent’s third annual Today for C-K beat records, following in the footsteps of our 2014 and 2015 days of giving. Many alumni have made a tradition of giving their annual gift on Today for C-K to help demonstrate the collective strength of our alumni community. On September 28, 576 people joined together to contribute $531,949. More than 200 additional donors supported our efforts this year compared to last year. In 24 hours, five $25,000 scholarships were established, a moot court team was launched, and the nationally recognized Palmer Civil Liberties Prize was endowed. Additional highlights: •F ive alumni from classes spanning six decades, one faculty member and one staff member made challenge gifts to mobilize their peers. Seven members of the Class of 1996 successfully challenged their classmates to launch the Class of 1996 Scholarship with Today for C-K donations. •N early 350 alumni gave, joined by 49 faculty members and 31 staff members, demonstrating the tremendous commitment of the entire Chicago-Kent community.
• 147 students—a record number—kicked off the 2017 Student Gift Campaign early, knowing they would be uniting with alumni and others for Today for C-K. • A s gifts streamed in, student volunteers and staff wrote donors’ names on the floor-to-ceiling windows in the law school’s lobby, creating a massive and colorful donor wall easily viewable from the surrounding streets. The hundreds of names remained through the rest of the week as a symbol of the community’s size and unity to students, visitors and all others in the building.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Jonathan A. Carson ’97, John G. Locallo ’86, staff member Robert Martin, the late Roy C. Palmer ’62, James W. Smyton ’71, Jill M. Webb ’96 and Distinguished Professor Richard Wright for their generous challenge gifts.
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Two new prizes honor retiring professors Over the past year, the Chicago-Kent community has united to establish two student prizes honoring newly retired faculty members: the Gary Laser Professionalism Award and the Mary Rose Strubbe Labor and Employment Writing Prize. Professor Gary S. Laser joined the Chicago-Kent faculty in 1975 and has served the institution for more than 40 years, most recently as associate professor of law, director of clinical education, and codirector of the Program in Criminal Litigation. Professor Laser founded the renowned Chicago-Kent InHouse Clinical Education Program in 1976. His daughter Rachel Laser explains how the prize first came about: “ I wanted to honor my dad on his 80th birthday. I was brainstorming with my husband, and he had the idea. I knew right away it was perfect, because my dad dedicated himself so fully to his vision for clinical legal education and also to Chicago-Kent, and because Chicago-Kent provided such an ideal atmosphere for my dad’s career and vision to grow and thrive.” The Laser Prize will be awarded annually to the clinic student whose work meets the highest standards of professionalism, defined as competence and ethics. It was awarded for the first time this spring to Catherine K. Larson ’17.
Professor Gary Laser poses with Catherine Larson '17 (left), recipient of the first Laser Prize, at his birthday celebration at ChicagoKent. Catherine was selected for her outstanding work in the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic with Professor Heather Harper (center right) and staff attorney Aisling O'Laoire '14 (right).
Professor Mary Rose Strubbe holds up a "Troublemakers Union" T-shirt she was given at her retirement party. Professor Strubbe is the namesake of a new labor and employment writing prize created in her honor.
The campaign to fund the Mary Rose Strubbe Labor and Employment Writing Prize started with a significant gift from the Chicago Federation of Labor. Jorge Ramirez ’97, president of the organization, explains:
Mary Rose Strubbe graduated with honors from Chicago-Kent in 1981, returning to teach in 1994. She has served the institution for 23 years, most recently as a professor of legal research and writing and the assistant director of the Institute for Law and the Workplace. She is one of the founding members of Chicago-Kent’s Program in Labor and Employment Law.
“ The reason I decided to make this gift is because the Institute for Law in the Workplace at Chicago-Kent is arguably the best program for folks interested in studying law in the workplace and specifically labor law. Mary Rose Strubbe was by far one of the most instrumental and influential professors at ChicagoKent because she taught us how to put law into practice and placed a strong emphasis on the process of writing. Anytime I tell someone that I studied under Professor Strubbe, they know what that means and what to expect from the work product.”
The Strubbe Prize will be awarded annually to the Chicago-Kent student who demonstrates exceptional skill in legal writing as evidenced by their paper being selected as a winner of a labor and employment writing competition. The first competition will be held this fall. Student prizes recognize and fuel achievement. More than 100 community members donated to make both prizes a reality.
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Class Notes are found on the MyKent Online Community. Log in at alumni.kentlaw.iit.edu.
***
IN MEMORIAM
Roy C. Palmer, Class of 1962
The Chicago-Kent community extends its sympathy to the families and friends of the following deceased alumni: Emily S. Armstrong ’08 Jerry S. Goldberg ’76 Michael J. Henshaw ’71 Stanley P. Hutchison ’51 Barbara J. Jacobs ’75 Richard M. Karr ’80 Judy Koster ’78 Andrea K. Mastro Hoinacki ’96 William J. Meyer ’53 Harvey A. Meyers ’65 William J. Moore ’52 Thomas H. Nettles ’70 Roy C. Palmer ’62 Curtis R. Parker ’57 R. Ben Perkins ’72 Sheldon I. Rubin ’80 William R. Thomas ’96 Richard E. Vawter ’83
Roy Palmer ’62 (left) accepts the 2012 Distinguished Service Award from Dean Harold Krent. Mr. Palmer passed away on February 27.
The ChicagoKent community is saddened by the death of attorney and philanthropist Roy C. Palmer '62, a generous benefactor of the law school and founder and namesake of the Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize. Mr. Palmer passed away on February 27, at age 81, in Franklin, North Carolina.
Mr. Palmer graduated with honors from Chicago-Kent in 1962 and worked for the Federal Trade Commission and for the Illinois Savings and Loan Board before embarking on a 25-year career in private practice. In 1990, he retired from the practice of law to focus on a variety of real estate development ventures. "Roy was a savvy investor and incredibly literate," said Dean Harold Krent. "The law school has benefited enormously from his creation of the Palmer Civil Liberties Prize. He cared profoundly about the law school, and I appreciated deeply both the public and private advice he gave me over the years. I miss him." A longtime member of the law school's board of advisors and an ardent supporter of the faculty's scholarly pursuits, Mr. Palmer was named one of Chicago-Kent's 125 Alumni of Distinction in 2013 on the occasion of the law school's 125th anniversary. He received the Chicago-Kent Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award in 2012. His daughter Allyson graduated from Chicago-Kent in 1991. In 2007, Mr. Palmer and his wife, Susan, established the Palmer Civil Liberties Prize to honor scholarship exploring the tension between civil liberties and national security in contemporary American society. Since then, the prize has gained momentum and prestige. Among the past winners are Harvard Law School professor Gabriella Blum, ACLU national president Susan N. Herman, and Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institution. The Palmers have been active in numerous civic, social and philanthropic organizations over many years and received the 1997 Outstanding Individual Philanthropist Award from the National Society of Fundraising Executives. In 2006, the Palmers pledged a $1 million gift to support Chicago-Kent's initiatives.
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FU L L CO LO R
R EV ER S ED
WHITE
On July 20, 2017, Chicago-Kent hosted more than 300 alumni and friends at “25 at 565,” an event honoring the 25th anniversary of 565 West Adams. “565” ushered in a new generation of increasingly diverse students and faculty, cementing Chicago-Kent's already robust reputation for technology and broadening its national reach. The celebration spanned 11 floors, culminating in remarks by Dean Harold Krent, Illinois Tech President Alan Cramb, and Illinois Tech President Emeritus and Professor of Law Emeritus Lew Collens in the FU L L CO LO R R EV ER S ED WHITE 10th floor Berkson Reading Room.
565 West Adams Street Chicago, Illinois 60661-3691
www.kentlaw.iit.edu
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